Habitability of Exoplanet Waterworlds
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The Discovery of Exoplanets
L'Univers, S´eminairePoincar´eXX (2015) 113 { 137 S´eminairePoincar´e New Worlds Ahead: The Discovery of Exoplanets Arnaud Cassan Universit´ePierre et Marie Curie Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris 98bis boulevard Arago 75014 Paris, France Abstract. Exoplanets are planets orbiting stars other than the Sun. In 1995, the discovery of the first exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star paved the way to an exoplanet detection rush, which revealed an astonishing diversity of possible worlds. These detections led us to completely renew planet formation and evolu- tion theories. Several detection techniques have revealed a wealth of surprising properties characterizing exoplanets that are not found in our own planetary system. After two decades of exoplanet search, these new worlds are found to be ubiquitous throughout the Milky Way. A positive sign that life has developed elsewhere than on Earth? 1 The Solar system paradigm: the end of certainties Looking at the Solar system, striking facts appear clearly: all seven planets orbit in the same plane (the ecliptic), all have almost circular orbits, the Sun rotation is perpendicular to this plane, and the direction of the Sun rotation is the same as the planets revolution around the Sun. These observations gave birth to the Solar nebula theory, which was proposed by Kant and Laplace more that two hundred years ago, but, although correct, it has been for decades the subject of many debates. In this theory, the Solar system was formed by the collapse of an approximately spheric giant interstellar cloud of gas and dust, which eventually flattened in the plane perpendicular to its initial rotation axis. -
Modeling Super-Earth Atmospheres in Preparation for Upcoming Extremely Large Telescopes
Modeling Super-Earth Atmospheres In Preparation for Upcoming Extremely Large Telescopes Maggie Thompson1 Jonathan Fortney1, Andy Skemer1, Tyler Robinson2, Theodora Karalidi1, Steph Sallum1 1University of California, Santa Cruz, CA; 2Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ ExoPAG 19 January 6, 2019 Seattle, Washington Image Credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle Roadmap Research Goals & Current Atmosphere Modeling Selecting Super-Earths for State of Super-Earth Tool (Past & Present) Follow-Up Observations Detection Preliminary Assessment of Future Observatories for Conclusions & Upcoming Instruments’ Super-Earths Future Work Capabilities for Super-Earths M. Thompson — ExoPAG 19 01/06/19 Research Goals • Extend previous modeling tool to simulate super-Earth planet atmospheres around M, K and G stars • Apply modified code to explore the parameter space of actual and synthetic super-Earths to select most suitable set of confirmed exoplanets for follow-up observations with JWST and next-generation ground-based telescopes • Inform the design of advanced instruments such as the Planetary Systems Imager (PSI), a proposed second-generation instrument for TMT/GMT M. Thompson — ExoPAG 19 01/06/19 Current State of Super-Earth Detections (1) Neptune Mass Range of Interest Earth Data from NASA Exoplanet Archive M. Thompson — ExoPAG 19 01/06/19 Current State of Super-Earth Detections (2) A Approximate Habitable Zone Host Star Spectral Type F G K M Data from NASA Exoplanet Archive M. Thompson — ExoPAG 19 01/06/19 Atmosphere Modeling Tool Evolution of Atmosphere Model • Solar System Planets & Moons ~ 1980’s (e.g., McKay et al. 1989) • Brown Dwarfs ~ 2000’s (e.g., Burrows et al. 2001) • Hot Jupiters & Other Giant Exoplanets ~ 2000’s (e.g., Fortney et al. -
Initiation of Plate Tectonics in the Hadean: Eclogitization Triggered by the ABEL Bombardment
