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Sun W, Slavin JA, Milillo A, Dewey RM, Orsini S, Jia X, Raines JM, Livi S, Jasinski JM, Fu S, Zhao J, Zong Q, Saito Y, Li C. MESSENGER Observations of Planetary Ion Enhancements at Mercury's Northern Magnetospheric Cusp During Flux Transfer Event Showers. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2022; 127:e2022JA030280. [PMID: 35866073 PMCID: PMC9286385 DOI: 10.1029/2022ja030280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
At Mercury, several processes can release ions and neutrals out of the planet's surface. Here we present enhancements of planetary ions (Na+-group ions) in Mercury's northern magnetospheric cusp during flux transfer event (FTE) "showers." FTE showers are intervals of intense dayside magnetopause reconnection, during which FTEs are observed in quick succession, that is, only separated by a few seconds. This study identifies 1953 FTE shower intervals and 1795 Non-FTE shower intervals. During the shower intervals, this study shows that the FTEs form a solar wind entry layer equatorward of the northern magnetospheric cusp. In this entry layer, solar wind ions are accelerated and move downward (i.e., planetward) toward the cusp, which sputter upward-moving planetary ions with a particle flux of 1 × 1011 m-2 s-1 within 1 min. The precipitation rate is estimated to increase by an order of magnitude during FTE showers, to 2 × 1025 s-1, and the neutral density of the exosphere could vary by >10% in response to this FTE-driven sputtering. Such rapid large-scale variations driven by dayside reconnection may explain the minute-to-minute changes in Mercury's exosphere, especially on the high latitudes, observed by ground-based telescopes on Earth. Our MESSENGER in situ observation of enhanced planetary ions in the entry layer likely corresponds to an escape channel for Mercury's planetary ions. Comprehensive, future multipoint measurements made by BepiColombo will greatly enhance our understanding of the processes contributing to Mercury's dynamic exosphere and magnetosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijie Sun
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - James A. Slavin
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Anna Milillo
- Institute of Space Astrophysics and PlanetologyINAFRomeItaly
| | - Ryan M. Dewey
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Stefano Orsini
- Institute of Space Astrophysics and PlanetologyINAFRomeItaly
| | - Xianzhe Jia
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Jim M. Raines
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
| | - Stefano Livi
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
- Southwest Research InstituteSan AntonioTXUSA
| | - Jamie M. Jasinski
- NASA Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - Suiyan Fu
- School of Earth and Space SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Jiutong Zhao
- School of Earth and Space SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Qiu‐Gang Zong
- School of Earth and Space SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Yoshifumi Saito
- Japan Aerospace Exploration AgencyInstitute of Space and Astronautical ScienceSagamiharaJapan
| | - Changkun Li
- Department of Climate and Space Sciences and EngineeringUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMIUSA
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Teachey A, Kipping DM. Evidence for a large exomoon orbiting Kepler-1625b. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaav1784. [PMID: 30306135 PMCID: PMC6170104 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav1784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Exomoons are the natural satellites of planets orbiting stars outside our solar system, of which there are currently no confirmed examples. We present new observations of a candidate exomoon associated with Kepler-1625b using the Hubble Space Telescope to validate or refute the moon's presence. We find evidence in favor of the moon hypothesis, based on timing deviations and a flux decrement from the star consistent with a large transiting exomoon. Self-consistent photodynamical modeling suggests that the planet is likely several Jupiter masses, while the exomoon has a mass and radius similar to Neptune. Since our inference is dominated by a single but highly precise Hubble epoch, we advocate for future monitoring of the system to check model predictions and confirm repetition of the moon-like signal.
