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Vegetation can modify the planetary surface albedo via the Charney mechanism, as plants are usually darker than the bare surface of the continents. We updated ESTM (Earth-like surface temperature model) to incorporate the presence, distribution and evolution of two dynamically competing vegetation types that resemble grasslands and trees (the latter in the double stages of life: adults and seedlings). The newly developed model was applied to estimate how the climate-vegetation system reaches equilibrium across different rocky planetary configurations, and to assess its impact on temperature and habitability. With respect to a world with bare granite continents, the effect of vegetation-albedo feedback is to increase the average surface temperature. Since grasses and trees exhibit different albedos, they affect temperature to different degrees. The ultimate impact on climate depends on the outcome of the competition between these vegetation types. The change in albedo due to vegetation extends the habitable zone and enhances the overall planetary habitability beyond its traditional outer edge. This effect is especially relevant for planets that have a larger extension of continents than Earth. For Earth, the semimajor axis d  = 1.04 au represents the turning point where vegetation enhances habitability from h  = 0.0 to 0.485 (in the grass-dominance case), to h  = 0.584 (in the case of coexistence between grasses and trees), and to h  = 0.612 (in the tree-dominance case). This illustrates the transition from a snowball state to a planet with intermediate habitability at the outer edge of the circumstellar habitability zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Super-Earths orbiting M dwarf stars may be the most common habitable planets in the Universe. However, their habitability is threatened by intense irradiation from their host stars, which drives the escape of water to space and can lead to surface desiccation. We present simulation results of a box model incorporating deep-water cycling between interior and atmosphere and water loss to space for terrestrial planets of mass 1–8 M ⊕ orbiting in the habitable zone of a late M dwarf. Energy-limited loss decreases with planetary mass, while diffusion-limited loss increases with mass. Depending on where it orbits in the habitable zone, a 1 M ⊕ planet that starts with 3–8 Earth Oceans can end up with an Earthlike surface of oceans and exposed continents; for an 8 M ⊕ super-Earth, that range is 3–12 Earth Oceans. Planets initialized with more water end up as waterworlds with no exposed continents, while planets that start with less water have desiccated surfaces by 5 Gyr. Since the mantles of terrestrial planets can hold much more water than is currently present in Earth's atmosphere, none of our simulations result in Dune planets—such planets may be less common than previously thought. Further, more water becomes sequestered within the mantle for larger planets. A super-Earth at the inner edge of the habitable zone tends to end up as either a waterworld or with a desiccated surface; only a narrow range of initial water inventory yields an Earthlike surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For stars hosting Circumstellar Habitable Zone (CHZ) exoplanets, we investigate the time evolution of their ultraviolet habitable zone (UHZ), the annular region around a star where an exoplanet could experience a suitable ultraviolet environment for the presence and emergence of life, and the possible intersection of the UHZ with the CHZ. To estimate their ultraviolet (UV) luminosity evolution, and therefore the evolution of their UHZ, we analyse Swift -UV/Optical telescope observations and adopt the near-UV luminosity evolutionary tracks derived using GALEX observations of young moving groups. We find that an intersection between CHZ and UHZ could exist (or have existed) around all stars of our sample at different epochs, except for the coldest M-dwarfs (temperature |$\lesssim 2800$|  K, e.g. Trappist-1). For hotter M-dwarfs the formation of ribonucleic acid precursors through cyanosulfidic chemistry triggered by near-UV radiation could occur during the first |$\simeq$| 1–2 Gyr. The radial extension and time duration of the CHZ–UHZ intersection increase with the stellar effective temperature and the exoplanet atmospheric transmissivity at near-UV wavelengths. Within our sample, Proxima Centauri represents a golden target for the quest of life outside the Solar system because it experienced a long-lasting and more extended, compared to similar M-dwarfs, CHZ–UHZ intersection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White dwarfs offer a unique opportunity to search nearby stellar systems for signs of life, but the habitable zone around these stars is still poorly understood. Since white dwarfs are compact stars with low luminosity, any planets in their habitable zone should be tidally locked, like planets around M dwarfs. Unlike planets around M dwarfs, however, habitable white dwarf planets have to rotate very rapidly, with orbital periods ranging from hours to several days. Here we use the ExoCAM global climate model to investigate the inner edge of the habitable zone around white dwarfs. Our simulations show habitable planets with ultrashort orbital periods (P ≲ 1 day) enter a "bat rotation" regime, which differs from typical atmospheric circulation regimes around M dwarfs. Bat rotators feature mean equatorial subrotation and a displacement of the surface's hottest regions from the equator toward the midlatitudes. We qualitatively explain the onset of bat rotation using shallow water theory. The resulting circulation shifts increase the dayside cloud cover and decrease the stratospheric water vapor, expanding the white dwarf habitable zone by ∼50% compared to estimates based on 1D models. The James Webb Space Telescope should be able to quickly characterize bat rotators around nearby white dwarfs thanks to their distinct thermal phase curves. Our work underlines that tidally locked planets on ultrashort orbits