Accepted Manuscript Initiation of plate tectonics in the Hadean: Eclogitization triggered by the ABEL Bombardment S. Maruyama, M. Santosh, S. Azuma PII: S1674-9871(16)30207-9 DOI: 10.1016/j.gsf.2016.11.009 Reference: GSF 514 To appear in: Geoscience Frontiers Received Date: 9 May 2016 Revised Date: 13 November 2016 Accepted Date: 25 November 2016 Please cite this article as: Maruyama, S., Santosh, M., Azuma, S., Initiation of plate tectonics in the Hadean: Eclogitization triggered by the ABEL Bombardment, Geoscience Frontiers (2017), doi: 10.1016/ j.gsf.2016.11.009. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT MANUSCRIPT ACCEPTED P a g e ‐|‐1111‐‐‐‐ ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT ‐ 1‐ Initiation of plate tectonics in the Hadean: 2‐ Eclogitization triggered by the ABEL 3‐ Bombardment 4‐ 5‐ S. Maruyama a,b,*, M. Santosh c,d,e , S. Azuma a 6‐ a Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, 7‐ Ookayama-Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan 8‐ b Institute for Study of the Earth’s Interior, Okayama University, 827 Yamada, 9‐ Misasa, Tottori 682-0193, Japan 10‐ c Centre for Tectonics, Resources and Exploration, Department of Earth 11‐ Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia 12‐ d School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences 13‐ Beijing, 29 Xueyuan Road, Beijing 100083, China 14‐ e Faculty of Science, Kochi University, KochiMANUSCRIPT 780-8520, Japan 15‐ *Corresponding author. -
The Evolution of Star Habitable Zones
The Evolution of Star Habitable Zones Jeffrey J. Wolynski November 17, 2018 Rockledge, FL 32922 Abstract: It was discovered that planets are older, evolving stars. This means the Circumstellar Habitable Zone collapses and/or shrinks into the star itself, thus evolves as the star evolves. Explanation is provided. The habitable zone of a star is the area where liquid water exists or can exist. Since stars cool down and become water worlds as they evolve, combining their hydrogen with the leftover oxygen in large amounts, it is easy to see what happens. The star is too hot in the beginning to form water, or sustain it, but it can heat up other much colder stars allowing them to pool water on their surfaces from a distance. As the star cools and evolves, the distance it can do this diminishes considerably and its habitable zone shrinks. Blue giants have the largest habitable zones, but they quickly contract because they are so young and are evolving rapidly to cooler, less massive states. What this means is that the time variable for the habitable zones of these objects is quite small. The activity of more evolved stars around blue giants should be short-lived, but interesting to say the least. White stars have smaller habitable zones but are still very large. Orange dwarfs have even smaller habitable zones, as well show a noticeable thinning of the zone as opposed to earlier stages. Red dwarfs have very small external habitable zones and the smallest external habitable zone belongs to only the smallest brown dwarfs, which still have a small amount of heat to radiate the surface of another more evolved star. -
Ices on Mercury: Chemistry of Volatiles in Permanently Cold Areas of Mercury’S North Polar Region
Icarus 281 (2017) 19–31 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Icarus journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/icarus Ices on Mercury: Chemistry of volatiles in permanently cold areas of Mercury’s north polar region ∗ M.L. Delitsky a, , D.A. Paige b, M.A. Siegler c, E.R. Harju b,f, D. Schriver b, R.E. Johnson d, P. Travnicek e a California Specialty Engineering, Pasadena, CA b Dept of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA c Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ d Dept of Engineering Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA e Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA f Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: Observations by the MESSENGER spacecraft during its flyby and orbital observations of Mercury in 2008– Received 3 January 2016 2015 indicated the presence of cold icy materials hiding in permanently-shadowed craters in Mercury’s Revised 29 July 2016 north polar region. These icy condensed volatiles are thought to be composed of water ice and frozen Accepted 2 August 2016 organics that can persist over long geologic timescales and evolve under the influence of the Mercury Available online 4 August 2016 space environment. Polar ices never see solar photons because at such high latitudes, sunlight cannot Keywords: reach over the crater rims. The craters maintain a permanently cold environment for the ices to persist. Mercury surface ices magnetospheres However, the magnetosphere will supply a beam of ions and electrons that can reach the frozen volatiles radiolysis and induce ice chemistry. -
