Remote life-detection criteria, habitable zone boundaries, and the frequency of Earth-like planets around M and late K stars
Open accessAbstract
Significance: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Kepler Space Telescope has detected over 3,000 planet candidates, about a dozen of which are probably rocky planets within the liquid-water habitable zones of their parent stars. Climate-modeling calculations discussed here shed light on the width of that zone. Within the next several years, NASA may obtain spectra of nearby transiting Earth-sized planets around M stars, using its James Webb Space Telescope. NASA hopes to build an even more capable space telescope to perform direct imaging of Earth-like exoplanets and take spectra of their atmospheres. Once data are obtained from either of these missions, correct interpretation of possible biomarker gases will become critical. We discuss here how those interpretations might be made.
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Detailed studies about the impact of flares on possible exolife entail outcomes that are unfavorable or mixed at best.
“Thus, detailed studies about the impact of flares on possible exolife entail outcomes that are unfavorable or mixed at best (e.g., Segura et al. 2010; Kasting et al. 2014).”
From ABOUT EXOBIOLOGY: THE CASE FOR DWARF K STARS (2016) · cites this paper as Kasting et al. 2014
For the case of the Earth, the expected increase in the luminosity of the Sun over the next ~1-2 Gyr will result in the Earth no longer comfortably residing within the solar CLI-HZ.
“For example, for the case of the Earth, the expected increase in the luminosity of the Sun over the next ∼ 1-2 Gyr will result in the Earth no longer comfortably residing within the solar CLI-HZ.”
From ABOUT EXOBIOLOGY: THE CASE FOR DWARF K STARS (2016) · cites this paper as Kasting et al. 2014
Cites
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Self-citationA negative feedback mechanism for the long‐term stabilization of Earth's surface temperature
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Self-citationHABITABLE ZONES AROUND MAIN-SEQUENCE STARS: NEW ESTIMATES
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Self-citationRunaway and moist greenhouse atmospheres and the evolution of Earth and Venus
Kasting, J. F. (1988) · Icarus · doi:10.1016/0019-1035(88)90116-9 · Cited by 709 · cited 2× · see citing works
“eres have finite lifetimes, because once the upper atmosphere becomes water-rich, the water can be lost in a few tens of millions of years by photodissociation followed by escape of hydrogen to space [18,19]. However, a planet can also lose its water to space at much lower temperatures. Once the surface temperature ex…”
BackgroundSelf-citationA Physical Basis for Life Detection Experiments
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Habitable Zone Limits for Dry Planets
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HYDROGEN GREENHOUSE PLANETS BEYOND THE HABITABLE ZONE
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Reflections on O <sub>2</sub> as a Biosignature in Exoplanetary Atmospheres
Meadows, V. S. (2017) · Astrobiology · doi:10.1089/ast.2016.1578 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
ABOUT EXOBIOLOGY: THE CASE FOR DWARF K STARS
Cuntz, M., & Guinan, E. F. (2016) · The Astrophysical Journal · doi:10.3847/0004-637x/827/1/79 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
“Thus, detailed studies about the impact of flares on possible exolife entail outcomes that are unfavorable or mixed at best (e.g., Segura et al. 2010; Kasting et al. 2014).”
BackgroundInfluential
- Authors
- Kasting, J. F., Kopparapu, R., Ramirez, R. M., & Harman, C. E.
- Affiliations
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2013-11-25
- Volume
- 111
- Issue
- 35
- Pages
- 12641-12646
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC4156685
- OpenAlex
- W2060569806
- Cited by
- 158
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 15
- FWCI
- 6.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Planetary Science and Exploration
- Keywords
- habitable zone, Earth-like planets, M dwarfs, liquid water, runaway greenhouse, hydrogen atmosphere, exoplanet detection, Kepler mission, space-based telescopes, life detection
- MeSH terms
- Astronomy, Atmosphere, Extraterrestrial Environment, Models, Chemical, Spectrum Analysis, United States, Water, Solar System, Planets, Earth, Planet, United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Stars, Celestial, Telescopes
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