may exhibit unique atmospheric dynamics, and guides future habitability studies of white dwarf systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dozens of rocky exoplanets discovered in the circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ) currently represent the most suitable places to host life as we know it outside the Solar system. However, the presumed presence of liquid water on the CHZ planets does not guarantee suitable environments for the emergence of life. According to experimental studies, the building blocks of life are most likely produced photochemically in presence of a minimum ultraviolet (UV) flux. On the other hand, high UV flux can be life-threatening, leading to atmospheric erosion and damaging biomolecules essential to life. These arguments raise questions about the actual habitability of CHZ planets around stars other than Solar-type ones, with different UV to bolometric luminosity ratios. By combining the 'principle of mediocrity' and recent experimental studies, we define UV boundary conditions (UV-habitable zone, UHZ) within which life can possibly emerge and evolve. We investigate whether exoplanets discovered in CHZs do indeed experience such conditions. By analysing Swift-UV/Optical Telescope data, we measure the near ultraviolet (NUV) luminosities of 17 stars harbouring 23 planets in their CHZ. We derive an empirical relation between NUV luminosity and stellar effective temperature. We find that 18 of the CHZ exoplanets actually orbit outside the UHZ, i.e. the NUV luminosity of their M-dwarf hosts is decisively too low to trigger abiogenesis – through cyanosulfidic chemistry – on them. Only stars with effective temperature ≳3900 K illuminate their CHZ planets with enough NUV radiation to trigger abiogenesis. Alternatively, colder stars would require a high-energy flaring activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the results of a study of spot activity manifestations in 11 K-type dwarfs with established planets in the habitable zone according to the data from the Kepler space telescope archive acquired during 90-day long Q3-set observations. We found that the spot area on the surface of K-type dwarfs of our list is greater than the characteristic solar value, but is comparable to the maximum levels observed for the Sun, except for the active star KIC 9351316 with MSH. We performed a detailed study of the K-type dwarf KIC 5938970 (Kepler-1540) with flare activity higher than that of the Sun and flare energy spanning the 32.95–34.48 interval. We estimated the rotation period of the star, , and its parameter rad/day. Based on the Kamogata Wide-field Survey data (99 -band magnitude estimates in 3310 days) we conclude that photometric variations include cyclic changes and a weak monotonic brightness increase. The characteristic periods of possible cycles are equal to 2.8 and 4.4 years. Our study of the star's activity in about half of the currently known K-type dwarfs with planets in the habitable zone (11 objects among 17 stars in the complete list) based on high-precision observations made with the Kepler telescope revealed certain activity manifestations (high flare activity in one star, high spot activity in another, etc.). We conclude that a detailed study of activity manifestations in each particular star is highly desirable when studying planetary systems of K-type stars including planets in the habitable zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When searching for inhabited exoplanets, understanding the boundaries of the habitable zone around the parent star is the key. If life can strongly influence its global environment, then we would expect the boundaries of the habitable zone to be influenced by the presence of life. Here, using a simple abstract model of 'tangled-ecology' where life can influence a global parameter, labelled as temperature, we investigate the boundaries of the habitable zone of our model system. As with other models of life-climate interactions, the species act to regulate the temperature. However, the system can also experience 'punctuations', where the system's state jumps between different equilibria. Despite this, an ensemble of systems still tends to sustain or even improve conditions for life on average, a feature we call Entropic Gaia. The mechanism behind this is sequential selection with memory which is discussed in detail. With this modelling framework we investigate questions about how Gaia can affect and ultimately extend the habitable zone to what we call the Gaian habitable zone. This generates concrete predictions for the size of the habitable zone around stars, suggests directions for future work on the simulation of exoplanets and provides insight into the Gaian bottleneck hypothesis and the habitability/inhabitance paradox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on data on stars with planets located in the habitable zone, a study is made of manifestations of their activity. Light curves obtained during observations in the Q3 set with the Kepler Space Telescope for them were studied and the amplitudes of the brightness variability were studied in order to determine the presence and properties of spots on their surface. Estimates of the rotation periods of the objects were also obtained. Diagrams of the dependence of the area of the spots A on the surface of stars with exoplanets according to published data (including in those in the Habitable Zone) on the effective temperature and rotation period are examined. Indications are obtained that the distributions of the stars with exoplanets located in the habitability zone are shifted toward the region of lower spot areas and rotation periods compared to the data for all the stars with exoplanets. Data from the archive of the Kepler Space Telescope for a star with pronounced rotational modulation, KOI-3497 (Kepler-1512, KIC 8424002) are analyzed. It is noted that it should be characterized by a a star of spectral class K, rather than M. KOI-3497 has flare activity (47 flashes with energy E in the range from 2·1031 to 2·1032 erg have been recorded for it.