Search

We have conducted a set of experiments on a TES (Transition-Edge Superconductor) bolometer detector array, demonstrating that a flux measurement stability better than 5 parts per million (ppm) over periods of hours to days, can be achieved with modest thermal stability requirements. This level of measurement stability is critical in enabling measurements of the atmospheric signatures of terrestrial-sized exoplanets around nearby K and M stars, including those in the star's habitable zone. The demonstration uses a simple tungsten filament light bulb as the source, a photo diode operating at 0.5 μm as a stability monitor for the light bulb, and a grating spectrometer in the 5–15 μm wavelength range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several groups have recently suggested that small planets orbiting very closely around white dwarf stars could be promising locations for life to arise, even after stellar death. There are still many uncertainties, however, regarding the existence and habitability of these worlds. Here we consider the retention of water during post-main-sequence evolution of a Sun-like star and during the subsequent migration of planets to the white dwarf's habitable zone. This inward migration is driven by dynamical mechanisms such as planet–planet interactions in packed systems, which can excite planets to high eccentricities, setting the initial conditions for tidal migration into short-period orbits. In order for water to persist on the surfaces of planets orbiting white dwarfs, the water must first survive the asymptotic giant branch phase of stellar evolution, then avoid being lost as a result of photoevaporation due to X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet radiation from the newly formed white dwarf, and finally survive the tidal migration of the planet inward to the habitable zone. We find that while this journey will likely desiccate large swaths of post-main-sequence planetary systems, planets with substantial reservoirs of water may retain some surface water, especially if their migration occurs at later white dwarf cooling ages. Therefore, although stellar evolution may pose a challenge for the retention of water on exoplanet surfaces, it is possible for planets to retain surface oceans even as their host stars die and their orbits evolve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circumstellar liquid-water habitable zone guides our search for potentially inhabited exoplanets but remains observationally untested. We show that the inner edge of the habitable zone can now be mapped among exoplanets using their lack of surface water, which, unlike the presence of water, can be unambiguously revealed by atmospheric sulfur species. Using coupled climate-chemistry modeling, we find that the observability of sulfur gases on exoplanets depends critically on the ultraviolet (UV) flux of their host star, a property with wide variation: Most M-dwarfs have a low UV flux and thereby allow the detection of sulfur gases as a tracer of dry planetary surfaces; however, the UV flux of Trappist-1 may be too high for sulfur to disambiguate uninhabitable from habitable surfaces on any of its planets. We generalize this result to show how a population-level search for sulfur chemistry on M-dwarf planets can be used to empirically define the habitable zone in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stellar flares offer invaluable insights into stellar magnetic activity and exoplanetary environments. Automated flare detection enables exploiting vast photometric data sets from missions like Kepler. This paper presents FCN4Flare, a deep learning approach using fully convolutional networks (FCN) for precise point-to-point flare prediction regardless of light-curve length. Key innovations include the NaN Mask to handle missing data automatedly, and the Mask Dice loss to mitigate severe class imbalance. Experimental results show that FCN4Flare significantly outperforms previous methods, achieving a Dice coefficient of 0.64 compared to the state-of-the-art of 0.12. Applying FCN4Flare to Kepler-LAMOST data, we compile a catalogue of 30 285 high-confidence flares across 1426 stars. Flare energies are estimated and stellar/exoplanet properties analysed, identifying pronounced activity for an M-dwarf hosting a habitable zone planet. This work overcomes limitations of prior flare detection methods via deep learning, enabling new scientific discoveries through analysis of photometric time-series data. Code is available at https://github.com/NAOC-LAMOST/fcn4flare [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste heat production represents an inevitable consequence of energy conversion as per the laws of thermodynamics. Based on this fact, by using simple theoretical models, we analyze constraints on the habitability of Earth-like terrestrial planets hosting putative technological species and technospheres characterized by persistent exponential growth of energy consumption and waste heat generation. In particular, we quantify the deleterious effects of rising surface temperature on biospheric processes and the eventual loss of liquid water. Irrespective of whether these sources of energy are ultimately stellar or planetary (e.g., nuclear, fossil fuels) in nature, we demonstrate that the loss of habitable conditions on such terrestrial planets may be expected to occur on timescales of ≲1000 years, as measured from the start of the exponential phase, provided that the annual growth rate of energy consumption is of order 1%. We conclude with a discussion of the types of evolutionary trajectories that might be feasible for industrialized technological species, and we sketch the ensuing implications for technosignature searches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying exoplanet atmospheres is essential for assessing their potential to host liquid water and their capacity to support life (their habitability). Each atmosphere uniquely influences the likelihood of surface liquid water, defining the habitable zone (HZ)—the region around a star where liquid water can exist. However, being within the HZ does not guarantee habitability, as life requires more than just liquid water. In this study, we adopted a two-pronged approach. First, we estimated the surface conditions of planets near the HZ's inner edge under various atmospheric compositions. By utilizing a 3D climate model, we refined the inner boundaries of the HZ for planets with atmospheres dominated by H2 and CO2 for the first time. Second, we investigated microbial survival in these environments, conducting laboratory experiments on the growth and survival of E. coli K-12, focusing on the impact of different gas compositions. This innovative combination of climate modeling and biological experiments bridges theoretical climate predictions with biological outcomes. Our findings indicate that atmospheric composition significantly affects bacterial growth patterns, highlighting the importance of considering diverse atmospheres in evaluating exoplanet habitability and advancing the search for life beyond Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a subfield of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) has emerged as a versatile tool in accelerating catalytic materials discovery because of its ability to find complex patterns in high‐dimensional data. While the intricacy of cutting‐edge ML models, such as deep learning, makes them powerful, it also renders decision‐making processes challenging to explain. Recent advances in explainable AI technologies, which aim to make the inner workings of ML models understandable to humans, have considerably increased our capacity to gain insights from data. In this study, taking the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on {111}‐oriented Pt monolayer core–shell catalysts as an example, we show how the recently developed theory‐infused neural network (TinNet) algorithm enables a rapid search for optimal site motifs with the chemisorption energy of hydroxyl (OH) as a single descriptor, revealing the underlying physical factors that govern the variations in site reactivity. By exploring a broad design space of Pt monolayer core–shell alloys (∼17,000$\sim 17,000$ candidates) that were generated from ∼1500$\sim 1500$ thermodynamically stable bulk structures in existing material databases, we identified novel alloy systems along with previously known catalysts in the goldilocks zone of reactivity properties. SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis reveals the important role of adsorbate resonance energies that originate from sp$sp$‐band interactions in chemical bonding at metal surfaces. Extracting physical insights into surface reactivity with explainable AI opens up new design pathways for optimizing catalytic performance beyond active sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines two habitable zones with different physical conditions on exoplanets: planets with liquid water on the surface and conditions close to Earth's ("Goldilocks Zone"), and cold worlds with icy surfaces and subsurface oceans ("Snow Maiden Zone"). The mechanisms of exchange of matter and energy between subglacial oceans and the surrounding space are discussed. It is noted that the biospheres of icy worlds with internal oceans are better protected from unfavorable external cosmic conditions. Subglacial biospheres are weakly dependent on the radiation intensity and flare activity of their parent stars, and the number of planets in the Universe with the physical conditions of the icy Snow Maiden Zone significantly exceeds the number of planets in the very limited Goldilocks Zone. It can be assumed that it is the biospheres of icy oceanic worlds that are much more widespread in the Universe compared to terrestrial-type biospheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of reparations as balance, analyzing various justifications for reparations, including justice, morality/recognition, and reconciliation/relational justifications. The author argues that reparations should be seen as a negotiated process involving victims and responsible actors finding common ground to redress the past and prevent its recurrence. The article emphasizes the importance of victim agency, ownership by responsible actors, and assessing the balance in determining appropriate reparations. The author suggests that a balance approach to reparations is necessary to address the complexities of redressing past violations and finding common ground between conflicting parties. [Extracted from the article]

