VPLanet models the coupled evolution of planetary systems over billions of years — from planetary cores to passing stars — with a focus on habitability. Physical models are coupled together via ordinary differential equations to simulate complex feedback loops across 13 interacting modules.
Each module encodes a specific physical process as ordinary differential equations. Modules can be combined to simulate complex feedback loops across entire planetary systems.
VPLanet reads input files, couples the selected modules, and integrates the system forward in time, writing output at user-specified intervals.
Execution flow: from reading options through integration to final output.
41 verified examples reproduce figures from Barnes et al. (2020) and subsequent publications. All input files and plotting scripts are included in the repository.
Obliquity, eccentricity, CPP, ice sheets, temperature, and ablation over 1 Myr
Stellar mass vs. semi-major axis
XUV flux vs. escape velocity
Solidification, atmosphere, and reservoir evolution
Thermal evolution of Earth's interior
VPLanet requires a C compiler (gcc or clang) and Python 3.6+. Install via pip or build from source.
# Install via pip $ pip install vplanet # Or build from source $ git clone https://github.com/VirtualPlanetaryLaboratory/vplanet.git $ cd vplanet $ python setup.py install # Run an example $ cd examples/EarthInterior $ vplanet vpl.in $ vplot .
A suite of companion tools for visualization, parameter sweeps, and large-scale data analysis.
If you use VPLanet in your research, please cite the following paper.
VPLanet development has been supported by NASA grants NNA13AA93A, NNX15AN35G, 80NSSC17K048, 13-13NAI7_0024, 80NSSC20K0229, and 80NSSC20K0261, with additional support from the University of Washington, Carnegie Institute for Science, and Austrian Space Research Institute (IWF).