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 […]
extrasolar
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, 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
Many Small Exoplanets Found to Be Covered in Gas
During its four-year mission, NASA’s Kepler space telescope discovered thousands of “planetary candidates” in our Milky Way galaxy — the vast majority of which are almost certainly actual planets. But […]
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 […]