LHS 1140 b Is a Potentially Habitable Water World

LHS 1140 b is a small planet orbiting in the habitable zone of its M4.5V dwarf host. Recent mass and radius constraints have indicated that it has either a thick H₂-rich atmosphere or substantial water by mass. Here we present a transmission spectrum of LHS 1140 b between 1.7 and 5.2 μm, obtained using the NIRSpec instrument on JWST. By combining spectral retrievals and self-consistent atmospheric models, we show that the transmission spectrum is inconsistent with H₂-rich atmospheres with varied size and metallicity, leaving a water world as the remaining scenario to explain the planet's low density. Specifically, a H₂-rich atmosphere would result in prominent spectral features of CH₄ or CO₂ on this planet, but they are not seen in the transmission spectrum. Instead, the data favor a high mean molecular weight atmosphere (possibly N₂ dominated with H₂O and CO₂) with a modest confidence. Forming the planet by accreting C- and N-bearing ices could naturally give rise to a CO₂- or N₂-dominated atmosphere, and if the planet evolves to or has the climate-stabilizing mechanism to maintain a moderate-size CO₂/N₂-dominated atmosphere, the planet could have liquid-water oceans. Our models suggest CO₂ absorption features with an expected signal of 20 ppm at 4.2 μm. As the existence of an atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1 planets is uncertain, LHS 1140 b may well present the best current opportunity to detect and characterize a habitable world.