AGNI models the hellish atmospheres of young rocky exoplanets with magma oceans, using radiative-convective equilibrium to predict what JWST might see in these extreme worlds.

Imagine a world where the surface glows molten red and the atmosphere churns with vaporized rock—this is the reality for young rocky exoplanets in their infancy. AGNI (named after the Hindu god of fire) tackles one of exoplanetary science’s most extreme modeling challenges: simulating the atmospheric structure of planets with magma oceans, where temperatures soar high enough to vaporize silicates and metals into the sky.

This sophisticated model achieves radiative-convective equilibrium by coupling SOCRATES radiative transfer with mixing-length convection theory, handling everything from stellar irradiation to surface emission and collisional absorption. AGNI supports real gas equations of state, self-gravitation effects, and various spectral surface compositions—critical features when modeling atmospheres where conventional assumptions break down. The model uses numerical optimization to ensure energy conservation throughout the atmospheric column, providing realistic cooling rates for these volcanic worlds.

As JWST begins characterizing the atmospheres of ultra-hot rocky planets, AGNI provides the theoretical framework to interpret observations of these extreme environments. Researchers can now model the transition from magma ocean to solid surface, predict atmospheric escape rates, and understand how these hellish worlds might evolve into the diverse rocky planets we observe today.

⭐ Stars: 9
💻 Language: Jupyter Notebook
🔗 Repository: nichollsh/AGNI