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Thompson SE, Coughlin JL, Hoffman K, Mullally F, Christiansen JL, Burke CJ, Bryson S, Batalha N, Haas MR, Catanzarite J, Rowe JF, Barentsen G, Caldwell DA, Clarke BD, Jenkins JM, Li J, Latham DW, Lissauer JJ, Mathur S, Morris RL, Seader SE, Smith JC, Klaus TC, Twicken JD, Van Cleve JE, Wohler B, Akeson R, Ciardi DR, Cochran WD, Henze CE, Howell SB, Huber D, Prša A, Ramírez SV, Morton TD, Barclay T, Campbell JR, Chaplin WJ, Charbonneau D, Christensen-Dalsgaard J, Dotson JL, Doyle L, Dunham EW, Dupree AK, Ford EB, Geary JC, Girouard FR, Isaacson H, Kjeldsen H, Quintana EV, Ragozzine D, Shporer A, Aguirre VS, Steffen JH, Still M, Tenenbaum P, Welsh WF, Wolfgang A, Zamudio KA, Koch DG, Borucki WJ. PLANETARY CANDIDATES OBSERVED BY Kepler. VIII. A FULLY AUTOMATED CATALOG WITH MEASURED COMPLETENESS AND RELIABILITY BASED ON DATA RELEASE 25. THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL. SUPPLEMENT SERIES 2018; 235:38. [PMID: 32908325 PMCID: PMC7477822 DOI: 10.3847/1538-4365/aab4f9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 255] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We present the Kepler Object of Interest (KOI) catalog of transiting exoplanets based on searching four years of Kepler time series photometry (Data Release 25, Q1-Q17). The catalog contains 8054 KOIs of which 4034 are planet candidates with periods between 0.25 and 632 days. Of these candidates, 219 are new in this catalog and include two new candidates in multi-planet systems (KOI-82.06 and KOI-2926.05), and ten new high-reliability, terrestrial-size, habitable zone candidates. This catalog was created using a tool called the Robovetter which automatically vets the DR25 Threshold Crossing Events (TCEs) found by the Kepler Pipeline (Twicken et al. 2016). Because of this automation, we were also able to vet simulated data sets and therefore measure how well the Robovetter separates those TCEs caused by noise from those caused by low signal-to-noise transits. Because of these measurements we fully expect that this catalog can be used to accurately calculate the frequency of planets out to Kepler's detection limit, which includes temperate, super-Earth size planets around GK dwarf stars in our Galaxy. This paper discusses the Robovetter and the metrics it uses to decide which TCEs are called planet candidates in the DR25 KOI catalog. We also discuss the simulated transits, simulated systematic noise, and simulated astrophysical false positives created in order to characterize the properties of the final catalog. For orbital periods less than 100 d the Robovetter completeness (the fraction of simulated transits that are determined to be planet candidates) across all observed stars is greater than 85%. For the same period range, the catalog reliability (the fraction of candidates that are not due to instrumental or stellar noise) is greater than 98%. However, for low signal-to-noise candidates found between 200 and 500 days, our measurements indicate that the Robovetter is 73.5% complete and 37.2% reliable across all searched stars (or 76.7% complete and 50.5% reliable when considering just the FGK dwarf stars). We describe how the measured completeness and reliability varies with period, signal-to-noise, number of transits, and stellar type. Also, we discuss a value called the disposition score which provides an easy way to select a more reliable, albeit less complete, sample of candidates. The entire KOI catalog, the transit fits using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, and all of the simulated data used to characterize this catalog are available at the NASA Exoplanet Archive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E. Thompson
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218
| | - Jeffrey L. Coughlin
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Kelsey Hoffman
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - Fergal Mullally
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Orbital Insight, 100 W Evelyn Ave #110, Mountain View, CA 94041
| | | | - Christopher J. Burke
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, 37-241, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Steve Bryson
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | | | | | - Joseph Catanzarite
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Jason F. Rowe
- Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Bishop’s University, 2600 College St., Sherbrooke, QC, J1M 1Z7, Canada
| | - Geert Barentsen
- Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, 625 2nd St., Ste 209, Petaluma, CA 94952, USA
| | - Douglas A. Caldwell
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Bruce D. Clarke
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | | | - Jie Li
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | - David W. Latham
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge MA 02138, USA
