Search

We investigate the efficiency of moon formation around giant planets with numerical N-body simulations and study the habitability of Earth-sized, newly formed moons. Our results show that by the end of the moon formation process the individual mass of moons is higher, if the planet is in a close orbit around the host star. We also find that the time-scale for moon formation is shorter around close-in planets than at larger distances from the star, however, a significant number of protomoons and satellitesimals escape from the planet, decreasing moon formation efficiency. To determine the habitability of these newly formed moons, we calculate the incident stellar radiation and the tidal heating flux that can arise in moons depending on their orbital and physical parameters. We found that some of the synthetic moons orbit in the circumplanetary habitable zone. Based on our calculations, half a hundred confirmed giant planets can harbour habitable moons beyond the outer edge of the circumstellar habitable zone.

There is no confirmed exomoon discovery up to date, and a possible explanation for this is the lower probability of stable moon orbits around close-in planets which are often easier to observe (Barnes & O'Brien 2002). We provide a target list for observations listing known exoplanets which might host habitable moons on stable orbits. For this, we investigate the habitability of hypothethical moons that are on stable orbits around known exoplanets. To determine their habitability, we calculate the incident stellar radiation and the tidal heat flux that might arise in moons depending on their orbital and physical parameters. Our target list contains interesting observation targets which might help in detecting the first habitable exomoon.

We have modeled the possible interior structures of habitable zone rocky exoplanets based on their masses and radii. In our model, the planetary interior is divided into four layers: iron core, rocky mantle, high pressure ice and water / ice. In order to assess the habitability of these planets, we have estimated the minimum and maximum H2O content of each exoplanet. We have calculated the tidal heating of the host star as well as the heat flux from the decay of radioactive elements in the interior of the planets. We have estimated whether these processes, along with the incident stellar flux, could provide sufficient energy to melt the upper ice layers and act as a continuous source of heat to sustain liquid water either inside the planet or on the planetary surface. Taking into account all these effects, we have a better understanding of the habitability of these planets. We propose to make new observations of those planets that we have found habitable to better constrain their parameters and to characterize their atmospheres.

Despite numerous attempts, no exomoon has firmly been confirmed to date. New missions like CHEOPS aim to characterize previously detected exoplanets, and potentially to discover exomoons. In order to optimize search strategies, we need to determine those planets which are the most likely to host moons. We investigate the tidal evolution of hypothetical moon orbits in systems consisting of a star, one planet and one test moon. We study a few specific cases with ten billion years integration time where the evolution of moon orbits follows one of these three scenarios: (1) "locking", in which the moon has a stable orbit on a long time scale ($\gtrsim$ 10$^9$ years); (2) "escape scenario" where the moon leaves the planet's gravitational domain; and (3) "disruption scenario", in which the moon migrates inwards until it reaches the Roche lobe and becomes disrupted by strong tidal forces. Applying the model to real cases from an exoplanet catalogue, we study the long-term stability of moon orbits around known exoplanets. We calculate the survival rate which is the fraction of the investigated cases when the moon survived around the planet for the full integration time (which is the age of the star, or if not known, then the age of the Sun).The most important factor determining the long term survival of an exomoon is the orbital period of the planet. For the majority of the close-in planets (, 65 pages: 18 pages of text with figures, 47 pages of table in appendix. Accepted for publication in PASP

