modelling Archives - Astrobiology

Benchmark test between chemcat (dashed black lines) and GGchem (solid colored lines) for a network of neutral species at 1 bar and temperatures from 100–6000 K (only selected species are shown). Both codes produced results typically consistent within 0.1 dex, with noticeable differences resulting from missing thermochemical data or at the lowest temperatures T ≲ 200 K. -- [astro-ph.EP]

Exoplanets, -moons, -comets

Pyrat Bay 2.0: An Upgraded Framework for Exoplanet Atmosphere Modeling in the JWST Era

by Keith CowingAugust 11, 2026August 11, 2026

[astro-ph.EP] This article presents a major update to the open-source Pyrat Bay modeling framework (version 2.0), tailored for the characterization of exoplanet atmospheres with the observational capabilities of current facilities, […]

Exoplanet detection limits from the neural network framework in the case of HARPS-N solar spectra. Left: Detection limit map in the period-amplitude domain. The red dots indicate the successful detection by the trained NN with a false alarm probability (FAP) > 0.1%. Middle: Amplitude comparison between the injected and recovered signals in the period-amplitude domain. The amplitude difference for most of the recovered signals are < 20%. The large difference at low amplitude (0.1 m/s) is likely due to noise in the data. Right: Phase comparison between the injected and recovered signals in the period-amplitude domain. The phase difference for most of the recovered planets is < 0.04. The large differences at long periods is likely due to a poorer sampling of the phase for long-period planetary signals.--astro-ph.EP

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Astrobiology (general), Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Machine Learning As A Transformative Tool for (Exo-)Planetary Science

by Keith CowingApril 13, 2026April 13, 2026

The exploration of planetary bodies in our Solar system and beyond relies on the processing and interpretation of large, spatio-temporally inconsistent, and heterogeneous datasets.

A simulated cell in the early stages of division. Left half shows membrane (green cubes), and ribosomes (yellow/purple) interwoven through in the cell’s chromosome (red). Right side shows all the proteins (grey) and RNA (orange) inside the cell with a small cutaway to show a second copy of the cell’s chromosome (blue). From Figure 1 of the paper, “Bringing the genetically minimal cell to life on a computer in 4D.” Journal: Cell. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.02.009 Credit Graphic by Zane Thornburg

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Simulating A Living Cell: First Simulation Of An Entire Cell Cycle

by Keith CowingMarch 11, 2026March 11, 2026

By simulating the life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell — from DNA replication to protein translation to metabolism and cell division — scientists have opened a new frontier of […]

Climate simulations of Venus’s atmosphere.

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Venus

The Open-Source Photochem Code: A General Chemical and Climate Model for Interpreting (Exo)Planet Observations

by Keith CowingOctober 1, 2025October 1, 2025

With the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, we are firmly in the era of exoplanet atmosphere characterization. Understanding exoplanet spectra requires atmospheric chemical and climate models that span […]

A high-temperature hydrothermal vent field discovered on Puy des Folles Seamount on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, at approximately 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) in depth, during the In Search of Hydrothermal Lost Cities expedition. Image courtesy of Schmidt Ocean Institute.

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Genome-scale Metabolic Modelling Of Extremophiles And Its Applications In Astrobiological Environments

by Keith CowingFebruary 26, 2024February 25, 2024

Metabolic modelling approaches have become the powerful tools in modern biology. These mathematical models are widely used to predict metabolic phenotypes of the organisms or communities of interest, and to […]

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report

Modelling Non-Condensing Compositional Convection for Applications to Super-Earth and Sub-Neptune Atmospheres

by Keith CowingOctober 13, 2023October 13, 2023

Compositional convection is atmospheric mixing driven by density variations caused by compositional gradients. Previous studies have suggested that compositional gradients of atmospheric trace species within planetary atmospheres can impact convection […]