| | | | - Savita Mathur
- Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - Robert L. Morris
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Shawn E. Seader
- Rincon Research Corporation,101 N Wilmot Rd, Tucson, AZ 85711
| | - Jeffrey C. Smith
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Todd C. Klaus
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Joseph D. Twicken
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | | | - Bill Wohler
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - Rachel Akeson
- IPAC-NExScI, Mail Code 100-22, Caltech, 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - David R. Ciardi
- IPAC-NExScI, Mail Code 100-22, Caltech, 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - William D. Cochran
- McDonald Observatory and Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | | | | | - Daniel Huber
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai‘i, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- Sydney Institute for Astronomy (SIfA), School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Andrej Prša
- Villanova University, Dept. of Astrophysics and Planetary Science, 800 Lancaster Ave, Villanova PA 19085
| | - Solange V. Ramírez
- IPAC-NExScI, Mail Code 100-22, Caltech, 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Timothy D. Morton
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 4 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Thomas Barclay
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771
| | - Jennifer R. Campbell
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- KRBwyle, 2400 Nasa Parkway, Houston, TX 77058 USA
| | - William J. Chaplin
- Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - David Charbonneau
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge MA 02138, USA
| | - Jørgen Christensen-Dalsgaard
- Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | | | - Laurance Doyle
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- Institute for the Metaphysics of Physics, Principia College, One Maybeck Place, Elsah, Illinois 62028
| | | | - Andrea K. Dupree
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge MA 02138, USA
| | - Eric B. Ford
- Dept. of Astronomy & Astrophysics, 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Center for Astrostatistics, 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Institute for CyberScience, The Pennsylvania State University
| | - John C. Geary
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge MA 02138, USA
| | - Forrest R. Girouard
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- Orbital Sciences Corporation, 2401 East El Segundo Boulevard, Suite 200, El Segundo, CA 90245, USA
| | | | - Hans Kjeldsen
- Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Elisa V. Quintana
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771
| | - Darin Ragozzine
- Brigham Young University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, N283 ESC, Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Avi Shporer
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Victor Silva Aguirre
- Stellar Astrophysics Centre, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Jason H. Steffen
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89154
| | - Martin Still
- Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, 625 2nd St., Ste 209, Petaluma, CA 94952, USA
| | - Peter Tenenbaum
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - William F. Welsh
- Department of Astronomy, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-1221
| | - Angie Wolfgang
- Dept. of Astronomy & Astrophysics, 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Khadeejah A Zamudio
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
- KRBwyle, 2400 Nasa Parkway, Houston, TX 77058 USA
| | - David G. Koch
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
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Rappaport S, Vanderburg A, Jacobs T, LaCourse D, Jenkins J, Kraus A, Rizzuto A, Latham DW, Bieryla A, Lazarevic M, Schmitt A. Likely Transiting Exocomets Detected By Kepler. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY 2018; 474:1453-1468. [PMID: 29755143 PMCID: PMC5943639 DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stx2735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We present the first good evidence for exocomet transits of a host star in continuum light in data from the Kepler mission. The Kepler star in question, KIC 3542116, is of spectral type F2V and is quite bright at Kp = 10. The transits have a distinct asymmetric shape with a steeper ingress and slower egress that can be ascribed to objects with a trailing dust tail passing over the stellar disk. There are three deeper transits with depths of ≃ 0.1% that last for about a day, and three that are several times more shallow and of shorter duration. The transits were