Processes expected to play a role in interstellar ice are simulated in the laboratory. Energetic photons and ions lead to fragmentation or desorption of molecules from the ice. The end […]
Protoplanetary Disk
Posted inAstrobiology (general), Courses, Education and Outreach, Status Report
Spring School “Tracking The Evolution Of Planetary Systems And Planets” – Bursaries Available
The spring school “Tracking the evolution of planetary systems and planets” which is co-organised by the COST Action “The birth of solar systems” and the European Astrobiology Institute (EAI) will […]
![a) Mn/Na vs. Mn/Mg and b) Mn/Na vs. K/Li ratios among planetary bodies. The coloured curves denote the evolution of the composition of an evaporation residue calculated using eq. 35 at 1100 K (purple), 1500 K (blue), 2000 K (green) and 2500 K (red) at a fixed relative oxygen fugacity (∆IW-1, except for 1100 K, which was calculated at ∆IW-6, see text), with numbers denoting the fraction of Mn loss undergone by the body. The black dashed lines connect equal degrees of Mn loss at different temperatures. The solid black curves trace a binary mixture of a volatile-depleted end-member with 90 % Mn loss and a CI-like end-member. The small numbers denote the mass fraction of CI in the mixture. On a), only the volatile-depleted end-member at 1500 K is shown due to clarity, whereas in b) the end-members are taken at the three temperatures, and the dotted grey lines connect equal fractions of CI material. The grey point gives the composition of the Earth assuming 50 % of its Mn budget resides in the core [see Siebert et al., 2018]. The grey field denotes the compositional range of chondrites [Wasson and Kallemeyn, 1988; Siebert et al., 2018]. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Physicochemical-Controls-On-The.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Physicochemical Controls On The Compositions Of The Earth And Planets
Despite the fact that the terrestrial planets formed from the protoplanetary disk, their compositions show marked departures from that of solar nebula condensates.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Helium Depletion in Escaping Atmospheres of Sub-Neptunes: A Signature of Primary-to-Secondary Transition
Short-period sub-Neptunes are common in extrasolar systems. These sub-Neptunes are generally thought to have primary atmospheres of protoplanetary-disk gas origin.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Zooming Into The Water Snowline: High Resolution Water Observations of the HL Tau disk
Water is one of the central molecules for the formation and habitability of planets. In particular, the region where water freezes-out, the water snowline, could be a favorable location to […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report
Constructing Earth Formation History Using Deep Mantle Noble Gas Reservoirs
Noble gases are powerful probes of the Earth’s early history, as they are chemically inert. Neon isotopic ratios in deep mantle plumes suggest that nebular gases were incorporated into the […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report
Formation And Disruption Of Resonant Chains Of Super-Earths: Secular Perturbations From Outer Eccentric Embryos
Recent observations have revealed the distribution of orbital period ratios of adjacent planets in multiple super-Earth systems and how these distributions change with time.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Unveiling the Chemical Complexity and C/O Ratio of the HD 163296 Protoplanetary Disk: Constraints from Multi-line ALMA Observations of Organics, Nitriles, Sulfur-bearing, and Deuterated Molecules
The physical and chemical conditions within a protoplanetary disk play a crucial role in determining its chemical composition, which is subsequently inherited by any forming planets.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report
Close-in Compact Super-Earth Systems Emerging From Resonant Chains: Slow Destabilization By Unseen Remnants Of Formation
Planet formation simulations consistently predict compact systems of numerous small planets in chains of mean motion resonances formed by planet-disk interaction, but transiting planet surveys have found most systems to […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Interstellar, Press Release
A Submillimeter Survey Of CS Excitation In Protoplanetary Disks: Evidence Of X-ray-Driven Sulfur Chemistry
The sulfur chemistry in protoplanetary disks influences the properties of nascent planets, including potential habitability.