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I perform a numerical calculation of the heat diffusion in a simulated tidally-locked exoplanet. I solve the heat diffusion equation for the surface and the interior of the planet using a finite element grid. I develop a C++ code specifically for this purpose. I take into account both the energy received from the star, the energy radiated into space, the heat source provided by the radioactive decay inside the planet, and the effects of a single-layer atmosphere model. I apply the simulation to the case of Proxima Centauri b. The evolution of the temperature distribution is obtained in the time range from 0 to 15 Gyr. The most important results are the prediction of the possible formation of underground oceans in the dark side and the identification of the habitable zone on the surface of the exoplanet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When planets receive insolation above a certain critical value called the runaway threshold, liquid surface water vaporizes completely, which forms the inner edge of the habitable zone. Because land planets can emit a large amount of radiation from the dry tropics, they have a higher runaway threshold than aqua planets do. Here we systematically investigated the runaway threshold for various surface water distributions using a three-dimensional dynamic atmosphere model. The runaway threshold for the meridionally uniform surface water distribution increases from the typical value for the aqua planet regime (~130% S0) to one for the land planet regime (~155% S0) as the dry surface area increases, where S0 is the present Earth's insolation. Although this result is similar to the previous work considering zonally uniform surface water distributions, the runaway threshold for the land planet regime is quite low compared to that of the previous work. This is because a part of the tropical atmosphere is always wet for the meridionally uniform case. We also considered the surface water distributions determined by the Earth's, Mars's, and Venus's topographies. We found that their runaway thresholds are close to that for the meridionally uniform cases, and the amount of water at the boundary between an aqua planet regime and land planet regime is around 10% of the Earth's ocean. This clearly shows that the runaway threshold is not determined uniquely by the luminosity of the central star, but it has a wide range caused by the surface water distribution of the terrestrial water planet itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space-deployable habitat modules provide artificial habitable environments for astronauts and will be widely used for the construction of future space stations and lunar habitats. A novel structural design concept of space-deployable habitat modules consisting of flexible composite shells and deployable trusses has been proposed. Geometric relationships of deployable trusses based on two types of scissor elements were formulated. Flexible composite shells of space habitat modules were designed, and a nonlinear FEA model using ANSYS software was described. Considering folding efficiencies, stiffness, and strength of the structures, the influences of design parameters were analyzed and the final design scheme of space-deployable habitat modules was determined. After detailing the structural designs, low-speed impact dynamic responses between the structures and a stainless steel cylinder were simulated. The analysis results show that dynamic responses are only significant at the point of low-speed impact. The works will provide technical supports for structural designs and engineering applications of space-deployable habitat modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a semi-analytic model to evaluate the delivery of water to the habitable zone (HZ) around a solar type star carried by icy planetesimals born beyond the snow line. The model includes sublimation of ice, gas drag, and scattering by an outer giant planet located near the snow line. The sublimation model is general and could be applicable to planetary synthesis models or N -body simulations of the formation of planetary systems. We perform a short series of simulations to asses the potential relevance of sublimation of volatiles in the process of delivery of water to the inner regions of a planetary system during early stages of its formation. We could anticipate that erosion by sublimation would prevent the arrival of much water to the HZ of protoplanetary discs in the form of icy planetesimals. Close encounters with a massive planet orbiting near the outer edge of the snow line could make possible for planetesimals to reach the HZ somewhat less eroded. However, only large planetesimals could provide appreciable amounts of water. Massive discs and sharp gas surface density profiles favour icy planetesimals to reach inner regions of a protoplanetary disc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The habitable zone (HZ) is the circular region around a star(s) where standing bodies of water could exist on the surface of a rocky planet. Space missions employ the HZ to select promising targets for follow-up habitability assessment. The classical HZ definition assumes that the most important greenhouse gases for habitable planets orbiting main-sequence stars are CO2 and H2O. Although the classical HZ is an effective navigational tool, recent HZ formulations demonstrate that it cannot thoroughly capture the diversity of habitable exoplanets. Here, I review the planetary and stellar processes considered in both classical and newer HZ formulations. Supplementing the classical HZ with additional considerations from these newer formulations improves our capability to filter out worlds that are unlikely to host life. Such improved HZ tools will be necessary for current and upcoming missions aiming to detect and characterize potentially habitable exoplanets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional definitions of the habitable zone assume that habitable planets contain a carbonate-- silicate cycle that regulates CO2 between the