found via an exhaustive visual search of the entire Kepler photometric data set, which we describe in some detail. We review the methods we use to validate the Kepler data showing the comet transits, and rule out instrumental artefacts as sources of the signals. We fit the transits with a simple dust-tail model, and find that a transverse comet speed of ∼35-50 km s-1 and a minimum amount of dust present in the tail of ∼ 1016 g are required to explain the larger transits. For a dust replenishment time of ∼10 days, and a comet lifetime of only ∼300 days, this implies a total cometary mass of ≳ 3 × 1017 g, or about the mass of Halley's comet. We also discuss the number of comets and orbital geometry that would be necessary to explain the six transits detected over the four years of Kepler prime-field observations. Finally, we also report the discovery of a single comet-shaped transit in KIC 11084727 with very similar transit and host-star properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Rappaport
- Department of Physics, and Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - A Vanderburg
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400, Austin, TX 78712
- NASA Sagan Fellow
| | - T Jacobs
- 12812 SE 69th Place Bellevue, WA 98006, USA
| | - D LaCourse
- 7507 52nd Place NE Marysville, WA 98270, USA
| | - J Jenkins
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - A Kraus
- Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, Austin, 78712-1205, USA
| | - A Rizzuto
- Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, Austin, 78712-1205, USA
| | - D W Latham
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
| | - A Bieryla
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
| | - M Lazarevic
- Department of Physics, Northeastern University, 100 Forsyth St, Boston, MA 02115
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Identifying Exoplanets with Deep Learning: A Five-planet Resonant Chain around Kepler-80 and an Eighth Planet around Kepler-90. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/aa9e09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Tennyson J, Yurchenko SN. Laboratory spectra of hot molecules: Data needs for hot super-Earth exoplanets. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molap.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Cataldi G, Brandeker A, Thébault P, Singer K, Ahmed E, de Vries BL, Neubeck A, Olofsson G. Searching for Biosignatures in Exoplanetary Impact Ejecta. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:721-746. [PMID: 28692303 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
With the number of confirmed rocky exoplanets increasing steadily, their characterization and the search for exoplanetary biospheres are becoming increasingly urgent issues in astrobiology. To date, most efforts have concentrated on the study of exoplanetary atmospheres. Instead, we aim to investigate the possibility of characterizing an exoplanet (in terms of habitability, geology, presence of life, etc.) by studying material ejected from the surface during an impact event. For a number of impact scenarios, we estimate the escaping mass and assess its subsequent collisional evolution in a circumstellar orbit, assuming a Sun-like host star. We calculate the fractional luminosity of the dust as a function of time after the impact event and study its detectability with current and future instrumentation. We consider the possibility to constrain the dust composition, giving information on the geology or the presence of a biosphere. As examples, we investigate whether calcite, silica, or ejected microorganisms could be detected. For a 20 km diameter impactor, we find that the dust mass escaping the exoplanet is roughly comparable to the zodiacal dust, depending on the exoplanet's size. The collisional evolution is best modeled by considering two independent dust populations, a spalled population consisting of nonmelted ejecta evolving on timescales of millions of years, and dust recondensed from melt or vapor evolving on much shorter timescales. While the presence of dust can potentially be inferred with current telescopes, studying its composition requires advanced instrumentation not yet available. The direct detection of biological matter turns out to be extremely challenging. Despite considerable difficulties (small dust masses, noise such as exozodiacal dust, etc.), studying dusty material ejected from an exoplanetary surface might become an interesting complement to atmospheric studies in the future. Key Words: Biosignatures-Exoplanets-Impacts-Interplanetary dust-Remote sensing. Astrobiology 17, 721-746.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianni Cataldi
- 1 AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm University , Department of Astronomy, Stockholm, Sweden
- 2 Stockholm University Astrobiology Centre , Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexis Brandeker
