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 […]
astro-ph.EP]
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 […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Water Cycling Between Ocean and Mantle: Super-Earths Need Not be Waterworlds
Large terrestrial planets are expected to have muted topography and deep oceans, implying that most super-Earths should be entirely covered in water, so-called waterworlds. This is important because waterworlds lack […]
Posted inHabitable Zones
Calculating the Habitable Zone of Multiple Star Systems
We have developed a comprehensive methodology and an interactive website for calculating the habitable zone (HZ) of multiple star systems. Using the concept of spectral weight factor, as introduced in […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Microlensing Events by Proxima Centauri in 2014 and 2016: Opportunities for Mass Determination and Possible Planet Detection
We have found that Proxima Centauri, the star closest to our Sun, will pass close to a pair of faint background stars in the next few years. Using Hubble Space […]
Posted inIcy Worlds
Multi-Layer Hydrostatic Equilibrium of Planets and Synchronous Moons: Ceres and to Solar System Moons
The hydrostatic equilibrium of multi-layer bodies lacks a satisfactory theoretical treatment despite its wide range of applicability. Here we show that by using the exact analytical potential of homogeneous ellipsoids […]
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Probing Exo-Earth's Atmospheres During Primary Eclipse Observations
Most models used to predict or fit exoplanet transmission spectra do not include all the effects of atmospheric refraction. Namely, the angular size of the star with respect to the […]