The habitability of super-Earths in Gliese 581

Abstract

Aims: The planetary system around the M star Gliese 581 consists of a hot Neptune (Gl 581b) and two super-Earths (Gl 581c and Gl 581d). The habitability of this system with respect to the super-Earths is investigated following a concept that studies the long-term possibility of photosynthetic biomass production on a dynamically active planet. Methods: A thermal evolution model for a super-Earth is used to calculate the sources and sinks of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The habitable zone is determined by the limits of biological productivity on the planetary surface. Models with different ratios of land / ocean coverage are investigated. Results: The super-Earth Gl 581c is clearly outside the habitable zone, since it is too close to the star. In contrast, Gl 581d is a tidally locked habitable super-Earth near the outer edge of the habitable zone. Despite the adverse conditions on this planet, at least some primitive forms of life may be able to exist on its surface.Therefore, Gl 581d is an interesting target for the planned TPF/Darwin missions to search for biomarkers in planetary atmospheres.

arXiv comment6 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables

References in corpus (9)

• Catalog of Nearby Exoplanets
• Internal Structure of Massive Terrestrial Planets
• A Re-appraisal of the Habitability of Planets Around M Dwarf Stars
• Radius and Structure models for the First Super-Earth Planet
• The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets. VI. A Neptune-mass planet around the nearby M dwarf Gl 581
• Masses and Radii of Low-Mass Stars: Theory versus Observations
• Metallicities of M Dwarf Planet Hosts from Spectral Synthesis
• Habitability of known exoplanetary systems based on measured stellar properties
• Biomarker Response to Galactic Cosmic Ray-Induced NOx and the Methane Greenhouse Effect in the Atmosphere of an Earthlike Planet Orbiting an M-Dwarf Star

Cited by in corpus (42)

• The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets XXXI. The M-dwarf sample
• The Occurrence Rate of Small Planets around Small Stars
• Habitable planets around the star Gl 581?
• The Effect of a Strong Stellar Flare on the Atmospheric Chemistry of an Earth-like Planet Orbiting an M dwarf
• Exoplanet Atmospheres
• The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets XVIII. An Earth-mass planet in the GJ 581 planetary system
• The Atmospheric Signatures of Super-Earths: How to Distinguish Between Hydrogen-Rich and Hydrogen-Poor Atmospheres
• Exoplanetary Atmospheres - Chemistry, Formation Conditions, and Habitability
• The Lick-Carnegie Exoplanet Survey: A 3.1 M_Earth Planet in the Habitable Zone of the Nearby M3V Star Gliese 581
• Tidal obliquity evolution of potentially habitable planets
• Tidal Venuses: Triggering a Climate Catastrophe via Tidal Heating
• Double-blind test program for astrometric planet detection with Gaia
• Tides and the Evolution of Planetary Habitability
• UV habitable zones around M stars
• Exploring the Habitable Zone for Kepler planetary candidates
• Habitable Climates
• A Model of Habitability Within the Milky Way Galaxy
• The extrasolar planet GL 581 d: A potentially habitable planet?
• Activity-induced radial velocity jitter in a flaring M dwarf
• The role of rotation in the evolution of dynamo generated magnetic fields in Super Earths
• Effect of Metallicity on the Evolution of the Habitable Zone from the Pre-Main Sequence to the Asymptotic Giant Branch and the Search for Life
• Model Spectra of the First Potentially Habitable Super-Earth - Gl581d
• Terrestrial planet formation in low eccentricity warm-Jupiter systems
• Characterisation of stellar activity of M dwarfs. I. Long-timescale variability in a large sample and detection of new cycles
• The First Habitable Zone Earth-sized Planet from TESS. III: Climate States and Characterization Prospects for TOI-700 d
• Habitable Zones and UV Habitable Zones around Host Stars
• Habitability of Super-Earth Planets around Main-Sequence Stars including Red Giant Branch Evolution: Models based on the Integrated System Approach
• A search for transits of GJ 581\lowercase{e} and characterization of the host star variability using MOST space telescope photometry
• Interior dynamics of super-Earth 55 Cancri e
• Habitability of Super-Earth Planets around Other Suns: Models including Red Giant Branch Evolution
• Structure of Surface-H2O Layers of Ice-covered Planets with High-pressure Ice
• Dynamical evolution of the Gliese 581 planetary system
• Probability Distribution of Terrestrial Planets in Habitable Zones around Host Stars
• Detection and Characterization of Extrasolar Planets through Doppler Spectroscopy
• Atmospheric studies of habitability in the Gliese 581 system
• Stability of additional planets in and around the habitable zone of the HD 47186 Planetary System
• Habitability of the Goldilocks Planet Gliese 581g: Results from Geodynamic Models
• Quantifying the Classification of Exoplanets: in Search for the Right Habitability Metric
• The Habitable Zone of Kepler-16: Impact of Binarity and Climate Models
• Habitable Zones of Host Stars During the Post-MS Phase
• X Ray Detection of GJ 581 and simultaneous UV Observations
• Induction Heating in Super-Earths: A Thermochemical Perspective