Recently, four additional Earth-mass planets were discovered orbiting the nearby ultracool M8 dwarf TRAPPIST-1, making a remarkable total of seven planets with equilibrium temperatures compatible with the presence of liquid […]
TRAPPIST-1
Posted inPress Release, TRAPPIST-1
Composition of Earth-size Planets in TRAPPIST-1 System Identified
A University of Oklahoma post-doctoral astrophysics researcher, Billy Quarles, has identified the possible compositions of the seven planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system. Using thousands of numerical simulations to identify the […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
Mini-Flares Potentially Jeopardize Habitability of Planets Circling Red Dwarf Stars
Cool dwarf stars are hot targets for exoplanet hunting right now. The discoveries of planets in the habitable zones of the TRAPPIST-1 and LHS 1140 systems, for example, suggest that […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
Spin States of Habitable Zone Exoplanets Around M Dwarfs: The Effect of a Near-Resonant Companion
One longstanding problem for the potential habitability of planets within M dwarf systems is their likelihood to be tidally locked in a synchronously rotating spin state. This problem thus far […]
Posted inPress Release, TRAPPIST-1
Atmospheric Escape from the TRAPPIST-1 Planets and Implications for Habitability
The presence of an atmosphere over sufficiently long timescales is widely regarded as one of the most prominent criteria associated with planetary surface habitability. We address the crucial question as […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
Observations of TRAPPIST-1 Exoplanetary System Fosters a New Biomarker
The recent discovery of seven potentially habitable Earth-size planets around the ultra-cool star TRAPPIST-1 has further fueled the hunt for extraterrestrial life. Current methods focus on closely monitoring the host […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
Updated Masses for the TRAPPIST-1 Planets
The newly detected TRAPPIST-1 system, with seven low-mass, roughly Earth-sized planets transiting a nearby ultra-cool dwarf, is one of the most important exoplanet discoveries to date. The short baseline of […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
Limits on the Stability of TRAPPIST-1
TRAPPIST-1 is a late M-dwarf orbited by seven Earth-sized planets with orbital period ratios near a chain of mean motion resonances. Due to uncertain system parameters, most orbital configurations drawn […]
Posted inPanspermia, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
Fast Litho-panspermia in the Habitable Zone of the TRAPPIST-1 System
With several short-period, Earth-mass planets in the habitable zone, the TRAPPIST-1 system potentially allows litho-panspermia to take place on very short timescales. We investigate the efficiency and speed of inter-planetary […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
Frequent Flaring in the TRAPPIST-1 system – Unsuited For Life?
We analyze short cadence K2 light curve of the TRAPPIST-1 system. Fourier analysis of the data suggests Prot=3.295±0.003 days. The light curve shows several flares, of which we analyzed 42 […]