The recent detection of Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, Trappist-1 and many other nearby M-type stars has led to speculations, whether liquid water and life actually […]
habitability
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
How Special Is the Solar System?
Given the fact that Earth is so far the only place in the Milky Way galaxy known to harbor life, the question arises of whether the solar system is in […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Galactic Effects on Habitability
The galactic environment has been suspected to influence planetary habitability in many ways. Very metal-poor regions of the Galaxy, or those largely devoid of atoms more massive than H and […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Stellar Winds, Magnetized and Unmagnetized Planets, and Habitability
The extent to which a magnetosphere protects its planetary atmosphere from stellar wind ablation depends upon how well it prevents plasma from entering and how well it traps otherwise escaping […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Rocky Planet Rotation, Thermal Tide Resonances, and the Influence of Biological Activity
It has been established theoretically that atmospheric thermal tides on rocky planets can lead to significant modifications of rotational evolution, both close to synchronous rotation and at faster rotations if […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Atmospheric Evolution
Earth’s atmosphere has evolved as volatile species cycle between the atmosphere, ocean, biomass and the solid Earth. The geochemical, biological and astrophysical processes that control atmospheric evolution are reviewed from […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Assessing the Interior Structure of Terrestrial Exoplanets with Implications for Habitability
Astrophysical observations reveal a large diversity of radii and masses of exoplanets. It is important to characterize the interiors of exoplanets to understand planetary diversity and further determine how unique, […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Press Release
Effects of Eccentricity on Climates and Habitability of Terrestrial Exoplanets Around M dwarfs
Eccentricity is an important orbital parameter. Understanding its effect on planetary climate and habitability is critical for us to search for a habitable world beyond our solar system. The orbital […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Redox Evolution via Gravitational Differentiation on Low Mass Planets: Implications for Biosignatures, Water Loss and Habitability
The oxidation of rocky planet surfaces and atmospheres, which arises from the twin forces of stellar nucleosynthesis and gravitational differentiation, is a universal process of key importance to habitability and […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release
Earth As A Hybrid Planet: The Anthropocene Era in Astrobiological Context
For decades, as astronomers have imagined advanced extraterrestrial civilizations, they categorized such worlds by the amount of energy their inhabitants might conceivably be able to harness and use. They sorted […]