- 1 AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm University , Department of Astronomy, Stockholm, Sweden
- 2 Stockholm University Astrobiology Centre , Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Philippe Thébault
- 3 LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris-Diderot , Paris, France
| | - Kelsi Singer
- 4 Southwest Research Institute , Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Engy Ahmed
- 2 Stockholm University Astrobiology Centre , Stockholm, Sweden
- 5 Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) , Science for Life Laboratory, Solna, Sweden
- 6 Stockholm University , Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bernard L de Vries
- 1 AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm University , Department of Astronomy, Stockholm, Sweden
- 2 Stockholm University Astrobiology Centre , Stockholm, Sweden
- 7 Scientific Support Office, Directorate of Science, European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA/ESTEC) , Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Neubeck
- 2 Stockholm University Astrobiology Centre , Stockholm, Sweden
- 6 Stockholm University , Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Göran Olofsson
- 1 AlbaNova University Centre, Stockholm University , Department of Astronomy, Stockholm, Sweden
- 2 Stockholm University Astrobiology Centre , Stockholm, Sweden
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Revised Stellar Properties of
Kepler
Targets for the Q1-17 (DR25) Transit Detection Run. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.3847/1538-4365/229/2/30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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PLANETARY CANDIDATES OBSERVED BY
KEPLER
. VII. THE FIRST FULLY UNIFORM CATALOG BASED ON THE ENTIRE 48-MONTH DATA SET (Q1–Q17 DR24). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.3847/0067-0049/224/1/12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Borucki WJ. KEPLER Mission: development and overview. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2016; 79:036901. [PMID: 26863223 DOI: 10.1088/0034-4885/79/3/036901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The Kepler Mission is a space observatory launched in 2009 by NASA to monitor 170,000 stars over a period of four years to determine the frequency of Earth-size and larger planets in and near the habitable zone of Sun-like stars, the size and orbital distributions of these planets, and the types of stars they orbit. Kepler is the tenth in the series of NASA Discovery Program missions that are competitively-selected, PI-directed, medium-cost missions. The Mission concept and various instrument prototypes were developed at the Ames Research Center over a period of 18 years starting in 1983. The development of techniques to do the 10 ppm photometry required for Mission success took years of experimentation, several workshops, and the exploration of many 'blind alleys' before the construction of the flight instrument. Beginning in 1992 at the start of the NASA Discovery Program, the Kepler Mission concept was proposed five times before its acceptance for mission development in 2001. During that period, the concept evolved from a photometer in an L2 orbit that monitored 6000 stars in a 50 sq deg field-of-view (FOV) to one that was in a heliocentric orbit that simultaneously monitored 170,000 stars with a 105 sq deg FOV. Analysis of the data to date has detected over 4600 planetary candidates which include several hundred Earth-size planetary candidates, over a thousand confirmed planets, and Earth-size planets in the habitable zone (HZ). These discoveries provide the information required for estimates of the frequency of planets in our galaxy. The Mission results show that most stars have planets, many of these planets are similar in size to the Earth, and that systems with several planets are common. Although planets in the HZ are common, many are substantially larger than Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Borucki
- Science Directorate, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
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Schuler SC, Vaz ZA, Santrich OJK, Cunha K, Smith VV, King JR, Teske JK, Ghezzi L, Howell SB, Isaacson H. DETAILED ABUNDANCES OF STARS WITH SMALL PLANETS DISCOVERED BYKEPLER. I. THE FIRST SAMPLE. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1088/0004-637x/815/1/5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Van Eylen V, Albrecht S. ECCENTRICITY FROM TRANSIT PHOTOMETRY: SMALL PLANETS IN KEPLER MULTI-PLANET SYSTEMS HAVE LOW ECCENTRICITIES. