We investigate the formation of multiple-planet systems in the presence of a hot Jupiter using extended N-body simulations that are performed simultaneously with semi-analytic calculations. Our primary aims are to […]
astro-ph.EP]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Earth-like Habitats in Planetary Systems
Understanding the concept of habitability is related to an evolutionary knowledge of the particular planet-in-question. Additional indications so-called “systemic aspects” of the planetary system as a whole governs a particular […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Formation, Tidal Evolution and Habitability of the Kepler-186 System
The Kepler-186 system consists of five planets orbiting an early-M dwarf. The planets have physical radii of 1.0-1.50 R⊕ and orbital periods of 4 to 130 days. The 1.1 R⊕ Kepler-186f […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Effect of Planetary Illumination on Climate Modelling of Earthlike Exomoons
From analytical studies of tidal heating, eclipses and planetary illumination, it is clear that the exomoon habitable zone (EHZ) – the set of moon and host planet orbits that permit […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Radiation
Radiolysis of Amino Acids by Heavy and Energetic Cosmic Ray Analogs in Simulated Space Environments
In this work, we studied the stability of the glycine molecule in the crystalline zwitterion form, known as {alpha}-glycine (+ NH3 CH2 COO− ) under action of heavy cosmic ray […]
Posted inBeta Pictoris, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
The Orbit of the Young Exoplanet beta Pictoris b
We present new astrometry for the young (12-21 Myr) exoplanet beta Pictoris b taken with the Gemini/NICI, Magellan/MagAO+Clio2, and Magellan/MagAO+VisAO instruments between 2009 and 2012. The high dynamic range of […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Cosmological Aspects of Planetary Habitability
The habitable zone (HZ) is defined as the region around a star where a planet can support liquid water on its surface, which, together with an oxygen atmosphere, is presumed […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
The Gemini Planet Imager: First Light
The Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) is a dedicated facility for directly imaging and spectroscopically characterizing extrasolar planets. It combines a very high-order adaptive optics system, a diffraction-suppressing coronagraph, and an […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Setting the Stage for Habitable Planets
Our understanding of the processes that are relevant to the formation and maintenance of habitable planetary systems is advancing at a rapid pace, both from observation and theory. The present […]
Posted inImpact events
Assessments of the Energy, Mass and Size of the Chicxulub Impactor
In 1980, Alvarez and colleagues proposed that, in the transition from the Cretaceous to Paleogene, a large impactor collided with Earth being the cause of the mass extinction occurred at […]