Assessing the massive young Sun hypothesis to solve the warm young Earth puzzle

Abstract

A moderately massive early Sun has been proposed to resolve the so-called faint early Sun paradox. We calculate the time-evolution of the solar mass that would be required by this hypothesis, using a simple parametrized energy-balance model for Earth's climate. Our calculations show that the solar mass loss rate would need to have been 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than present for a time on the order of ~2 Gy. Such a mass loss history is significantly at variance (both in timescale and in the magnitude of the mass loss rates) with that inferred from astronomical observations of mass loss in younger solar analogues. While suggestive, the astronomical data cannot completely rule out the possibility that the Sun had the required mass loss history; therefore, we also examine the effects of the hypothetical historical solar mass loss on orbital dynamics in the solar system, with a view to identifying additional tests of the hypothesis. Planetary and satellite orbits provide a few tests, but these are weak or non-unique.