atmosphere, surface, and the interior. Such theories have been used to cast doubt on the habitability of ocean worlds. However, Levi et al. have recently proposed a mechanism by which CO2 is mobilized between the atmosphere and the interior of an ocean world. At high enough CO2 pressures, sea ice can become enriched in CO2 clathrates and sink after a threshold density is achieved. The presence of subpolar sea ice is of great importance for habitability in ocean worlds. It may moderate the climate and is fundamental in current theories of life formation in diluted environments. Here, we model the Levi et al. mechanism and use latitudinally dependent non-grey energy balance and single- column radiative--convective climate models and find that this mechanism may be sustained on ocean worlds that rotate at least 3 times faster than the Earth.We calculate the circumstellar region in which this cycle may operate for G-M stars (Teff = 2600-5800 K), extending from ~1.23-1.65, 0.69-0.954, 0.38-0.528, 0.219-0.308, 0.146-0.206, and 0.0428-0.0617 au for G2, K2, M0, M3, M5, and M8 stars, respectively. However, unless planets are very young and not tidally locked, our mechanism would be unlikely to apply to stars cooler than a ~M3. We predict C/O ratios for our atmospheres (~0.5) that can be veri?ed by the James Webb Space Telescope mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Observational and theoretical studies suggest that there are many and various planetary systems in the Universe. Aims. We study the formation and water delivery of planets in the habitable zone (HZ) around solar-type stars. In particular, we study different dynamical environments that are defined by the most massive body in the system. Methods. First of all, a semi-analytical model was used to define the mass of the protoplanetary disks that produce each of the five dynamical scenarios of our research. Then, we made use of the same semi-analytical model to describe the evolution of embryos and planetesimals during the gaseous phase. Finally, we carried out N-body simulations of planetary accretion in order to analyze the formation and water delivery of planets in the HZ in the different dynamical environments. Results. Water worlds are efficiently formed in the HZ in different dynamical scenarios. In systems with a giant planet analog to Jupiter or Saturn around the snow line, super-Earths tend to migrate into the HZ from outside the snow line as a result of interactions with other embryos and accrete water only during the gaseous phase. In systems without giant planets, Earths and super-Earths with high water by mass contents can either be formed in situ in the HZ or migrate into it from outer regions, and water can be accreted during the gaseous phase and in collisions with water-rich embryos and planetesimals. Conclusions. The formation of planets in the HZ with very high water by mass contents seems to be a common process around Sunlike stars. Our research suggests that such planets are still very efficiently produced in different dynamical environments. Moreover, our study indicates that the formation of planets in the HZ with masses and water contents similar to those of Earth seems to be a rare process around solar-type stars in the systems under consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisms generally display two contrasting properties: large biodiversity and a uniform state of "life". In this study, we focused on the question of how genome sequences describe "life" where a large number of biomolecules are harmonized. We analyzed the whole genome sequence of 2664 organisms, paying attention to the nucleotide composition which is an intensive parameter from the genome sequence. The results showed that all organisms were plotted in narrow regions of the nucleotide composition space of the first and second letters of the codon. Since all genome sequences overlap irrespective of the living environment, it can be called a "habitable zone". The habitable zone deviates by 500 times the standard deviation from the nucleotide composition expected from the random sequence, indicating that unexpectedly rare sequences are realized. Furthermore, we found that the habitable zones at the first and second letters of the codon serve as the background mechanisms for the functional network of biological systems. The habitable zone at the second letter of the codon controls the formation of transmembrane regions and the habitable zone at the first letter controls the formation of molecular recognition unit. These analyses showed that the habitable zone of the nucleotide composition space and the exquisite arrangement of amino acids in the codon table are conjugated to form biological systems. Finally, we discussed the evolution of the higher order of genome sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discoveries of extrasolar planets in the habitable zone (HZ) of their parent star lead to questions about the habitability of massive moons orbiting planets in the HZ. Around low-mass stars, the HZ is much closer to the star than for Sun-like stars. For a planet-moon binary in such an HZ, the proximity of the star forces a close orbit for the moon to remain gravitationally bound to the planet. Under these conditions, the effects of tidal heating, distortion torques, and stellar perturbations become important considerations for exomoon habitability. Utilizing a model that considers both dynamical and tidal interactions simultaneously, we performed a computational investigation into exomoon evolution for systems in the HZ of low-mass stars (≲0.6M☉).We show that dwarf stars with masses ≲0.2M☉ cannot host habitable exomoons within the stellar HZ due to extreme tidal heating in the moon. Perturbations from a central star may continue to have deleterious effects in the HZ up to ≈0.5M☉, depending on the host planet's mass and its location in the HZ, amongst others. In addition to heating concerns, torques due to tidal and spin distortion can lead to the relatively rapid inward spiraling of a moon. Therefore, moons of giant planets in HZs around the most abundant