The discovery of seven Earth-sized planets around the ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 in 2017 brought a new type of planetary system to our attention. Modelling the planets of this system and considering new physical processes may result in a more realistic description of those exoplanets that are considered to be the most habitable ones. Similar planetary systems to the TRAPPIST-1 are expected to be discovered with current and upcoming missions, and in fact, recently, two Earth-sized planet candidates were announced around the ultracool Teegarden's Star (Zechmeister et al. 2019). Detailed modelling of similar exoplanetary systems will be an important task to reveal their astrobiological potential. Until new discoveries, the TRAPPIST-1 system serves as a prototype of an ultracool M dwarf with a planetary system of Earthlike planets. For this reason, studying the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system is a pioneering work that will help in the characterization of similar systems that are yet to be discovered. The habitability of Earth-like exoplanets around M dwarfs is becoming the forefront of exoplanetary research as the TRAPPIST-1 system is recently in the centre of attention. Tidal heating may be an important effect influencing habitability, especially for close-in planets or moons. Close-in bodies quickly become tidally locked, but if their eccentricities are excited by periodic perturbing effects of other planets or moons in the system, then varying tidal forces keep causing friction inside the body that leads to continuous heat generation (Peale et al. 1979). Some studies suggest that tidal heating may enable the emergence of life in otherwise too cold environments (Scharf 2006, Dobos & Turner 2015, Forgan & Dobos 2016, Dobos et al. 2017). Using a Maxwell viscoelastic rheology, we computed the tidal response of the planets using the volume-weighted average of the viscosities and rigidities of the metal, rock, high-pressure ice, and liquid water/ice I layers. After determining the possible interior structures, we computed the heat flux due to stellar irradiation and tidal heating for the inner four planets (Barr et al. 2018, Dobos et al. 2019). We found that planet e is the most likely to support a habitable environment, with Earth-like surface temperatures and possibly liquid water oceans. Planet d also avoids a runaway greenhouse state (in which it would irreversibly lose all of its surface water content), if its surface reflectance is at least as high as that of the Earth. Planets b and c have heat fluxes high enough to trigger a runaway greenhouse and to support volcanism on the surfaces of their rock layers. Planets f, g, and h do not experience significant tidal heating arising from the star, and likely have solid ice surfaces with possible subsurface liquid water oceans. We also connected dynamic evolution of planetary orbits with interior structure considerations for the inner two TRAPPIST-1 planets (Brasser et al., 2019). Based on stability considerations, and with the assumption that orbital resonances are lasting for planets b and c, lower limits can be determined for their k2/Q tidal parameter. This parameter can further be constrained by the planets' interior structure which determines their tidal dissipation. Although the two approaches gave different results, well-constrained tidal parameters will improve the realism of orbital evolution simulations including tidal effects.

This paper reviews habitability conditions for a terrestrial planet from the point of view of geosciences. It addresses how interactions between the interior of a planet or a moon and its atmosphere and surface (including hydrosphere and biosphere) can affect habitability of the celestial body. It does not consider in detail the role of the central star but focusses more on surface conditions capable of sustaining life. We deal with fundamental issues of planetary habitability, i.e. the environmental conditions capable of sustaining life, and the above-mentioned interactions can affect the habitability of the celestial body. We address some hotly debated questions including: How do core and mantle affect the evolution and habitability of planets?What are the consequences of mantle overturn on the evolution of the interior and atmosphere?What is the role of the global carbon and water cycles?What influence do comet and asteroid impacts exert on the evolution of the planet?How does life interact with the evolution of the Earth’s geosphere and atmosphere?How can knowledge of the solar system geophysics and habitability be applied to exoplanets? In addition, we address the identification of preserved life tracers in the context of the interaction of life with planetary evolution., SCOPUS: re.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The TRAPPIST-1 planetary system consists of seven planets within 0.05 au of each other, five of which are in a multi-resonant chain. {These resonances suggest the system formed via planet migration; subsequent tidal evolution has damped away most of the initial eccentricities. We used dynamical N-body simulations to estimate how long it takes for the multi-resonant configuration that arises during planet formation to break. From there we use secular theory to pose limits on the tidal parameters of planets b and c. We calibrate our results against multi-layered interior models constructed to fit the masses and radii of the planets, from which the tidal parameters are computed independently.} The dynamical simulations show that the planets typically go unstable 30 Myr after their formation. {Assuming synchronous rotation throughout} we compute $\frac{k_2}{Q} \gtrsim 2\times 10^{-4}$ for planet b and $\frac{k_2}{Q} \gtrsim 10^{-3}$ for planet c. Interior models yield $(0.075-0.37) \times 10^{-4}$ for TRAPPIST-1 b and $(0.4-2)\times 10^{-4}$ for TRAPPIST-1 c. The agreement between the {dynamical and interior} models is not too strong, but is still useful to constrain the dynamical history of the system. We suggest that this two-pronged approach could be of further use in other multi-resonant systems if the planet's orbital and interior parameters are sufficiently well known., Comment: Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

