Optimal Target Stars in the Search for Life

The selection of optimal targets in the search for life represents a highly important strategic issue. In this paper, we evaluate the relative benefits of searching for life around a potentially habitable planet orbiting a star of arbitrary mass relative to a Sun-like star.

If recent physical arguments implying that the habitability of planets orbiting low-mass stars is selectively suppressed are correct, we find that planets around solar-type stars may represent the optimal targets.

Manasvi Lingam, Abraham Loeb
(Submitted on 20 Mar 2018)

Comments: 6 pages; 3 figures
Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
Cite as: arXiv:1803.07570 [astro-ph.EP] (or arXiv:1803.07570v1 [astro-ph.EP] for this version)
Submission history
From: Manasvi Lingam
[v1] Tue, 20 Mar 2018 18:00:11 GMT (221kb,D)
https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.07570
Astrobiology