The investigation of exoplanetary habitability is integral to advancing our knowledge of extraterrestrial life potential and detailing the environmental conditions of distant worlds. In this analysis, we explore the properties of exoplanets situated with respect to circumstellar habitable zones by implementing a sophisticated filtering methodology on data from the NASA Exoplanet Archive. This research encompasses a thorough examination of 5595 confirmed exoplanets listed in the Archive as of 10 March 2024, systematically evaluated according to their calculated average surface temperatures and stellar classifications of their host stars, taking into account the biases implicit in the methodologies used for their discovery. Machine learning, in the form of a Random Forest classifier and an XGBoost classifier, is applied in the classification with high accuracies. The feature importance analysis indicates that our approach captures the most important parameters for habitability classification. Our findings elucidate distinctive patterns in exoplanetary attributes, which are significantly shaped by the spectral classifications and mass of the host stars. The insights garnered from our study both inform refinement of existing models for managing burgeoning exoplanetary datasets, and lay foundational groundwork for more in-depth explorations of the dynamic relationships between exoplanets and their stellar environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

M-type stars are the most common stars in the Universe. They are ideal hosts for the search of exoplanets in the habitable zone (HZ), as their small size and low temperature make the HZ much closer-in than their solar twins. Harboring very deep convective layers, they also usually exhibit very intense magnetic fields. Understanding their environment, in particular their coronal and wind properties, is thus very important, as they might be very different from what is observed in the solar system. The mass-loss rate of M-type stars is poorly known observationally, and recent attempts to estimate it for some of them (e.g., TRAPPIST-1 and Proxima Centauri) can vary by an order of magnitude. In this work, we revisit the stellar wind properties of M dwarfs in the light of the latest estimates of M ̇ through Ly α absorption at the astropause and slingshot prominences. We outline a modeling strategy to estimate the mass-loss rate, radiative loss, and wind speed, with uncertainties, based on an Alfvén-wave-driven stellar wind model. We find that it is very likely that several TRAPPIST-1 planets lie within the Alfvén surface, which implies that these planets experience star–planet magnetic interactions (SPMIs). We also find that SPMIs between Proxima Cen b and its host star could be the reason for recently observed radio emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

In Lammer et al. (2024), we defined Earth-like habitats (EHs) as rocky exoplanets within the habitable zone of complex life (HZCL) on which Earth-like N2-O2-dominated atmospheres with minor amounts of CO2 can exist, and derived a formulation for estimating the maximum number of EHs in the galaxy given realistic probabilistic requirements that have to be met for an EH to evolve. In this study, we apply this formulation to the galactic disk by considering only requirements that are already scientifically quantifiable. By implementing literature models for star formation rate, initial mass function, and the mass distribution of the Milky Way, we calculate the spatial distribution of disk stars as functions of stellar mass and birth age. For the stellar part of our formulation, we apply existing models for the galactic habitable zone and evaluate the thermal stability of nitrogen-dominated atmospheres with different CO2 mixing ratios inside the HZCL by implementing the newest stellar evolution and upper atmosphere models. For the planetary part, we include the frequency of rocky exoplanets, the availability of surface water and subaerial land, and the potential requirement of hosting a large moon by evaluating their importance and implementing these criteria from minima to maxima values as found in the scientific literature. We also discuss further factors that are not yet scientifically quantifiable but may be requirements for EHs to evolve. Based on such an approach, we find that EHs are relatively rare by obtaining plausible maximum numbers of 2.5 − 2.4 + 71.6 × 10 5 and 0.6 − 0.59 + 27.1 × 10 5 planets that can potentially host N2-O2-dominated atmospheres with maximum CO2 mixing ratios of 10% and 1%, respectively, implying that, on average, a minimum of ∼ 10 3 − 10 6 rocky exoplanets in the HZCL are needed for 1 EH to evolve. The actual number of EHs, however, may be substantially lower than our maximum ranges since several requirements with unknown occurrence rates are not included in our model (e.g., the origin of life, working carbon–silicate and nitrogen cycles); this also implies extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) to be significantly rarer still. Our results illustrate that not every star can host EHs nor can each rocky exoplanet within the HZCL evolve such that it might be able to host complex animal-like life or even ETIs. The Copernican Principle of Mediocrity therefore cannot be applied to infer that such life will be common in the galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this hypothesis article, we discuss the basic requirements of planetary environments where aerobe organisms can grow and survive, including atmospheric limitations of millimeter-to-meter-sized biological animal life based