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Cited by 113Stellar, planetary, and galactic studiesSolar and Space Plasma DynamicsAstro and Planetary Science

Our Sun. V. A Bright Young Sun Consistent with Helioseismology and Warm Temperatures on Ancient Earth and Mars

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Sackmann, I.‐Juliana, Boothroyd, Arnold I.·2003·The Astrophysical Journal
DOI 10.1086/345408
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Abstract

The relatively warm temperatures required on early Earth and Mars have been difficult to account for via warming from greenhouse gases. We tested whether this problem can be resolved for both Earth and Mars by a young Sun that is brighter than predicted by the standard solar model (SSM). We computed high-precision solar evolutionary models with slightly increased initial masses of M i = 1.01-1.07 M ☉ ; for each mass, we considered three different mass-loss scenarios. We then tested whether these models were consistent with the current high-precision helioseismic observations. The relatively modest mass-loss rates in these models are consistent with observational limits from young stars and estimates of the past solar wind obtained from lunar rocks and do not significantly affect the solar lithium depletion. For appropriate initial masses, all three mass-loss scenarios are capable of yielding a solar flux 3.8 Gyr ago high enough to be consistent with water on ancient Mars. The higher flux at the planets is due partly to the fact that a more massive young Sun would be intrinsically more luminous and partly to the fact that the planets would be closer to the more massive young Sun. At birth on the main sequence, our preferred initial mass M i = 1.07 M ☉ would produce a solar flux at the planets 50% higher than that of the SSM, namely, a flux 5% higher than the present value (rather than 30% lower, which the SSM predicts). At first (for 1-2 Gyr), the solar flux would decrease ; subsequently, it would behave more like the flux in the SSM, increasing until the present. We find that all of our mass-losing solar models are consistent with the helioseismic observations; in fact, our preferred mass-losing case with M i = 1.07 M ☉ is in marginally (although insignificantly) better agreement with the helioseismology than is the SSM. The early solar mass loss of a few percent does indeed leave a small fingerprint on the Sun's internal structure. However, for helioseismology to significantly constrain early solar mass loss would require higher accuracy in the observed solar parameters and input physics, namely, by a factor of ~3 for the observed solar surface composition and a factor of ~2 for the solar interior opacities, the p - p nuclear reaction rate, and the diffusion constants for gravitational settling.

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  • One solution to the FYS is that the young Sun was not faint but more massive and therefore as bright as today.

    “One solution to the FYS is that the young Sun was not faint but more massive and therefore as bright as today (205, 206).”

    From The Archean atmosphere (2020) · cites this paper as [206]

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Authors
Sackmann, I. ‐., & Boothroyd, A. I.
Affiliations
California Institute of Technology (US)
Venue
The Astrophysical Journal
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
Published
2003-02
Volume
583
Issue
2
Pages
1024-1039
ISSN
  • 0004-637X (ISSN-L)
  • 1538-4357
DOI
10.1086/345408
OpenAlex
W2130229226
Cited by
113
References
89
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 6
FWCI
5.02
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Astrophysical Journal (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
Keywords
young Sun, solar luminosity, solar mass loss, helioseismology, global warming, solar wind, lunar rocks, solar opacity, gravitational settling, water on Mars

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