Observing Earth-like exoplanets orbiting within the habitable zone of Sun-like stars and studying their atmospheres in reflected starlight requires contrasts of ∼1e−10 in the visible.
astro-ph.EP
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
A Catalog Of Habitable Zone Exoplanets
The search for habitable planets has revealed many planets that can vary greatly from an Earth analog environment.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Icy Worlds, Press Release
Material Properties Of Organic Liquids, Ices, And Hazes On Titan
Titan has a diverse range of materials in its atmosphere and on its surface: the simple organics that reside in various phases (gas, liquid, ice) and the solid complex refractory […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Survival of Terrestrial N2-O2 Atmospheres in Violent XUV Environments Through Efficient Atomic Line Radiative Cooling
Atmospheres play a crucial role in planetary habitability. Around M dwarfs and young Sun-like stars, planets receiving the same insolation as the present-day Earth are exposed to intense stellar X-rays […]
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
Evaluating The Plausible Range Of N2O Biosignatures On Exo-Earths: An Integrated Biogeochemical, Photochemical, And Spectral Modeling Approach
Nitrous oxide (N2O) — a product of microbial nitrogen metabolism — is a compelling exoplanet biosignature gas with distinctive spectral features in the near- and mid-infrared, and only minor abiotic […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE): VIII. Detecting Rocky Exoplanets In The Habitable Zones Of Sun-like Stars
While previous studies have shown a strong preference for a future mid-infrared nulling interferometer space mission to detect habitable zone planets around M-dwarfs, we here focus on a more conservative […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
CO2 Ocean Bistability On Terrestrial Exoplanets
Cycling of carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and interior of rocky planets can stabilize global climate and enable planetary surface temperatures above freezing over geologic time.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Meteorite Petrology Versus Genetics: Toward A Unified Binominal Classification
The current meteorite taxonomy, a result of two centuries of meteorite research and tradition, entangles textural and genetic terms in a less than consistent fashion, with some taxa (like shergottites) […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Atmospheric Retrievals For LIFE And Other Future Space Missions: The Importance Of Mitigating Systematic Effects
Atmospheric retrieval studies are essential to determine the science requirements for future generation missions, such as the Large Interferometer for Exoplanets (LIFE).
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Modification Of The Radioactive Heat Budget Of Earth-like Exoplanets By The Loss Of Primordial Atmospheres
The initial abundance of radioactive heat producing isotopes in the interior of a terrestrial planet are important drivers of its thermal evolution and the related tectonics and possible evolution to […]