on physical limits and O2, N2, and CO2 toxicity levels. By assuming that animal-like extraterrestrial organisms adhere to similar limits, we define Earth-like habitats (EH) as rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone for complex life that host N2-O2-dominated atmospheres with minor amounts of CO2, at which advanced animal-like life or potentially even extraterrestrial intelligent life can in principle evolve and exist. We then derive a new formula that can be used to estimate the maximum occurrence rate of such Earth-like habitats in the Galaxy. This contains realistic probabilistic arguments that can be fine-tuned and constrained by atmospheric characterization with future space and ground-based telescopes. As an example, we briefly discuss two specific requirements feeding into our new formula that, although not quantifiable at present, will become scientifically quantifiable in the upcoming decades due to future observations of exoplanets and their atmospheres. Key Words: Eta-Earth—Earth-like habitats—oxygenation time—nitrogen atmospheres—carbon dioxide—animal-like life. Astrobiology 24, 897–915. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. ESPRESSO guaranteed time observations (GTOs) at the 8.2m VLT telescope were performed to look for Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zone of nearby stars. Barnard's star is a primary target within the ESPRESSO GTO as it is the second closest neighbour to our Sun after the α Centauri stellar system. Aims. We present here a large set of 156 ESPRESSO observations of Barnard's star carried out over four years with the goal of exploring periods of shorter than 50 days, thus including the habitable zone (HZ). Methods. Our analysis of ESPRESSO data using Gaussian process (GP) to model stellar activity suggests a long-term activity cycle at 3200 d and confirms stellar activity due to rotation at 140 d as the dominant source of radial velocity (RV) variations. These results are in agreement with findings based on publicly available HARPS, HARPS-N, and CARMENES data. ESPRESSO RVs do not support the existence of the previously reported candidate planet at 233 d. Results. After subtracting the GP model, ESPRESSO RVs reveal several short-period candidate planet signals at periods of 3.15 d, 4.12 d, 2.34 d, and 6.74 d. We confirm the 3.15 d signal as a sub-Earth mass planet, with a semi-amplitude of 55 ± 7 cm s−1, leading to a planet minimum mass mp sin i of 0.37 ± 0.05 M⊕, which is about three times the mass of Mars. ESPRESSO RVs suggest the possible existence of a candidate system with four sub-Earth mass planets in circular orbits with semi-amplitudes from 20 to 47 cm s−1, thus corresponding to minimum masses in the range of 0.17–0.32 M⊕. Conclusions. The sub-Earth mass planet at 3.1533 ± 0.0006 d is in a close-to circular orbit with a semi-major axis of 0.0229 ± 0.0003 AU, thus located inwards from the HZ of Barnard's star, with an equilibrium temperature of 400 K. Additional ESPRESSO observations would be required to confirm that the other three candidate signals originate from a compact short-period planet system orbiting Barnard's star inwards from its HZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the validation of two TESS super-Earth candidates transiting the mid-M dwarfs TOI-6002 and TOI-5713 every 10.90 and 10.44 days, respectively. The first star (TOI-6002) is located 32.038 ± 0.019 pc away, with a radius of 0.2409−0.0065+0.0066 R⊙, a mass of 0.2105−0.0048+0.0049 M⊙, and an effective temperature of 3229−57+77 K. The second star (TOI-5713) is located 40.946 ± 0.032 pc away, with a radius of 0.2985−0.0072+0.0073 R⊙, a mass of 0.2653 ± 0.0061 M⊙, and an effective temperature of 3225−40+41 K. We validated the planets using TESS data, ground-based multi-wavelength photometry from many ground-based facilities, as well as high-resolution AO observations from Keck/NIRC2. TOI-6002 b has a radius of 1.65−0.19+0.22 R⊕ and receives 1.77−0.110.16S⊕. TOI-5713 b has a radius of 1.77−0.11+0.13 R⊕ and receives 2.42 ± 0.11S⊕. Both planets are located near the radius valley and near the inner edge of the habitable zone of their host stars, which makes them intriguing targets for future studies to understand the formation and evolution of small planets around M-dwarf stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The nearby (d < 5 pc) M dwarfs GJ 832, GJ 674, and Ross 128 each host a single exoplanet, with Ross 128 b located within the optimistic habitable zone. Due to their low mass and close proximity, these three systems are prime candidates for further characterization studies. Aims. Using HARPS spectroscopic data obtained by the RedDots campaign, as well as archival data from HARPS and CARMENES, supplemented with ASH2 and T90 photometry, we aim to search for additional planets in the three systems. We also aim to determine limits on possible undetected, habitable planets. We investigate (i) the reliability of the recovered orbital eccentricities and (ii) the reliability of Bayesian evidence as a diagnostic for selecting the best model. Methods. We employed Markov-chain Monte Carlo, nested sampling, and Gaussian process (GP) analyses to fit a total of 20 different models comprising 0–2 Keplerian signals and three different GP kernels for stellar activity. We used the residuals to create grids for injection-recovery simulations to obtain detection limits on potentially