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Project Reports

• Analysis of and Discrimination of TPF Planetary Spectra Using Bayesian and Artificial Neural Network Techniques

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2

• An Astronomical Search for the Essential Ingredients for Life: Placing Our Habitable System in Context. Progress Report

  Module 1: Building Blocks of Life

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 3.1 4.1 4.3 7.1 7.2

• Simulating Planets Around F, G, K, and M Stars_Kasting

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2

• The Planetary Context of Biological Evolution

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 4.1 4.2 6.1 7.2

• From Molecular Clouds to Habitable Planetary Systems

  Co-I Weinberger pursued studies of young stars to assess the number with circumstellar disks as a function of age and to measure detailed properties of extant disks. Using the Keck Observatory, she searched for disks around stars of age 10 to 100 Million years (Myr) using sensitive 12- and 18-µm photometry.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1

• Planetary Biology, Evolution and Intelligence

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2

• Characterization of Terrestrial Planets From Disk-Averaged Spectra: Earths Around Other Stars

  In this task, we have attempted to understand the nature and detectability of biosignatures and planetary characteristics for Earth-like planets around other stars

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2

• Characterization of Terrestrial Planets From Disk-Averaged Spectra: Spatially and Spectrally Resolved Planetary Models

  his task uses sophisticated spatially and spectrally-resolved radiative transfer models and data from planets in our own Solar System to explore the detectability of surface and atmospheric properties of terrestrial planets from disk-averaged spectra at a number of different spectral resolutions

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2

• EVOLUTION OF a HABITABLE PLANET: Planetary Habitability and Life Detection

  In early July, 2003, a Science paper I was lead author on came out providing strong evidence for an old (~ 12 Gyr) jovian planet in a metal-poor, distant stellar system.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2

• Chemistry Models for Extrasolar Planets

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2

• Delivery of Organic Materials to Planets

  Kress and Brownlee, in collaboration with George Cody, have investigated the thermal alteration of organic material entering the atmosphere in small extraterrestrial particles. An interesting aspect of this process is that even the most severely heated particles eject sublimed compounds that survive.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 3.1 7.2

• Climate Model for Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 5.1 7.1

• Spectroscopic Databases to Support Extrasolar Planet Modeling

  To support efforts to understand the nature and detectability of terrestrial planet characteristics for planets around stars of different spectral type, this task focuses on collecting and preparing full wavelength, continuous stellar spectra for use by the planetary climate and chemistry models (c. f. Task 6).

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2

• Subglacial Sampling in Iceland

  University of Hawaii (UH) NAI-funded preparations for July field work at several sites in Iceland are underway.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 5.3 7.2

• Extrasolar Planetary Systems and the Potential for Terrestrial Planets

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2

• The Virtual Planetary Laboratory – Synthesis and Architecture

  With many of the core components operating independently or near completion, this past report period focused on interface design, with focus on development of an Application Programming Interface (API) in Fortran to facilitate communication between different model components

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 4.1 7.2

• UH NAI Visiting Faculty Scholars Program

  The University of Hawaii (UH)-NAI has established a Visiting Faculty Scholars program that brings external collaborators to work with local researchers.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.3 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2

• Galactic Chemical Evolution and Extrasolar Planets

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2

• Oceans and Kuiper Belts in Extrasolar Planetary Systems

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2

• No Title: Alexander Wolszczan

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2