[UCSD] A new review paper led by scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography warns that the rapid loss of oxygen from the ocean and other aquatic ecosystems […]
habitability
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Substrate-Agnostic 3x: Biosignatures, Technosignatures, Ecologies
[physics.gen-ph] Substrate-agnostic perspectives are currently attracting increased attention. For example, it has become customary to refer to agnostic biosignatures to reflect the range of alternative extraterrestrial biospheres and to account […]
![(Left) The aperture assumed in these simulations. Furthermore, the stellar radius is assumed to be 0.03 λ/D, and the planet is assumed to be at 1 λ/D in the positive X direction. Middle) The single-moded measurement shown in the pupil plane (top) and focal plane (bottom) obtained by using the highest information mode from the calculation of the SLD, denoted here as SLD Mode 0. Right) The single-moded measurement shown in the pupil and focal planes as calculated using a classical numerical optimization. Pupil plane extents are from -0.5 to 0.5 (with an aperture diameter normalized to 1), while focal plane extents are from -5 λ/D to 5λ/D. Both of these methods are described in Ref. 13, and achieve ηs ≈ 1 × 10−9 , with ηp at 1 λ/D of approximately 19%, and a maximum ηp of 73% at 1.8 λ/D. -- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Optimal-mode-sorting.png?resize=1200%2C717&ssl=1)
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
Optimal Mode-sorting Coronagraphy: Limits Of Single-moded Measurements For The Habitable Worlds Observatory
[astro-ph.IM] Conventional coronagraph architectures struggle to reach the theoretical limit of exoplanet detection at close working angles. Spatial mode-sorting is capable of reaching the theoretical limit, which previous work has […]
![The lifetime of the system with respect to the innermost orbit P1 is plotted on a logarithmic scale for two Luna-mass moons. Alongside the maximum eccentricity reached by each moon is plotted (color-coded). The black-dashed line marks the βmax calculated earlier in the Eqn. (5). The gray dashed lines and labels indicate the MMR locations predicted using Eqn. (15). -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Tidal-evolution.png?resize=1200%2C719&ssl=1)
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets
Tidal Evolution Of Packed Moon Systems Around An Earth-mass Planet
[astro-ph.EP] While missions have long targeted terrestrial exoplanets within the habitable zone of their host stars, the number of exomoon candidates is expected to grow as next generation space-based observatories […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes
The Exozodi Spectral Effect: Residual Habitable Zone Dust May Bias ExoEarth Characterization
[astro-ph.EP] All exoplanetary systems are expected to host exozodiacal dust, or exozodi, originating from planetesimals. For many stars, exozodi will likely be the largest source of astrophysical noise in direct […]
Posted inHabitable Zones
The Expected Yield Of Venus Zone Terrestrial Planets From PLATO
[astro-ph.EP] The characterization of terrestrial exoplanets and the conditions that lead to divergent climate outcomes is a primary goal of exoplanetary science.
![The figure illustrates the four main phases of low-mass star formation: from the gravitational collapse of the natal core of gas and dust (Prestellar Core), to the main accretion phase (Class 0/I protostar, age ∼104 -105 yr), followed by the protostar and its surrounding protoplanetary disk (Class I/II, age ∼105 -106 yr), and finally the revealed planetary system after the disk has dispersed (Class III, age ∼107 yr). Typical spatial and timescales are indicated for each stage. Generated with Google Gemini 3 Flash and modified. -- [astro-ph.SR]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Cradle-of-Life.png?resize=1200%2C714&ssl=1)
Posted inHabitable Zones
Cradle Of Life: From The Formation Of Stars To Habitable Worlds With The SKAO
[astro-ph.SR] This chapter provides an overview of the different science cases covered by the “Cradle of Life” working group, which aims to leverage the capabilities of the Square Kilometre Array […]
![Averages over 100 trials of Siberian Traps injection scenario on a 31× 31 grid in the (fp, θ) parameter space. Mean number of DIC peaks (left), mean maximum DIC jump (top right), and mean time to return to equilibrium after end of injection phases (bottom right) are shown. The letters in the left panel correspond to parameters used in the example trials shown in Figure 10. -- [physics.ao-ph]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Modeling-the-response.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather
Modeling The Response Of Earth’s Marine Carbon Cycle To Extreme CO2 Injection Events
[physics.ao-ph] We explore how the response of a conceptual model of the marine carbon cycle depends on the way in which carbon is injected from the atmosphere.
Posted inHabitable Zones
When Stabilizing Feedbacks Wreak Havoc In Habitable Planets: Chaos At The Freezing Point In A Four-Feedback Climate Model
[astro-ph.EP] The long-term habitability of Earth-like planets is governed by the balance of positive and negative climate feedbacks that regulate surface temperature and atmospheric composition.
![Vertical profiles of temperature and volume mixing ratios for the species included in our atmospheric model, simulated for TRAPPIST-1 e. The profile behavior follows from the equations and assumptions described in Section 2.2. -- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Biosignature-Detectability.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology
Biosignature Detectability On Transiting Habitable Worlds With ELT/ANDES
[astro-ph.EP] The search for life beyond the Solar System is at a turning point, transitioning from theoretical predictions to observations enabled by next-generation observatories.