type of star are unlikely to have habitable surfaces. In cases with lower intensity tidal heating, the stellar perturbations may have a positive influence on exomoon habitability by promoting long-term heating and possibly extending the HZ for exomoons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of a super-Earth orbiting at the inner edge of the habitable zone of the star GJ 625 based on the analysis of the radial-velocity (RV) time series from the HARPS-N spectrograph, consisting of 151 HARPS-N measurements taken over 3.5 yr. GJ 625 b is a planet with a minimum mass Msin i of 2.82 ± 0.51 M⊕ with an orbital period of 14.628 ± 0.013 days at a distance of 0.078 AU from its parent star. The host star is the quiet M2 V star GJ 625, located at 6.5 pc from the Sun. We find the presence of a second radial-velocity signal in the range 74-85 days that we relate to stellar rotation after analysing the time series of Ca II H&K and Hα spectroscopic indicators, the variations of the FWHM of the CCF, and the APT2 photometric light curves. We find no evidence linking the short-period radial-velocity signal to any activity proxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Plate tectonics is considered a fundamental component for the habitability of the Earth. Yet whether it is a recurrent feature of terrestrial bodies orbiting other stars or unique to the Earth is unknown. The stagnant lid may rather be the most common tectonic expression on such bodies. Aims. To understand whether a stagnant-lid planet can be habitable, i.e. host liquid water at its surface, we model the thermal evolution of the mantle, volcanic outgassing of H2O and CO2, and resulting climate of an Earth-like planet lacking plate tectonics. Methods. We used a 1D model of parameterized convection to simulate the evolution of melt generation and the build-up of an atmosphere of H2O and CO2 over 4.5 Gyr. We then employed a 1D radiative-convective atmosphere model to calculate the global mean atmospheric temperature and the boundaries of the habitable zone (HZ). Results. The evolution of the interior is characterized by the initial production of a large amount of partial melt accompanied by a rapid outgassing of H2O and CO2. The maximal partial pressure of H2O is limited to a few tens of bars by the high solubility of water in basaltic melts. The low solubility of CO2 instead causes most of the carbon to be outgassed, with partial pressures that vary from 1 bar or less if reducing conditions are assumed for the mantle to 100-200 bar for oxidizing conditions. At 1 au, the obtained temperatures generally allow for liquid water on the surface nearly over the entire evolution. While the outer edge of the HZ is mostly influenced by the amount of outgassed CO2, the inner edge presents a more complex behaviour that is dependent on the partial pressures of both gases. Conclusions. At 1 au, the stagnant-lid planet considered would be regarded as habitable. The width of the HZ at the end of the evolution, albeit influenced by the amount of outgassed CO2, can vary in a non-monotonic way depending on the extent of the outgassed H2O reservoir. Our results suggest that stagnant-lid planets can be habitable over geological timescales and that joint modelling of interior evolution, volcanic outgassing, and accompanying climate is necessary to robustly characterize planetary habitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The Galactic habitable zone is defined as the region with a metallicity that is high enough to form planetary systems in which Earth-like planets could be born and might be capable of sustaining life. Life in this zone needs to survive the destructive effects of nearby supernova explosion events. Aims. Galactic chemical evolution models can be useful tools for studying the galactic habitable zones in different systems. Our aim here is to find the Galactic habitable zone using chemical evolution models for the Milky Way disk, adopting the most recent prescriptions for the evolution of dust and for the probability of finding planetary systems around M and FGK stars. Moreover, for the first time, we express these probabilities in terms of the dust-to-gas ratio of the interstellar medium in the solar neighborhood as computed by detailed chemical evolution models. Methods. At a fixed Galactic time and Galactocentric distance, we determined the number of M and FGK stars that host earths (but no gas giant planets) that survived supernova explosions, using the formalism of our Paper I. Results. The probabilities of finding terrestrial planets but not gas giant planets around M stars deviate substantially from the probabilities around FGK stars for supersolar values of [Fe/H]. For both FGK and M stars, the maximum number of stars hosting habitable planets is at 8 kpc from the Galactic Center when destructive effects by supernova explosions are taken into account. Currently, M stars with habitable planets are ≃10 times more frequent than FGK stars. Moreover, we provide a sixth-order polynomial fit (and a linear fit, but that is more approximated) for the relation found with chemical evolution models in the solar neighborhood between the [Fe/H] abundances and the dust-to-gas ratio. Conclusions. The most likely Galactic zone in which to find terrestrial habitable planets around M and FGK stars is the annular 2 kpc wide region that is centered at 8 kpc from the Galactic center (the solar neighborhood). We also provide the probabilities of finding Earth-like planets as the function of the interstellar medium dust-to-gas ratio using detailed chemical evolution model results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the discovery of rocky planets in the temperate habitable zone (HZ) of the closeby cool star TRAPPIST-1, the question of whether such planets could harbour life arises. Habitable planets around red dwarf stars can orbit in radiation environments that can be life-sterilizing. Ultraviolet (UV) flares from these stars are more frequent and intense than solar flares. Additionally, their temperate HZs are closer to the star. Here we present UV surface