Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2019 / iii / Paper 315 / 3 / b / Solution

At $10\mathrm{au}$ from a four-solar-luminosity star, the incident flux is proportional to $4/10^2=1/25$, approximately the same as for Jupiter at $5\mathrm{au}$ around the Sun. Thus Jupiter supplies a possible old comparison at roughly the same mass and irradiation.

Assume the radius law holds from the young epoch to an old age of $4.5\mathrm{Gyr}$, that the irradiation history can be represented by the same fixed value, and that the present old radius is $R_J$. If $t$ is approximated by stellar age, thenIf $t$ instead starts at completion of formation, the model's formation delay of up to $3\mathrm{Myr}$ leaves the young planet with thermal age between $2$ and $5\mathrm{Myr}$. Taking the old thermal age as approximately $4500\mathrm{Myr}$ then gives $\alpha \simeq 0.090$–$0.102$.

Thus an exponent of order 0.1 is a reasonable conditional estimate. A single radius at one age cannot determine both the exponent and normalization of a power law; the old Jupiter comparison and the assumptions about formation time and irradiation are essential.