Volatile-rich evolution of molten super-Earth L 98-59 d

Journal article

Abstract Small, low-density exoplanets are sculpted by strong stellar irradiation, but their primordial compositions and subsequent evolution are still unknown. Two often-considered scenarios hold that they formed with rocky interiors and H 2 –He atmospheres (‘gas dwarfs’) or alternatively with bulk compositions dominated by H 2 O phases (‘water worlds’). Here we constrain the possible range of evolutionary histories linking the birth conditions of low-density super-Earth L 98-59 d to recent observations using a coupled atmosphere–interior evolutionary model. We find that the observations can be explained by in situ photochemical production of SO 2 in an H 2 background, indicative of a chemically reducing mantle and substantial (>1.8 mass%) early sulfur and hydrogen content, inconsistent with both the gas-dwarf and water-world scenarios. L 98-59 d’s interior comprises a permanent magma ocean, allowing long-term retention of volatiles within its mantle over billions of years, consistent with California-Kepler Survey trends. Our analysis reveals an evolutionary pathway in which planets host volatile-rich atmospheres sustained by long-term magma-ocean degassing, shaped by secular cooling, atmospheric erosion and photochemistry. Internal and environmental processes contribute to the observed diversity of super-Earth and sub-Neptune exoplanets.

Authors: Nicholls, H; Lichtenberg, T; Chatterjee, RD; Guimond, CM; Postolec, E

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Nature Research
• Journal: Nature Astronomy
• Publication date: 2026-03-16
• DOI: 10.1038/s41550-026-02815-8
• EISSN: 2397-3366
• ISSN: 2397-3366
• Language: English
• Keywords: Terrestrial planet; Exoplanet; Planet; Earth (classical element); Abiogenesis; Chemical evolution; Planetary science; Mantle (geology)