Carbon-rich Sub-Neptune Interiors Are Compatible with JWST Observations

Many possible interior compositions exist for sub-Neptunes: ice-poor, ice-rich, and water-dominated interiors can all match the measured masses and radii. Motivated by a recent theory of carbon-rich planet formation outside the refractory organic carbon “soot line” and observations of carbon-rich protoplanetary disks around late M dwarfs, we propose another possible sub-Neptune composition: a carbon-rich composition consisting of an iron-silicate core, a carbon layer, and a hydrogen/helium-dominated envelope. We show that the interiors of three prototypical sub-Neptunes with high-quality spectral observations - TOI-270 d, GJ 1214 b, and K2-18 b - are consistent with carbon-rich compositions if they have \(\leq100\) times solar metallicity atmospheres. We further show that carbon-rich interiors lead to atmospheric compositions that match Hubble Space Telescope and JWST observations. Simulated carbon-rich TOI-270 d transmission spectra pass the \(\chi^2\) test under a wide range of C/O, haze, and cloud scenarios. K2-18 b spectral models are broadly consistent with observations but require additional sources for carbon species to be fully compatible. GJ 1214 b models, however, are incompatible with observations, ruling out a carbon-rich interior composition, if the atmosphere of the planet is primordial and reflects the interior C/O.

Recommended citation: Lin, Zifan and Seager, Sara. (2025). "Carbon-rich Sub-Neptune Interiors Are Compatible with JWST Observations." The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
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