environment models for TRAPPIST-1's HZ planets and explore the implications for life. TRAPPIST-1 has high X-ray/extreme-ultraviolet activity, placing planetary atmospheres at risk from erosion. If a dense Earth-like atmosphere with a protective ozone layer existed on planets in the HZ of TRAPPIST-1, UV surface environments would be similar to the present-day Earth. However, an eroded or an anoxic atmosphere would allow more UV to reach the surface, making surface environments hostile even to highly UV tolerant terrestrial extremophiles. If future observations detect ozone in the atmospheres of any of the planets in the HZ of TRAPPIST-1, these would be interesting targets for the search for surface life. We anticipate our assay to be a starting point for in-depth exploration of stellar and atmospheric observations of the TRAPPIST-1 planets to constrain their UV surface habitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With dozens of Jovian and super-Jovian exoplanets known to orbit their host stars in or near the stellar habitable zones, it has recently been suggested that moons the size of Mars could offer abundant surface habitats beyond the solar system. Several searches for such exomoons are now underway, and the exquisite astronomical data quality of upcoming space missions and ground-based extremely large telescopes could make the detection and characterization of exomoons possible in the near future. Here we explore the effects of tidal heating on the potential of Mars- to Earth-sized satellites to host liquid surface water, and we compare the tidal heating rates predicted by tidal equilibrium model and a viscoelastic model. In addition to tidal heating, we consider stellar radiation, planetary illumination and thermal heat from the planet. However, the effects of a possible moon atmosphere are neglected. We map the circumplanetary habitable zone for different stellar distances in specific star-planet-satellite configurations, and determine those regions where tidal heating dominates over stellar radiation. We find that the "thermostat effect" of the viscoelastic model is significant not just at large distances from the star, but also in the stellar habitable zone, where stellar radiation is prevalent. We also find that tidal heating of Mars-sized moons with eccentricities between 0.001 and 0.01 is the dominant energy source beyond 3-5 AU from a Sun-like star and beyond 0.4-0.6 AU from an M3 dwarf star. The latter would be easier to detect (if they exist), but their orbital stability might be under jeopardy due to the gravitational perturbations from the star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clouds have a strong impact on the climate of planetary atmospheres. The potential scattering greenhouse effect of CO2 ice clouds in the atmospheres of terrestrial extrasolar planets is of particular interest because it might influence the position and thus the extension of the outer boundary of the classic habitable zone around main sequence stars. Here, the impact of CO2 ice clouds on the surface temperatures of terrestrial planets with CO2 dominated atmospheres, orbiting different types of stars is studied. Additionally, their corresponding effect on the position of the outer habitable zone boundary is evaluated. For this study, a radiative-convective atmospheric model is used the calculate the surface temperatures influenced by CO2 ice particles. The clouds are included using a parametrised cloud model. The atmospheric model includes a general discrete ordinate radiative transfer that can describe the anisotropic scattering by the cloud particles accurately. A net scattering greenhouse effect caused by CO2 clouds is only obtained in a rather limited parameter range which also strongly depends on the stellar effective temperature. For cool M-stars, CO2 clouds only provide about 6 K of additional greenhouse heating in the best case scenario. On the other hand, the surface temperature for a planet around an F-type star can be increased by 30 K if carbon dioxide clouds are present. Accordingly, the extension of the habitable zone due to clouds is quite small for late-type stars. Higher stellar effective temperatures, on the other hand, can lead to outer HZ boundaries about 0.5 au farther out than the corresponding clear-sky values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In protoplanetary discs, planetary cores must be at least 0.1 M⊕ at 1 au for migration to be significant; this mass rises to 1 M⊕ at 5 au. Planet formation models indicate that these cores form on million year time-scales. We report here a study of the evolution of 0.1 and 1 M⊕ cores, migrating from about 2 and 5 au, respectively, in million year old photoevaporating discs. In such a disc, a gap opens up at around 2 au after a few million years. The inner region subsequently accrete on to the star on a smaller time-scale. We find that, typically, the smallest cores form systems of non-resonant planets beyond 0.5 au with masses up to about 1.5 M⊕. In low-mass discs, the same cores may evolve in situ. More massive cores form systems of a few Earth-mass planets. They migrate within the inner edge of the disc gap only in the most massive discs. Delivery of material to the inner parts of the disc ceases with opening of the gap. Interestingly, when the heavy cores do not migrate significantly, the type of systems that are produced resembles our Solar system. This study suggests that low-mm flux transition discs may not form systems of planets on short orbits but may instead harbour Earth-mass planets in the habitable zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first results from a minute cadence survey of a 3 deg² field obtained with the Dark Energy Camera. We imaged part of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey area over eight half-nights. We use the stacked images to identify 111 high proper motion white dwarf candidates with g ≤ 24.5 mag and search for eclipse-like events and other sources of variability. We find a new g = 20.64 mag pulsating ZZ Ceti star with pulsation periods of 11-13 min. However, we do