Oxygen is a promising exoplanet biosignature due to the evolutionary advantage conferred by harnessing starlight for photosynthesis, and the apparent low likelihood of maintaining oxygen-rich atmospheres without life.
astro-ph.EP
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Deimos, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Panspermia, Phobos, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
Microbial Contamination: Sample Return from Mars Moons: Departure of Microbes From Mars’ Surface
Potential microbial contamination of Martian moons, Phobos and Deimos, which can be brought about by transportation of Mars ejecta produced by meteoroid impacts on the Martian surface, has been comprehensively […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Deimos, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Phobos, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Sample Return
Microbial Contamination: Sample Return From Mars Moons: The Fate of Microbes on Martian Moons
This paper presents a case study of microbe transportation in the Mars-satellites system. We examined the spatial distribution of potential impact-transported microbes on the Martian moons using impact physics by […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
The Role of Carbon in Extrasolar Planetary Geodynamics and Habitability
he proportions of oxygen, carbon and major rock-forming elements (e.g. Mg, Fe, Si) determine a planet’s dominant mineralogy. Variation in a planet’s mineralogy subsequently affects planetary mantle dynamics as well […]
Posted inAstrobiology (general)
Sustainability and the Astrobiological Perspective: Framing Human Futures in a Planetary Context
We explore how questions related to developing a sustainable human civilization can be cast in terms of astrobiology. In particular we show how ongoing astrobiological studies of the coupled relationship […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Evidence for Water in the Rocky Debris of a Disrupted Extrasolar Minor Planet
The existence of water in extrasolar planetary systems is of great interest as it constrains the potential for habitable planets and life. Here, we report the identification of a circumstellar […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones
Assessing Circumbinary Habitable Zones using Latitudinal Energy Balance Modelling
Previous attempts to describe circumbinary habitable zones have been concerned with the spatial extent of the zone, calculated analytically according to the combined radiation field of both stars. By contrast […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Microlensing Discovers Extrasolar Planet in Habitable Zone
We used Keck adaptive optics observations to identify the first planet discovered by microlensing to lie in or near the habitable zone. The planet is at projected separation $r_\perp=1.1\pm 0.1\,$AU […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Diagnosing Chemical Disequilibrium in Planetary Atmospheres
Chemical disequilibrium has recently become a relevant topic in the study of the atmospheres of of transiting extrasolar planets, brown dwarfs, and directly imaged exoplanets. We present a new way […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Circumbinary Planet Formation in the Kepler-16 System
Recent simulations have shown that the formation of planets in circumbinary configurations (such as those recently discovered by Kepler) is dramatically hindered at the planetesimal accretion stage. The combined action […]