PEAS: the PLANET AS EXOPLANET ANALOG SPECTROGRAPH. E. C. Martin1 and A
Exoplanets in our Backyard 2020 (LPI Contrib. No. 2195) 3006.pdf PEAS: THE PLANET AS EXOPLANET ANALOG SPECTROGRAPH. E. C. Martin1 and A. J. Skemer1, 1Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA ([email protected]) Introduction: Exoplanets are abundant in our Galaxy • Produce 2D surface maps of Venus, Mars, Jupi- and yet characterizing them remains a technical chal- ter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune lenGe. Solar System planets provide an opportunity to • Produce fiducial measurements that will be used test the practical limitations of exoplanet observations to plan instruments for future exoplanet mis- with hiGh siGnal-to-noise data, and ancillary data (such sions, such as HabEx/LUVOIR and TMT. as 2D maps and in situ measurements) that we cannot Long term: access for exoplanets. However, data on Solar System • Time-series observations of Solar System plan- planets differ from exoplanets in that Solar System ets to explore variability and weather patterns planets are spatially resolved while exoplanets are all on planets unresolved point-sources. • Comparison to historical data (e.g. [4]) There have been several recent efforts to validate techniques for interpreting exoplanet observations by • Study planetary seismoloGy (oscillation modes) binning images of Solar System planets to a single of Solar System planets pixel: For example, Cowan et al. [1] used images from the EPOXI mission to study Earth’s Globally averaGed PEAS Instrument Design Planetary light collect- properties as it rotated; MayorGa et al. [2] used data ed by the telescope will be split into a spectroGraph from the Cassini spacecraft’s fly-by of Jupiter to ob- system and an imaGinG system for simultaneous obser- serve Globally averaGed reflected liGht phase curves; vations. -
The Search for Another Earth – Part II
GENERAL ARTICLE The Search for Another Earth – Part II Sujan Sengupta In the first part, we discussed the various methods for the detection of planets outside the solar system known as the exoplanets. In this part, we will describe various kinds of exoplanets. The habitable planets discovered so far and the present status of our search for a habitable planet similar to the Earth will also be discussed. Sujan Sengupta is an 1. Introduction astrophysicist at Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru. He works on the The first confirmed exoplanet around a solar type of star, 51 Pe- detection, characterisation 1 gasi b was discovered in 1995 using the radial velocity method. and habitability of extra-solar Subsequently, a large number of exoplanets were discovered by planets and extra-solar this method, and a few were discovered using transit and gravi- moons. tational lensing methods. Ground-based telescopes were used for these discoveries and the search region was confined to about 300 light-years from the Earth. On December 27, 2006, the European Space Agency launched 1The movement of the star a space telescope called CoRoT (Convection, Rotation and plan- towards the observer due to etary Transits) and on March 6, 2009, NASA launched another the gravitational effect of the space telescope called Kepler2 to hunt for exoplanets. Conse- planet. See Sujan Sengupta, The Search for Another Earth, quently, the search extended to about 3000 light-years. Both Resonance, Vol.21, No.7, these telescopes used the transit method in order to detect exo- pp.641–652, 2016. planets. Although Kepler’s field of view was only 105 square de- grees along the Cygnus arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, it detected a whooping 2326 exoplanets out of a total 3493 discovered till 2Kepler Telescope has a pri- date. -