The habitable zone for exomoons with Earth-like properties is a non-trivial manifold, compared to that of Earth-like exoplanets. The presence of tidal heating, eclipses and planetary illumination in the exomoon energy budget combine to produce both circumstellar and circumplanetary habitable regions. Analytical calculations suggest that the circumplanetary habitable region is defined only by an inner edge (with its outer limits determined by orbital stability). Subsequent calculations using 1D latitudinal climate models indicated that the combined effect of eclipses and ice-albedo feedback can produce an outer edge to the circumplanetary habitable zone. But is this outer edge real, or an artefact of the climate model's relative simplicity? We present an upgraded 1D climate model of Earth-like exomoon climates, containing the carbonate-silicate cycle and viscoelastic tidal heating. We conduct parameter surveys of both the circumstellar and circumplanetary habitable zones, and we find that the outer circumplanetary habitable edge remains provided the moon's orbit is not inclined relative to that of the planet. Adding the carbonate-silicate cycle pushes the circumplanetary habitable zone outward, by allowing increases in atmospheric partial pressure of carbon dioxide to boost the greenhouse effect. Viscoelastic tidal heating widens the habitable zone compared to standard, fixed-Q models. Weakening the tidal heating effect due to melting allows moons to be habitable at higher eccentricity, and pushes the inner circumstellar and circumplanetary habitable zone boundary inward., Comment: 10 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

With seven planets, the TRAPPIST-1 system has the largest number of exoplanets discovered in a single system so far. The system is of astrobiological interest, because three of its planets orbit in the habitable zone of the ultracool M dwarf. Assuming the planets are composed of non-compressible iron, rock, and H$_2$O, we determine possible interior structures for each planet. To determine how much tidal heat may be dissipated within each planet, we construct a tidal heat generation model using a single uniform viscosity and rigidity for each planet based on the planet's composition. With the exception of TRAPPIST-1c, all seven of the planets have densities low enough to indicate the presence of significant H$_2$O in some form. Planets b and c experience enough heating from planetary tides to maintain magma oceans in their rock mantles; planet c may have eruptions of silicate magma on its surface, which may be detectable with next-generation instrumentation. Tidal heat fluxes on planets d, e, and f are lower, but are still twenty times higher than Earth's mean heat flow. Planets d and e are the most likely to be habitable. Planet d avoids the runaway greenhouse state if its albedo is $\gtrsim$ 0.3. Determining the planet's masses within $\sim0.1$ to 0.5 Earth masses would confirm or rule out the presence of H$_2$O and/or iron in each planet, and permit detailed models of heat production and transport in each planet. Understanding the geodynamics of ice-rich planets f, g, and h requires more sophisticated modeling that can self-consistently balance heat production and transport in both rock and ice layers., 34 pages, 3 tables, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics -- final version including corrections made in proof stage

Context. New estimates of the masses and radii of the seven planets orbiting the ultracool M-dwarf TRAPPIST-1 star permit improved modelling of their compositions, heating by tidal dissipation, and removal of tidal heat by solid-state convection. Aims. Here, we compute the heat flux due to insolation and tidal heating for the inner four planets. Methods. We apply a Maxwell viscoelastic rheology to compute the tidal response of the planets using the volume-weighted average of the viscosities and rigidities of the metal, rock, high-pressure ice and liquid water/ice I layers. Results. We show that TRAPPIST-1d and e can avoid entering a runaway greenhouse state. Planet e is the most likely to support a habitable environment, with Earth-like surface temperatures and possibly liquid water oceans. Planet d also avoids a runaway greenhouse, if its surface reflectance is at least as high as that of the Earth. Planets b and c, closer to the star, have heat fluxes high enough to trigger a runaway greenhouse and support volcanism on the surfaces of their rock layers, rendering them too warm for life. Planets f, g, and h are too far from the star to experience significant tidal heating, and likely have solid ice surfaces with possible subsurface liquid water oceans., accepted for publication in A&A, 5 pages, 3 figures

