The role of planetary formation and evolution in shaping the composition of exoplanetary atmospheres

Over the last twenty years, the search for extrasolar planets revealed us the rich diversity of the outcomes of the formation and evolution of planetary systems. In order to fully understand how these extrasolar planets came to be, however, the orbital and physical data we possess are not enough, and they need to be complemented with information on the composition of the exoplanets. Ground-based and space-based observations provided the first data on the atmospheric composition of a few extrasolar planets, but a larger and more detailed sample is required before we can fully take advantage of it. The primary goal of the Exoplanet Characterization Observatory (EChO) is to fill this gap, expanding the limited data we possess by performing a systematic survey of hundreds of extrasolar planets. The full exploitation of the data that EChO and other space-based and ground-based facilities will provide in the near future, however, requires the knowledge of what are the sources and sinks of the chemical species and molecules that will be observed. Luckily, the study of the past history of the Solar System provides several indications on the effects of processes like migration, late accretion and secular impacts, and on the time they occur in the life of planetary systems. In this work we will review what is already known about the factors influencing the composition of planetary atmospheres, focusing on the case of gaseous giant planets, and what instead still need to be investigated.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication on Experimental Astronomy, special issue on the M3 EChO mission candidat

The Lages diatremes: mineral composition and petrological implications

Chemical data of heavy minerals from Lages diatremes in southern Brazil have been studied with the aim of characterizing the sample source(s). Three groups of minerals are recognized: I) aluminian-chromian pyroxene, pyrope garnet and chromian spinel, which represent disaggregated fragments of spinel, spinel+garnet and garnet facies peridotite; II) low-Cr aluminian pyroxene that occurs as megacrysts are high pressure phases (7-12 kb) being crystallized from an alkaline-like evolving magma; III) low-Cr aluminian diopside of crustal origin. Evidence of carbonatitic cryptic metasomatic enrichment is shown by clinopyroxenes of Groups I and II. The data do not support a kimberlitic affinity as it has been suggested for the diatremes. Rather, they are interpreted as vents related to the alkaline magmatism affecting the area in Late Cretaceous. The alkaline parental magma of the pyroxene megacrysts was generated from a metasomatized mantle at garnet facies that incorporated fragments of the surrounding still fertile mantle. Presumably at spinel-facies level the magma began to fractionate the megacrysts, whose crystallization proceeded over a large range of falling pressure and temperature. The chemical similarities between Group III clinopyroxenes and those from the differentiated lithotypes indicate that the magma carried this mineral phase on its evolution, at crustal conditions, towards a more evolved alkaline composition. Still, a non-cognate origin for the Group III clinopyroxenes cannot be discarded.<br>Dados químicos de minerais pesados dos diatremas de Lages no sul do Brasil foram estudados com o propósito de caracterizar as fontes das rochas. Três grupos de minerais são reconhecidos: I) piroxênio aluminoso-cromífero, granada piropo e espinélio cromífero, representando fragmentos desagregados de espinélio, espinélio+granada e granada da fácies peridotito; II) piroxênio aluminoso com baixo Cr, correspondendo a megacristais, com as fases de alta pressão (7-12 kb) cristalizadas a partir de magma alcalino em evolução; III) diopsídio aluminoso com baixo Cr e origem crustal. Clinopiroxênios dos Grupos I e II mostram evidências de enriquecimento metassomático críptico de natureza carbonatítica. Os dados não confirmam a afinidade kimberlítica sugerida para esses diatremas. Ao contrário, eles são interpretados como condutos relacionados ao magmatismo alcalino que afetou a área no Cretáceo Superior. O magma parental alcalino dos megacristais de piroxênio foi originado a partir de um manto metassomatizado na fácies granada que aprisionou fragmentos do ainda fértil manto adjacente. Presumivelmente na fácies espinélio teve início o fracionamento dos megacristais, cuja cristalização se deu em condições de pressão e temperatura decrescentes. As similaridades entre os clinopiroxênios do Grupo III e aqueles dos litotipos mais diferenciados sugere que essa fase mineral foi transportada pelo magma no curso de sua evolução, em condições crustais, para uma composição alcalina mais evoluída. Ainda, uma formação não-cogenética para os clinopiroxênios do Grupo III não pode ser descartada