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1088/0004-637x/808/2/126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Jenkins JM, Twicken JD, Batalha NM, Caldwell DA, Cochran WD, Endl M, Latham DW, Esquerdo GA, Seader S, Bieryla A, Petigura E, Ciardi DR, Marcy GW, Isaacson H, Huber D, Rowe JF, Torres G, Bryson ST, Buchhave L, Ramirez I, Wolfgang A, Li J, Campbell JR, Tenenbaum P, Sanderfer D, Henze CE, Catanzarite JH, Gilliland RL, Borucki WJ. DISCOVERY AND VALIDATION OF Kepler-452b: A 1.6R⨁SUPER EARTH EXOPLANET IN THE HABITABLE ZONE OF A G2 STAR. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1088/0004-6256/150/2/56] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Contro B, Wittenmyer RA, Horner J, Marshall JP. The Dynamical Structure of HR 8799's Inner Debris Disk. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2015; 45:41-9. [PMID: 25862330 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-015-9405-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The HR 8799 system, with its four giant planets and two debris belts, has an architecture closely mirroring that of our Solar system where the inner, warm asteroid belt and outer, cool Edgeworth-Kuiper belt bracket the giant planets. As such, it is a valuable laboratory for examining exoplanetary dynamics and debris disk-exoplanet interactions. Whilst the outer debris belt of HR 8799 has been well resolved by previous observations, the spatial extent of the inner disk remains unknown. This leaves a significant question mark over both the location of the planetesimals responsible for producing the belt's visible dust and the physical properties of those grains. We have performed the most extensive simulations to date of the inner, unresolved debris belt around HR 8799, using UNSW Australia's Katana supercomputing facility to follow the dynamical evolution of a model inner disk comprising 300,298 particles for a period of 60 Ma. These simulations have enabled the characterisation of the extent and structure of the inner disk in detail, and will in future allow us to provide a first estimate of the small-body impact rate and water delivery prospects for possible (as-yet undetected) terrestrial planet (s) in the inner system.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Contro
- School of Physics, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia,
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Rowe JF, Coughlin JL, Antoci V, Barclay T, Batalha NM, Borucki WJ, Burke CJ, Bryson ST, Caldwell DA, Campbell JR, Catanzarite JH, Christiansen JL, Cochran W, Gilliland RL, Girouard FR, Haas MR, Hełminiak KG, Henze CE, Hoffman KL, Howell SB, Huber D, Hunter RC, Jang-Condell H, Jenkins JM, Klaus TC, Latham DW, Li J, Lissauer JJ, McCauliff SD, Morris RL, Mullally F, Ofir A, Quarles B, Quintana E, Sabale A, Seader S, Shporer A, Smith JC, Steffen JH, Still M, Tenenbaum P, Thompson SE, Twicken JD, Laerhoven CV, Wolfgang A, Zamudio KA. PLANETARY CANDIDATES OBSERVED BY
KEPLER
. V. PLANET SAMPLE FROM Q1–Q12 (36 MONTHS). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1088/0067-0049/217/1/16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Torres G, Kipping DM, Fressin F, Caldwell DA, Twicken JD, Ballard S, Batalha NM, Bryson ST, Ciardi DR, Henze CE, Howell SB, Isaacson HT, Jenkins JM, Muirhead PS, Newton ER, Petigura EA, Barclay T, Borucki WJ, Crepp JR, Everett ME, Horch EP, Howard AW, Kolbl R, Marcy GW, McCauliff S, Quintana EV. VALIDATION OF 12 SMALLKEPLERTRANSITING PLANETS IN THE HABITABLE ZONE. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1088/0004-637x/800/2/99] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Campante TL, Barclay T, Swift JJ, Huber D, Adibekyan VZ, Cochran W, Burke CJ, Isaacson H, Quintana EV, Davies GR, Silva Aguirre V, Ragozzine D, Riddle R, Baranec C, Basu S, Chaplin WJ, Christensen-Dalsgaard J, Metcalfe TS, Bedding TR, Handberg R, Stello D, Brewer JM, Hekker S, Karoff C, Kolbl R, Law NM, Lundkvist M, Miglio A, Rowe JF, Santos NC, Van Laerhoven C, Arentoft T, Elsworth YP, Fischer DA, Kawaler SD, Kjeldsen H, Lund MN, Marcy GW, Sousa SG, Sozzetti A, White TR. AN ANCIENT EXTRASOLAR SYSTEM WITH FIVE SUB-EARTH-SIZE PLANETS. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1088/0004-637x/799/2/170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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22
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Endl M, Caldwell DA, Barclay T, Huber D, Isaacson H, Buchhave LA, Brugamyer E, Robertson P, Cochran WD, MacQueen PJ, Havel M, Lucas P, Howell SB, Fischer D, Quintana E, Ciardi DR. KEPLER-424 b: A “LONELY” HOT JUPITER THAT FOUND A COMPANION. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1088/0004-637x/795/2/151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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Lissauer JJ, Dawson RI, Tremaine S. Advances in exoplanet science from Kepler. Nature 2014; 513:336-44. [PMID: 25230655 DOI: 10.1038/nature13781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Numerous telescopes and techniques have been used to find and study extrasolar planets, but none has been more successful than NASA's Kepler space telescope. Kepler has discovered most of the known exoplanets, the smallest planets to orbit normal stars and the planets most likely to be similar to Earth. Most importantly, Kepler has provided us with our first look at the typical characteristics of planets and planetary systems for planets with sizes as small as, and orbits as large as, those of Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack J Lissauer
