Image Details
Caption: Figure 3.
Sensitivity of the reflation mechanism on mantle oxidation state, atmospheric escape efficiency, planetary semimajor axis, and initial hydrogen inventory. Reflation events occur most strongly at mantle oxidation state fO2 ∼ IW, escape efficiency η ∼ 10−4 to 10−3, semimajor axis a ≲ 0.05 au, and initial hydrogen inventory ≳ 5 Earth oceans. The sensitivity matrices display the minimum normalized bulk density that is achieved across three projections of the simulation ensemble. We show a range of redox states (x-axis) and respective simulation parameters (y-axis). For example, among all simulations with a mantle redox state of IW + 0 and semimajor axis of 0.02 au in the middle panel (which includes all variability of escape efficiency and hydrogen inventory), the most reflated case reached an underdensity of ρbulk 58% relative to its postformation bulk density ρbulk,0.
© 2026. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.