Stagnant Lid Tectonics: Perspectives from Silicate Planets, Dwarf Planets, Large Moons, and Large Asteroids
Geoscience Frontiers 9 (2018) 103e119 HOSTED BY Contents lists available at ScienceDirect China University of Geosciences (Beijing) Geoscience Frontiers journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/gsf Research Paper Stagnant lid tectonics: Perspectives from silicate planets, dwarf planets, large moons, and large asteroids Robert J. Stern a,*, Taras Gerya b, Paul J. Tackley b a Geosciences Department, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75083-0688, USA b Department of Earth Sciences, ETH-Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland article info abstract Article history: To better understand Earth’s present tectonic styleeplate tectonicseand how it may have evolved from Received 7 November 2016 single plate (stagnant lid) tectonics, it is instructive to consider how common it is among similar bodies Received in revised form in the Solar System. Plate tectonics is a style of convection for an active planetoid where lid fragment 22 May 2017 (plate) motions reflect sinking of dense lithosphere in subduction zones, causing upwelling of Accepted 16 June 2017 asthenosphere at divergent plate boundaries and accompanied by focused upwellings, or mantle plumes; Available online 1 July 2017 any other tectonic style is usefully called “stagnant lid” or “fragmented lid”. In 2015 humanity completed a50þ year effort to survey the 30 largest planets, asteroids, satellites, and inner Kuiper Belt objects, Keywords: “ ” Stagnant lid which we informally call planetoids and use especially images of these bodies to infer their tectonic Solar system activity. The four largest planetoids are enveloped in gas and ice (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) Plate tectonics and are not considered. The other 26 planetoids range in mass over 5 orders of magnitude and in Planets diameter over 2 orders of magnitude, from massive Earth down to tiny Proteus; these bodies also range Moons widely in density, from 1000 to 5500 kg/m3. -
The Subsurface Habitability of Small, Icy Exomoons J
A&A 636, A50 (2020) Astronomy https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201937035 & © ESO 2020 Astrophysics The subsurface habitability of small, icy exomoons J. N. K. Y. Tjoa1,?, M. Mueller1,2,3, and F. F. S. van der Tak1,2 1 Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, Landleven 12, 9747 AD Groningen, The Netherlands e-mail: [email protected] 2 SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Landleven 12, 9747 AD Groningen, The Netherlands 3 Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands Received 1 November 2019 / Accepted 8 March 2020 ABSTRACT Context. Assuming our Solar System as typical, exomoons may outnumber exoplanets. If their habitability fraction is similar, they would thus constitute the largest portion of habitable real estate in the Universe. Icy moons in our Solar System, such as Europa and Enceladus, have already been shown to possess liquid water, a prerequisite for life on Earth. Aims. We intend to investigate under what thermal and orbital circumstances small, icy moons may sustain subsurface oceans and thus be “subsurface habitable”. We pay specific attention to tidal heating, which may keep a moon liquid far beyond the conservative habitable zone. Methods. We made use of a phenomenological approach to tidal heating. We computed the orbit averaged flux from both stellar and planetary (both thermal and reflected stellar) illumination. We then calculated subsurface temperatures depending on illumination and thermal conduction to the surface through the ice shell and an insulating layer of regolith. We adopted a conduction only model, ignoring volcanism and ice shell convection as an outlet for internal heat. -
Is Plate Tectonics Needed to Evolve Technological Species on Exoplanets?
Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 573e580 HOSTED BY Contents lists available at ScienceDirect China University of Geosciences (Beijing) Geoscience Frontiers journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/gsf Research paper Is plate tectonics needed to evolve technological species on exoplanets? Robert J. Stern Geoscience Department, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA article info abstract Article history: As we continue searching for exoplanets, we wonder if life and technological species capable of Received 23 September 2015 communicating with us exists on any of them. As geoscientists, we can also wonder how important is the Received in revised form presence or absence of plate tectonics for the evolution of technological species. This essay considers this 18 November 2015 question, focusing on tectonically active rocky (silicate) planets, like Earth, Venus, and Mars. The Accepted 4 December 2015 development of technological species on Earth provides key insights for understanding evolution on Available online 29 December 2015 exoplanets, including the likely role that plate tectonics may play. An Earth-sized silicate planet is likely Keywords: to experience several tectonic styles over its lifetime, as it cools and its lithosphere thickens, strengthens, Plate tectonics and becomes denser. These include magma ocean, various styles of stagnant lid, and perhaps plate Exoplanets tectonics. Abundant liquid water favors both life and plate tectonics. Ocean is required for early evolution Planetary science of diverse single-celled organisms, then colonies of cells which specialized further to form guts, ap- Intelligent life pendages, and sensory organisms up to the complexity of fish (central nervous system, appendages, eyes). Large expanses of dry land also begin in the ocean, today produced above subduction zones in juvenile arcs and by their coalescence to form continents, although it is not clear that plate tectonics was required to create continental crust on Earth. -
The Evolving Universe and the Origin of Life
Pekka Teerikorpi · Mauri Valtonen · Kirsi Lehto · Harry Lehto · Gene Byrd · Arthur Chernin The Evolving Universe and the Origin of Life The Search for Our Cosmic Roots Second Edition The Evolving Universe and the Origin of Life Pekka Teerikorpi • Mauri Valtonen • Kirsi Lehto • Harry Lehto • Gene Byrd • Arthur Chernin The Evolving Universe and the Origin of Life The Search for Our Cosmic Roots Second Edition 123 Pekka Teerikorpi Mauri Valtonen Department of Physics and Astronomy Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Turku University of Turku Turku, Finland Turku, Finland Kirsi Lehto Harry Lehto Department of Biology Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Turku University of Turku Turku, Finland Turku, Finland Gene Byrd Arthur Chernin Department of Physics and Astronomy Sternberg Astronomical Institute The University of Alabama Moscow University Tuscaloosa, AL, USA Moscow, Russia ISBN 978-3-030-17920-5 ISBN 978-3-030-17921-2 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17921-2 1st edition: © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2nd edition: © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. -
Origen Y Evolución
1 2 Manuel Riveira Porta VIDA EXTRATERRESTRE Curso de Astrobiología Grupo de Astrobiología Agrupación Astronómica de Madrid Marzo de 2015 Portada: Vía Láctea Fotografía de Antonio Sánchez Agrupación Astronómica de Madrid 3 4 ÍNDICE Prólogo 9 1. Introducción 11 2. Desde el Big Bang hasta los elementos químicos 15 Origen del universo 15 Formación de las galaxias 16 Formación de las estrellas 18 Objeción de Maxwell 22 Estrellas: fábricas de los elementos químicos 23 Supernovas: formación de los elementos más pesados que el hierro 25 Nubes moleculares 25 Origen de los elementos químicos: resumen 26 3. Formación de los sistemas planetarios 29 Estructura de los discos protoplanetarios 30 Formación y evolución de los gigantes gaseosos 31 Formación de los planetas rocosos o terrestres 32 Metalicidad 33 Migraciones planetarias 34 Evidencias de las migraciones planetarias 35 Particularidades del Sistema Solar 36 Bombardeo Intenso Tardío (BIT) 37 Dataciones del Sistema Solar 38 Futuro del Sistema Solar 38 4. La Tierra: planeta “vivo” 43 ¿Cómo transcurre el tiempo? 43 Edades de la Tierra 44 La Tierra: su lugar en el Sistema Solar 46 Tierra “sólida”. Estructura dinámica 46 Temperatura interior de la Tierra 46 Capas composicionales 47 Campo magnético terrestre 49 Tectónica de placas 50 Ciclo del carbono 53 Ciclo carbonatos-silicatos 54 Efecto invernadero 54 Regulación de la temperatura del planeta 56 Historia evolutiva de la Tierra 56 Tierra sólida 57 Formaciones de hierro bandeado (BIF) 55 Súpercontinentes 59 5 Formación y fragmentación de Pangea 60 Grandes glaciaciones 61 Atmósfera 62 Historia del oxígeno 63 Atmósfera actual, capas 65 Funciones biológicas de la atmósfera 66 Hidrosfera 66 Origen del agua en la Tierra 67 5.