M-dwarf stars are generally considered favourable for rocky planet detection. However, such planets may be subject to extreme conditions due to possible high stellar activity. The goal of this work […]
November 2015
Posted inAstrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Press Release
Ethyl Alcohol and Sugar in Comet C/2014Q2 (Lovejoy)
The presence of numerous complex organic molecules defined as those containing six or more atoms) around protostars shows that star formation is accompanied by an increase of molecular complexity. These […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Chemical Laptop Could Search for Signs of Extraterrestrial Life
If you were looking for the signatures of life on another world, you would want to take something small and portable with you. That’s the philosophy behind the “Chemical Laptop” […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
A Quantitative Criterion for Defining Planets
A simple metric can be used to determine whether a planet or exoplanet can clear its orbital zone during a characteristic time scale, such as the lifetime of the host […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Press Release
Microhydration Effect on Properties of First Branched Interstellar Molecule (i-PrCN)
In this work, we have focused on microsolvation of isopropyl cyanide (i-PrCN) as isopropyl cyanide has been recently detected in interstellar space and is of great importance from the astrochemical […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Physical and Chemical Properties of the Planets Around HR8799
The system of four planets around HR8799 offers a unique opportunity to probe the physics and chemistry at play in the atmospheres of self-luminous young (~30 Myr) planets. We recently […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
On the Fate of Unstable Circumbinary Planets: Tatooine's Close Encounters with a Death Star
Circumbinary planets whose orbits become unstable may be ejected, accreted, or even captured by one of the stars. We quantify the relative rates of these channels, for a binary of […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
New Insights on the Origins of Earth's Water
Water covers more than two-thirds of Earth’s surface, but its exact origins are still something of a mystery. Scientists have long been uncertain whether water was present at the formation […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Early Earth's Haze May Give Clue to Habitability Elsewhere in Space
An atmospheric haze around a faraway planet — like the one which probably shrouded and cooled the young Earth — could show that the world is potentially habitable, or even […]
Posted inImpact events
Giant Impacts on Earth-like Worlds
The late stages of terrestrial planet formation are dominated by giant impacts that collectively influence the growth, dynamical stability, composition and habitability of any planets that form. Hitherto, numerical models […]