The location of the habitable zone can be calculated from the stellar mass by theoretical expressions. In this work we compare different effective temperature and luminosity relations from which the habitable zone is calculated. It was found that for the effective temperature the theoretical models give acceptable results but for the luminosity the measured values are underestimated. Because of the experienced deviation we propose new empirical equations for F, G, K, M main sequence stars (0.3–1.4 M⊙) hosting known exoplanets. Using these equations the boundaries of the habitable zone fit well to the ones which were calculated from measured stellar parameters. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Occultation light curves of exomoons may give information on their albedo and hence indicate the presence of ice cover on the surface. Icy moons might have subsurface oceans thus these may potentially be habitable. The objective of our paper is to determine whether next generation telescopes will be capable of albedo estimations for icy exomoons using their occultation light curves. The success of the measurements depends on the depth of the moon's occultation in the light curve and on the sensitivity of the used instruments. We applied simple calculations for different stellar masses in the V and J photometric bands, and compared the flux drop caused by the moon's occultation and the estimated photon noise of next generation missions with 5 $\sigma$ confidence. We found that albedo estimation by this method is not feasible for moons of solar-like stars, but small M dwarfs are better candidates for such measurements. Our calculations in the J photometric band show that E-ELT MICADO's photon noise is just about 4 ppm greater than the flux difference caused by a 2 Earth-radii icy satellite in a circular orbit at the snowline of an 0.1 stellar mass star. However, considering only photon noise underestimates the real expected noise, because other noise sources, such as CCD read-out and dark signal become significant in the near infrared measurements. Hence we conclude that occultation measurements with next generation missions are far too challenging, even in the case of large, icy moons at the snowline of small M dwarfs. We also discuss the role of the parameters that were neglected in the calculations, e.g. inclination, eccentricity, orbiting direction of the moon. We predict that the first albedo estimations of exomoons will probably be made for large icy moons around the snowline of M4 -- M9 type main sequence stars., Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Tidal heating of exomoons may play a key role in their habitability, since the elevated temperature can melt the ice on the body even without significant solar radiation. The possibility of life is intensely studied on Solar System moons such as Europa or Enceladus, where the surface ice layer covers tidally heated water ocean. Tidal forces may be even stronger in extrasolar systems, depending on the properties of the moon and its orbit. For studying the tidally heated surface temperature of exomoons, we used a viscoelastic model for the first time. This model is more realistic than the widely used, so-called fixed Q models, because it takes into account the temperature dependency of the tidal heat flux, and the melting of the inner material. With the use of this model we introduced the circumplanetary Tidal Temperate Zone (TTZ), that strongly depends on the orbital period of the moon, and less on its radius. We compared the results with the fixed Q model and investigated the statistical volume of the TTZ using both models. We have found that the viscoelastic model predicts 2.8 times more exomoons in the TTZ with orbital periods between 0.1 and 3.5 days than the fixed Q model for plausible distributions of physical and orbital parameters. The viscoelastic model gives more promising results in terms of habitability, because the inner melting of the body moderates the surface temperature, acting like a thermostat., accepted for publication in ApJ

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., accepted for publication in A&A, 8 pages, 4 figures

We have studied planetary systems which are similar to the Solar System and built up from three inner rocky planets (Venus, Earth, Mars) and two outer gas giants. The stability of the orbits of the inner planets is discussed in the cases of different masses of the gas planets. To demonstrate the results stability maps were made and it was found that Jupiter could be four times and Saturn could be three times more massive while the orbits of the inner planets stay stable. Similar calculations were made by changing the mass of the Sun. In this case the position of the rocky planets and the extension of the liquid water habitable and the UV habitable zones were studied for different masses of the Sun. It was found that the orbits of the planets were stable for values greater than 0.33 M_Sun where M_Sun is the mass of the Sun and at lower masses of the Sun (at about 0.8 M_Sun) only Venus, but for higher mass values (at about 1.2 M_Sun) Earth and also Mars are located in both habitable zones., Comment: 8 pages