Composition determination of terrestrial exoplanets

Abstract

The exact composition of terrestrial exoplanets remains the subject of great interest, from informing chances of habitability to our theories of planetary formation. Such information is difficult to resolve for exoplanets. Mass and radius alone may be used to determine a set of probable compositions, however if one uses average densities for iron and silicate an inaccurate composition is calculated. To more accurately determine composition, one must apply the effects of compression and differentiation. In this project we apply the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equation and bulk modulus to accurately determine the possible compositions of terrestrial exoplanets