undiscovered planets. Results. Our refined orbital elements for GJ 832 b, GJ 674 b, and Ross 128 b confirm (GJ 832, GJ 674) or increase (Ross 128) prior eccentricity determinations. No additional planets were found in any of the systems. The detection limits obtained for all three systems are between 30 and 50 cm s−1 for orbital periods in the range of 1–10 000 days. This corresponds to habitable planet masses of <1.5M⊕for GJ 832 and < 1M⊕ for GJ 674 and Ross 128. Using N-body simulations, we find that undiscovered secondary planets are unlikely (Ross 128) or incapable (GJ 674) of having caused the observed eccentricities of the known planets. We find that the eccentricity of GJ 832b is not significantly different from zero. Conclusions. GJ 832 b, GJ 674 b, and Ross 128 b retain their status as hosting lonely and (for the latter two) eccentric planets (e = 0.04, 0.24, 0.21; respectively). This is unexpected in classical planet formation scenarios, which favor circular orbits and multiplanet configurations, demonstrating that planet formation in these cases is more complicated than traditionally thought. Additionally, the eccentricity of Ross 128 indicates that it spends some of its orbit outside of the optimistic habitable zone. Finally, our results show that Bayesian evidence, when used in conjunction with GP, is not a robust diagnostic for selecting the best model in cases of low- activity stars. In such cases, we advise an inspection of the shapes of the posterior distributions and to ensure that relevant simulations are performed to assess the validity of the perceived best model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TESS mission searches for transiting exoplanets by monitoring the brightness of hundreds of thousands of stars across the entire sky. M-type planet hosts are ideal targets for this mission due to their smaller size and cooler temperatures, which makes it easier to detect smaller planets near or within their habitable zones. Additionally, M dwarfs have a smaller contrast ratio between the planet and the star, making it easier to measure the planet's properties accurately. Here, we report the validation analysis of 13 TESS exoplanet candidates orbiting around M dwarfs. We studied the nature of these candidates through a multi-colour transit photometry transit analysis using several ground-based instruments (MuSCAT2, MuSCAT3, and LCO-SINISTRO), high-spatial resolution observations, and TESS light curves. We present the validation of five new planetary systems: TOI-1883b, TOI-2274b, TOI-2768b, TOI-4438b, and TOI-5319b, along with compelling evidence of a planetary nature for TOIs 2781b and 5486b. We also present an empirical definition for the Neptune desert boundaries. The remaining six systems could not be validated due to large true radius values overlapping with the brown dwarf regime or, alternatively, the presence of chromaticity in the MuSCAT2 light curves. [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]

This work presents a statistical analysis of the most recent confirmed exoplanets catalog to date. We use the physical properties of the exoplanets and their stars to calculate the Habitable Zone (HZ). We augment the sample of exoplanets in the HZ by defining an extension to this region from the uncertainties of the inferred luminosity. The latter adaption to our pipeline allows us to increase the sample of exoplanets inside the region that favors live from 89 to 134. Besides that, we find six exoplanets have water and other biosignatures formed with Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen. From the catalog built with different telescopes focused on the discovery and confirmation of exoplanets, and without including any modeling for the exoplanet's atmosphere, we conclude that there is a 5% of detecting exoplanets inside the Habitable Zone of their star, and at least, a 0.2% probability of finding traces of biomolecules in their atmospheres. However, the calculated probabilities with the implemented method here will change dramatically with the ongoing campaigns run by the JamesWebb Space Telescope and other high-resolution spectroscopic capabilities. [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]

Photochemical hazes are expected to form and significantly contribute to the chemical and radiative balance of exoplanets with relatively moderate temperatures, possibly in the habitable zone of their host star. In the presence of humidity, haze particles might thus serve as cloud condensation nuclei and trigger the formation of water droplets. In the present work, we are interested in the chemical impact of such a close interaction between photochemical hazes and humidity on the organic content composing the hazes and on the capacity to generate organic molecules with high prebiotic potential. For this purpose, we explore experimentally the sweet spot by combining N-dominated super-Earth exoplanets in agreement with Titan's rich organic photochemistry and humid conditions expected for exoplanets in habitable zones. A logarithmic increase with time is observed for the relative abundance of oxygenated species, with O-containing molecules dominating after 1 month only. The rapidity of the process suggests that the humid evolution of N-rich organic haze provides an efficient source of molecules with high prebiotic potential. [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]