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA
| | - Rebekah I Dawson
- Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Scott Tremaine
- Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, USA
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Henderson CB, Gaudi BS, Han C, Skowron J, Penny MT, Nataf D, Gould AP. OPTIMAL SURVEY STRATEGIES AND PREDICTED PLANET YIELDS FOR THE KOREAN MICROLENSING TELESCOPE NETWORK. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1088/0004-637x/794/1/52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
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25
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Heller R, Williams D, Kipping D, Limbach MA, Turner E, Greenberg R, Sasaki T, Bolmont É, Grasset O, Lewis K, Barnes R, Zuluaga JI. Formation, habitability, and detection of extrasolar moons. ASTROBIOLOGY 2014; 14:798-835. [PMID: 25147963 PMCID: PMC4172466 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The diversity and quantity of moons in the Solar System suggest a manifold population of natural satellites exist around extrasolar planets. Of peculiar interest from an astrobiological perspective, the number of sizable moons in the stellar habitable zones may outnumber planets in these circumstellar regions. With technological and theoretical methods now allowing for the detection of sub-Earth-sized extrasolar planets, the first detection of an extrasolar moon appears feasible. In this review, we summarize formation channels of massive exomoons that are potentially detectable with current or near-future instruments. We discuss the orbital effects that govern exomoon evolution, we present a framework to characterize an exomoon's stellar plus planetary illumination as well as its tidal heating, and we address the techniques that have been proposed to search for exomoons. Most notably, we show that natural satellites in the range of 0.1-0.5 Earth mass (i) are potentially habitable, (ii) can form within the circumplanetary debris and gas disk or via capture from a binary, and (iii) are detectable with current technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- René Heller
- Origins Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Darren Williams
- The Behrend College School of Science, Penn State Erie, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David Kipping
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mary Anne Limbach
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Edwin Turner
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
- The Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Richard Greenberg
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Émeline Bolmont
- Université de Bordeaux, LAB, UMR 5804, Floirac, France
- CNRS, LAB, UMR 5804, Floirac, France
| | - Olivier Grasset
- Planetology and Geodynamics, University of Nantes, CNRS, Nantes, France
| | - Karen Lewis
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rory Barnes
- Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- NASA Astrobiology Institute—Virtual Planetary Laboratory Lead Team, USA
| | - Jorge I. Zuluaga
- FACom—Instituto de Física—FCEN, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
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Quintana EV, Barclay T, Raymond SN, Rowe JF, Bolmont E, Caldwell DA, Howell SB, Kane SR, Huber D, Crepp JR, Lissauer JJ, Ciardi DR, Coughlin JL, Everett ME, Henze CE, Horch E, Isaacson H, Ford EB, Adams FC, Still M, Hunter RC, Quarles B, Selsis F. An Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of a cool star. Science 2014; 344:277-80. [PMID: 24744370 DOI: 10.1126/science.1249403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 227] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The quest for Earth-like planets is a major focus of current exoplanet research. Although planets that are Earth-sized and smaller have been detected, these planets reside in orbits that are too close to their host star to allow liquid water on their surfaces. We present the detection of Kepler-186f, a 1.11 ± 0.14 Earth-radius planet that is the outermost of five planets, all roughly Earth-sized, that transit a 0.47 ± 0.05 solar-radius star. The intensity and spectrum of the star's radiation place Kepler-186f in the stellar habitable zone, implying that if Kepler-186f has an Earth-like atmosphere and water at its surface, then some of this water is likely to be in liquid form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa V Quintana
- SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Suite 100, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
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27
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Nelson RP, Hellary P, Fendyke SM, Coleman G. Planetary system formation in thermally evolving viscous protoplanetary discs. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2014; 372:20130074. [PMID: 24664913 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2013.0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Observations of extrasolar planets are providing new opportunities for furthering our understanding of planetary formation processes. In this paper, we review planet formation and migration scenarios and describe some recent simulations that combine planetary accretion and gas-disc-driven migration. While the simulations are successful at forming populations of low- and intermediate-mass planets with short orbital periods, similar to those that are being observed by ground- and space-based surveys, our models fail to form any gas giant planets that survive migration into the central star. The simulation results are contrasted with observations, and areas of future model development are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard P Nelson
- Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary, University of London, , Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
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28
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29
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Henning
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl
17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dmitry Semenov
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl
17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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30
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Abstract
Observational surveys for extrasolar planets probe the diverse outcomes of planet formation and evolution. These surveys measure the frequency of planets with different masses, sizes, orbital characteristics, and host star properties. Small planets between the sizes of Earth and Neptune substantially outnumber Jupiter-sized planets. The survey measurements support the core accretion model, in which planets form by the accumulation of solids and then gas in protoplanetary disks. The diversity of exoplanetary characteristics demonstrates that most of the gross features of the solar system are one outcome in a continuum of possibilities. The most common class of planetary system detectable today consists of one or more planets approximately one to three times Earth's size orbiting within a fraction of the Earth-Sun distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Howard
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
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Johnson N, Zhao G, Caycedo F, Manrique P, Qi H, Rodriguez F, Quiroga L. Extreme alien light allows survival of terrestrial bacteria. Sci Rep 2013; 3:2198. [PMID: 23852157 PMCID: PMC3711049 DOI: 10.1038/srep02198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosynthetic organisms provide a crucial coupling between the Sun's energy and metabolic processes supporting life on Earth. Searches for extraterrestrial life focus on seeking planets with similar incident light intensities and environments. However the impact of abnormal photon arrival times has not been considered. Here we present the counterintuitive result that broad classes of extreme alien light could support terrestrial bacterial life whereas sources more similar to our Sun might not. Our detailed microscopic model uses state-of-the-art empirical inputs including Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) images. It predicts a highly nonlinear survivability for the basic lifeform Rsp. Photometricum whereby toxic photon feeds get converted into a benign metabolic energy supply by an interplay between the membrane's spatial structure and temporal excitation processes. More generally, our work suggests a new handle for manipulating terrestrial photosynthesis using currently-available extreme value statistics photon sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Johnson
- Physics Department, University of Miami, Florida FL 33126, U.S.A.
| | - Guannan Zhao
- Physics Department, University of Miami, Florida FL 33126, U.S.A.
| | | | - Pedro Manrique
- Physics Department, University of Miami, Florida FL 33126, U.S.A.
| | - Hong Qi
- Physics Department, University of Miami, Florida FL 33126, U.S.A.
| | - Ferney Rodriguez
- Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Luis Quiroga
- Departamento de Fisica, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
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