The connection between the atmospheric composition of giant planets and their origin remains elusive. We explore how convective mixing can link the planet's primordial state to its atmospheric composition. We simulate the long-term evolution of gas giants with masses from 0.3 to 3 M_J, considering various composition profiles and primordial entropies and show that when convective mixing is considered, the atmospheric metallicity increases over time, encoding information about the planetary primordial structure. Moreover, mixing affects the planet's radius, altering its evolution in a measurable way. We demonstrate that a combination of the planetary radius and atmospheric composition can constrain the planetary formation history. Young systems emerge as prime targets, with lower-mass gas giants being particularly susceptible to mixing-induced changes. Our findings highlight convective mixing as a key mechanism to probe the primordial state of giant planets, offering new constraints on formation models and demonstrating that the primordial conditions of giant planets are not erased, but instead leave a lasting imprint on their evolution.
| Subject : | : | Oral presentation |
| Topics | : | Interior modeling and evolution |
| PDF version | : |  PDF version |
