Where we stand Today we revisit Habitable Zones
– Standard (Teq) – Modified (greenhouse; albedo) – Extended (tidal heating; subsurface abodes)
This affects:
• fs
• nh Where we stand
N = N* fs fp nh fl fREfi fc L/T
This affects:
• fs
• nh The Con nuous and Galac c Habitable Zones Habitable Zone(s) in the Solar System Loca on depends on assump ons about atmospheric composi on and albedo • Inner edge: 0.84 – 0.95 au
• Outer edge: 1.37 – 1.67 au ______0.9 – 1.5 au
Kas ng, J.F., Whitmire, D.P., & Reynolds, R.T. Science, 101, 108 (1993)
Plus the icy moons The Con nuously Habitable Zone The Con nuously Habitable Zone
The faint young Sun problem: • Stars evolve - stars brighten with me • 4.5 Gya, the Sun was 70% of its current luminosity • In 5 Gyr, the Sun will brighten by a factor of 2 The Faint Young Sun Problem The Con nuously Habitable Zone
The faint young Sun problem: • Stars evolve - stars brighten with me • 4.5 Gya, the Sun was 70% of its current luminosity • In 5 Gyr, the Sun will brighten by a factor of 2
• T = (( [1-a] L)/ (σπd2))¼ Temperature increases as L¼ The Con nuously Habitable Zone The Con nuously Habitable Zone
• Details depend on assumed planetary atmosphere, and its evolu on • Inner edge at 0.9 x 0.7¼ = 0.8 au • Width es mated to be 0.2 – 0.7 au • Earth exits CHZ by 7 Gyr
Conclusions • Earth is in the Habitable Zone • Earth is in the Con nuously Habitable Zone
• Venus is too close to the Sun – suffered a runaway greenhouse
• Mars could be in the habitable zone – (but it lost its atmosphere)
Earth is just right – for now! Other Stars Habitable Zones of Other Stars
Stellar Luminosity • On main sequence, Luminosity ~ M3 • On lower main sequence, L ~ M4.5 • T = (( [1-a] L)/ (σπd2))¼
Stellar Life me • τ ~ M/L – τ ~ M-2 (upper MS); – τ ~ M-3.5 (lower MS) Other Stars • All stars have habitable zones • Width ~ √(L) – More massive stars have wider HZs – Less massive stars have narrower HZs • Implica ons for probability of planets in HZ
Width of the Habitable Zone Other Stars and the CHZ
• Higher mass stars – Evolve faster than the Sun
– For a planet to be in the CHZ for 4.6 Gyr, m*<1.1 m¤ – More massive stars have more UV radia on – More muta ons è faster evolu on of life? • Lower mass stars – Evolve more slowly than the Sun – HZ is closer to star
– Tidal locking for m*<0.5 m¤
Tidal Locking Planets of M stars
• Tidal locking affects atmospheric dynamics – Thick atmosphere è uniform T (like Venus) – Atmospheric collapse? • Tidal locking è Loss of magne c fields – Stellar wind stripping of atmosphere • Slow stellar evolu on: – Enhanced ionizing flux for long periods • Enhanced radia on/mutagenic effects – Enhanced stellar winds for long periods • Efficient atmospheric stripping Planets of M stars
• In the Habitable Zone? Yes • Habitable? Maybe • Earth-like? No Consequences for Drake’s Equa on
• fs: M dwarfs (75% of all stars), may be unsuitable
• nH: may be larger for more massive stars – But are in CHZ for less me
Time in the CHZ is important if complex life takes me to evolve The Galac c Habitable Zone
Reference: Lineweaver, C.H., Fenner, Y. & Gibson, B.K Science, 303, 59 (2004) Shape of the Galaxy
Near-IR composite: COBE/DIRBE 1.25, 2.2 3.5 µm Shape of the Galaxy You are here
• About 28,000 light years from the Center of the Galaxy. • Our orbital velocity is about 220 km/s. • The Galactic Year is about 220 million years long. • The Sun is about 21 galactic years old. You are here
Monty Python: Galaxy Song Mass of the Galaxy
The mass of the Galaxy is 2 x 1044 g, or 1011 solar masses.
If the typical star is 1/4 solar masses, there are 4 x 1011 stars in the Galaxy The Center of the Galaxy The central object Sgr A*
6 • Orbits è Mass ~ 2.5 x 10 M¤ • Orbits è radius < 1 au • Density > 0.4 g/cm3 • Unseen at any wavelength
A black hole Constituents of the Galaxy ~4 x 1011 stars (90% of the visible mass)
• Disk population (population I) – Younger stars – Higher metallicity – Orbits in plane of Galaxy
• Spheroidal population (population II) – Older stars – Lower metallicity – Randomly-directed orbits – Globular Clusters 5 Million Years of Stellar Mo ons The Neighborhood My God, it’s full of stars… Galac c Considera ons
• The range of metallicity – Are metal-poor environments conducive to rocky planets?
• Proximity to supernovae and ionizing radia on – Cosmic effects can affect life I: Metals Metals II: Danger The Habitable Zone The Habitable Zone for Complex Life Considera ons • Metal abundance increases with me • Metal abundance decreases with galacto- centric radius • Danger decreases with galacto-centric radius
Earth is in the right place at the right me! Consequences for Drake’s Equa on
Let’s add another term fGHZ: • About 10% of stars are solar metalicity or greater • About 2% of stars are far enough out to be “safe”
fGHZ ~ 0.002
N = N* fs fGHZ fp nh fl fJ f fEu fm fi fc L/T
Consequences for Drake’s Equa on
Let’s add another term fGHZ: • About 10% of stars are solar metalicity or greater • About 2% of stars are far enough out to be “safe”
fGHZ ~ 0.002
N = N* fs fGHZ fp nh fl fJ f fEu fm fi fc L/T N = 32,000