M type stars are good targets in the search for habitable extrasolar planets. Because of their low effective temperatures, the habitable zone of M stars is very close to the […]
astro-ph.EP]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Habitable Zones
Water: From Clouds to Planets
Results from recent space missions, in particular Spitzer and Herschel, have lead to significant progress in our understanding of the formation and transport of water from clouds to disks, planetesimals, […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Tides, planetary companions, and habitability: Habitability in the habitable zone of low-mass stars
Earth-scale planets in the classical habitable zone (HZ) are more likely to be habitable if they possess active geophysics. Without a constant internal energy source, planets cool as they age, […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
The Status of Spectroscopic Data for the Exoplanet Characterisation Missions
The status of laboratory spectroscopic data for exoplanet characterisation missions such as EChO is reviewed. For many molecules (eg H2O, CO, CO2, H3+, O2, O3) the data are already available. […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Volatiles in Protoplanetary Disks
Volatiles are compounds with low sublimation temperatures, and they make up most of the condensible mass in typical planet-forming environments. They consist of relatively small, often hydrogenated, molecules based on […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Possibilities of Life Around Alpha Centauri B
We make a preliminary assessment on the habitability of potential rocky exoplanets around Alpha Centauri B. We use several indexes: the Earth Similarity Index, a mathematical model for photosynthesis, and […]
Posted inHabitable Zones
Superhabitable Worlds
To be habitable, a world (planet or moon) does not need to be located in the stellar habitable zone (HZ), and worlds in the HZ are not necessarily habitable. Here, […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Exocomets in the circumstellar gas disk of HD 172555
The source HD172555 is a young A7V star surrounded by a debris disk with a gaseous component. Here, we present the detection of variable absorption features detected simultaneously in the […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Impact events
The Atmospheres of Earth-like Planets after Giant Impact Events
It is now understood that the accretion of terrestrial planets naturally involves giant collisions, the moon-forming impact being a well known example. In the aftermath of such collisions the surface […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Habitable Zones with Stable Orbits for Planets around Binary Systems
A general formulation to compute habitable zones for binary stars is presented. We extend the simple formulation of the known concept: {\it circumstellar habitable zone} for single stars, to the […]