Extend cloud–haze modeling across the sub-Neptune population

Establish how clouds, photochemical hazes, and their microphysical interactions vary across the broader sub-Neptunian population spanning different temperatures, gravities, atmospheric compositions, and condensable species.

Background

The paper focuses on KCl clouds and photochemical hazes in GJ 1214 b-like warm sub-Neptunes, while observations are expanding to planets with substantially different temperatures, gravities, and atmospheric compositions. In other systems, such as temperate sub-Neptunes, water clouds may be especially sensitive to the abundance of cloud condensation nuclei.

A population-level model grid is needed to determine whether the wet-removal and cloud-enhancement regimes found here are generic and to quantify their consequences for interpreting transmission spectra and other observations across sub-Neptune populations.

References

A key open question is how clouds, photochemical hazes, and cloud-haze interactions manifest across the broader sub-Neptunian population.

— Wet Removal and Cloud Enhancement: The Microphysics of Cloud-Haze Interactions on Sub-Neptunes  (2608.19100 - Nagpal et al., 19 Aug 2026) in Section 7.5, “Observational Strategies and Implications”

The composition of the condensate remains uncertain, however.

— Asymmetric Aerosol Distribution on the Terminators of the Warm Saturn WASP-69 b Revealed by JWST NIRISS/SOSS  (2608.19756 - Wang et al., 20 Aug 2026) in Section 7.2, Discussion, subsection “Aerosol Properties”