5 papers
White Paper on Phototrophic Biosignatures: Research Priorities for the Search for Life on Other Worlds
Nancy Y. Kiang, Christopher Gisriel, Robert E. Blankenship +32
Photosynthesis is of prime interest in the telescopic search for life beyond the Solar System, because, on Earth, oxygenic photosynthesis produces two strong "biosignatures," globa…
Shedding Light on Large Space-Based Telescopes: Modeling Stray Light due to Primary Mirror Damage from Micrometeoroid Impacts
Megan T. Gialluca, Jonathan W. Arenberg, Chris Stark +5
A large space-based telescope aimed at detecting and characterizing the atmospheres of Earth-like planets orbiting Sun-like stars will require unprecedented contrast and stability.…
The Open-Source Photochem Code: A General Chemical and Climate Model for Interpreting (Exo)Planet Observations
Nicholas F. Wogan, Natasha E. Batalha, Kevin Zahnle +7
With the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, we are firmly in the era of exoplanet atmosphere characterization. Understanding exoplanet spectra requires atmospheric chemical…
Detecting Land with Reflected Light Spectroscopy to Rule Out Waterworld O Biosignature False Positives
Anna Grace Ulses, Joshua Krissansen-Totton, Tyler D. Robinson +3
The search for life outside our solar system is at the forefront of modern astronomy, and telescopes such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) are being designed to identify b…
Inner Edge Habitable Zone Limits Around Main Sequence Stars: Cloudy Estimates
James D. Windsor, Tyler D. Robinson, Ravi kumar Kopparapu +3
Understanding the limits of rocky planet habitability is one of the key goals of current and future exoplanet characterization efforts. An intrinsic concept of rocky planet habitab…