not find any transiting planetary companions in the habitable zone of our target white dwarfs. Given the probability of eclipses of 1 per cent and our observing window from the ground, the non-detection of such companions in this first field is not surprising. Minute cadence DECam observations of additional fields will provide stringent constraints on the frequency of planets in the white dwarf habitable zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ubiquity of M dwarfs, combined with the relative ease of detecting terrestrial-mass planets around them, has made them prime targets for finding and characterizing planets in the 'habitable zone' (HZ). However, Kepler finds that terrestrial-mass exoplanets are often born with voluminous H/He envelopes, comprising mass-fractions (Menv/Mcore) ≳1 per cent. If these planets retain such envelopes over Gyr time-scales, they will not be 'habitable' even within the HZ. Given the strong X-ray/UV fluxes of M dwarfs, we study whether sufficient envelope mass can be photoevaporated away for these planets to become habitable. We improve upon previous work by using hydrodynamic models that account for radiative cooling as well as the transition from hydrodynamic to ballistic escape. Adopting a template active M dwarf XUV spectrum, including stellar evolution, and considering both evaporation and thermal evolution, we show that: (1) the mass-loss is (considerably) lower than previous estimates that use an 'energy-limited' formalism and ignore the transition to Jeans escape; (2) at the inner edge of the HZ, planets with core mass ≲ 0.9M⊕ can lose enough H/He to become habitable if their initial envelope mass-fraction is ~1 per cent; (3) at the outer edge of the HZ, evaporation cannot remove a ~1 per cent H/He envelope even from cores down to 0.8M⊕. Thus, if planets form with bulky H/He envelopes, only those with low-mass cores may eventually be habitable. Cores ≳1 M⊕, with ≳1 per cent natal H/He envelopes, will not be habitable in the HZ of M dwarfs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future generations of precise radial velocity (RV) surveys aim to achieve sensitivity sufficient to detect Earth mass planets orbiting in their stars' habitable zones. A major obstacle to this goal is astrophysical RV noise caused by active areas moving across the stellar limb as a star rotates. In this paper, we quantify how stellar activity impacts exoplanet detection with radial velocities as a function of orbital and stellar rotational periods. We perform data-driven simulations of how stellar rotation affects planet detectability and compile and present relations for the typical time-scale and amplitude of stellar RV noise as a function of stellar mass. We show that the characteristic time-scales of quasi-periodic RV jitter from stellar rotational modulations coincides with the orbital period of habitable-zone exoplanets around early M-dwarfs. These coincident periods underscore the importance of monitoring the targets of RV habitable-zone planet surveys through simultaneous photometric measurements for determining rotation periods and activity signals, and mitigating activity signals using spectroscopic indicators and/or RV measurements at different wavelengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an isolated Milky-Way-like simulation in the GADGET2 N-body smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) code. The Galactic disc star formation rate (SFR) surface densities and a stellar mass indicative of the Solar neighbourhood are used as thresholds to model the distribution of stellar mass in life-friendly environments. SFR and stellar component density are calculated by averaging the GADGET2 particle properties on a 2D grid mapped on the Galactic plane. The peak values for possibly habitable stellar mass surface density move from 10 to 15 kpc cylindrical galactocentric distance in a 10-Gyr simulated time span. At 10 Gyr, the simulation results imply the following. Stellar particles that have spent almost all of their lifetime in habitable-friendly conditions typically reside at ~16 kpc from the Galactic Centre and are ~3 Gyr old. Stellar particles that have spent =90 per cent of their 4-5 Gyr long lifetime in habitable-friendly conditions are also predominantly found in the outskirts of the Galactic disc. Fewer than 1 per cent of these particles can be found at a typical Solar system galactocentric distance of 8-10 kpc. Our results imply that the evolution of an isolated spiral galaxy is likely to result in galactic civilizations emerging at the outskirts of the galactic disc around stellar hosts younger than the Sun. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitable zones (HZ) are key concepts in the quest for finding extrasolar planets that may host life as we know it. HZs encompass regions around a star that would allow for liquid water to be present on the surface of a rocky planet. However, water may not be the only solvent capable of producing and sustaining biospheres, so the concept of life-supporting zones (LSZs) was introduced as a generalization of the classical HZ for a broader range of solvents. The aim of this work is to offer a straightforward means of calculating LSZs similar to those presented by Kopparapu et al. for the HZ.We used a 1D radiative convective model to determine LSZ limits for water/ammonia mixtures and sulphuric acid. A simplified cloud model was used for offline sulphuric acid cloud simulation. Water clouds were accounted for by variations of surface albedo values. Compared to recently updated results by Kopparapu et al., our results lie well within the uncertainty range of the Toon algorithm for flux calculations. We found an inner limit of the LSZ closer and an outer limit further away from the star than the limits for the HZ would be. Recently discovered exoplanets (like Kepler 452-b) are shown to be positioned very well in the LSZ. The concept of LSZs adds additional perspectives to an exoplanet's ability to maintain life on its surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. So far, more than 130 extrasolar planets have been found in multiple stellar systems. Dynamical simulations show that the outcome of the planetary formation process can lead to different planetary architecture (i.e. location, size, mass, and water content) when the star system is single or double. Aims. In the late phase of planetary formation, when embryo-sized objects dominate the inner region of the system, asteroids are also present and can provide additional material for objects inside the habitable zone (HZ). In this study, we make a comparison of several binary star systems and how efficient they are at moving icy asteroids from beyond the snow line into orbits crossing the HZ. Methods. We modelled a belt of 10 000 asteroids (remnants from the late phase of the planetary formation process) beyond the snow line. The planetesimals are placed randomly around the primary star and move under the gravitational influence of the two stars and a gas giant. As the planetesimals do not interact with each other, we divided the belt into 100 subrings which were integrated separately. In this statistical study, several double star configurations with a G-type star as primary are investigated. Results. Our results show that small bodies also participate in bearing a non-negligible amount of water to the HZ. The proximity of a companion moving on an eccentric orbit increases the flux of asteroids to the HZ, which could result in a more efficient water transport on a short timescale, causing a heavy bombardment. In contrast to asteroids moving under the gravitational perturbations of one G-type star and a gas giant, we show that the presence of a companion star not only favours a faster depletion of our disk of planetesimals, but can also bring 4-5 times more water into the whole HZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Locating planets in HabitableZones (HZs) around other stars is a growing field in contemporary astronomy. Since a large percentage of all G-M stars in the solar neighbourhood are expected to be part of binary or multiple stellar systems, investigations of whether habitable planets are likely to be discovered in such environments are of prime interest to the scientific community. As current exoplanet statistics predicts that the chances are higher to find new worlds in systems that are already known to have planets, we examine four known extrasolar planetary systems in tight binaries in order to determine their capacity to host additional habitable terrestrial planets. Those systems are Gliese 86, γ Cephei, HD 41004 and HD 196885. In the case of γ Cephei, our results suggest that only the M dwarf companion could host additional potentially habitable worlds. Neither could we identify stable, potentially habitable regions around HD 196885 A. HD 196885 B can be considered a slightly more promising target in the search for Earth-twins. Gliese 86 A turned out to be a very good candidate, assuming that the system's history has not been excessively violent. For HD 41004, we have identified admissible stable orbits for habitable planets, but those strongly depend on the parameters of the system. A more detailed investigation shows that for some initial conditions stable planetary motion is possible in the HZ of HD 41004 A. In spite of the massive companion HD 41004 Bb, we found that HD 41004 B, too, could host additional habitable worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exoplanet discovery has made remarkable progress, with the first rocky planets having been detected in the central star's liquid water habitable zone. The remote sensing techniques used to characterize such planets for potential habitability and life rely solely on our understanding of life on Earth. The vegetation red edge from terrestrial land plants is often used as a direct signature of life, but it occupies only a small niche in the environmental parameter space that binds life on present-day Earth and has been widespread for only about 460 My. To more fully exploit the diversity of the one example of life known, we measured the spectral characteristics of 137 microorganisms containing a range of pigments, including ones isolated from Earth's most extreme environments. Our database covers the visible and near-infrared to the short-wavelength infrared (0.35-2.5 μm) portions of the electromagnetic spectrum and is made freely available from biosignatures. astro.cornell.edu. Our results show how the reflectance properties are dominated by the absorption of light by pigments in the visible portion and by strong absorptions by the cellular water of hydration in the infrared (up to 2.5 μm) portion of the spectrum. Our spectral library provides a broader and more realistic guide based on Earth life for the search for surface features of extraterrestrial life. The library, when used as inputs for modeling disk-integrated spectra of exoplanets, in preparation for the next generation of space- and ground-based instruments,will increase the chances of detecting life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EUV (200-911 Å), FUV (912-1750 Å), and NUV (1750-3200 Å) spectral energy distribution of exoplanet host stars has a profound influence on the atmospheres of Earth-like planets in the habitable zone. The stellar EUV radiation drives atmospheric heating, while the FUV (in particular, Ly α) and NUV radiation fields regulate the atmospheric chemistry: the dissociation of HO and CO, the production of O and O, and may determine the ultimate habitability of these worlds. Despite the importance of this information for atmospheric modeling of exoplanetary systems, the EUV/FUV/NUV radiation fields of cool (K and M dwarf) exoplanet host stars are almost completely unconstrained by observation or theory. We present observational results from a Hubble Space Telescope survey of M dwarf exoplanet host stars, highlighting the importance of realistic UV radiation fields for the formation of potential biomarker molecules, O and O. We conclude by describing preliminary results on the characterization of the UV time variability of these sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]