2005 Annual Science Report
Astrobiology Roadmap Objective 1.2 Reports Reporting | JUL 2004 – JUN 2005
Roadmap Objective 1.2—Indirect and direct astronomical observations of extrasolar habitable planets
Project Reports
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Planetary Biology, Evolution and Intelligence
Chris Chyba, Cynthia Phillips, Kevin Hand- The project has two components. The first, an overview of the astrobiological potential of various geological features on Europa, is proceeding well — we are continuing study of various proposed formation mechanisms for different features types such as ridges, bands, and chaotic terrain. The second, a search for current geological activity by comparing Galileo images taken on different orbits, is also in progress. We have performed a first-stage search of the Galileo Europa images to find overlapping images, and are currently working on an automated search method to make sure that we find all possible comparison images. We are also working on automated processing techniques.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2 -
An Astronomical Search for the Essential Ingredients for Life: Placing Our Habitable System in Context.
Module 1: The Building Blocks of Life
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 3.1 3.2 4.3 -
Climate Model for Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 7.2 -
The History of Evolution of the Martian Surface and Water on Mars
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 4.1 -
Extrasolar Planets
The existence of close-in extrasolar planets provides an opportunity to evaluate the delivery of water and pre-biotic molecules to planets, via collisions in the early stages of planet formation. Over 150 planets are known to orbit stars other than the sun, and many of these extrasolar planets occur quite close to their stars and have orbital periods of only a few days.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 -
Delivery of Organic Materials to Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 7.2 -
Searching for Planets Around Evolved Stars
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 6.2 -
Chemistry Models for Extrasolar Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 6.1 7.1 7.2 -
Extrasolar Planetary Systems and the Potential for Terrestrial Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 3.1 -
Habitable Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 4.1 4.3 -
Model Synthesis and Architecture
The Virtual Planetary Laboratory interface and integration team has developed the proto-type VPL Online Community Tool.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 7.2 -
Characterization of Terrestrial Planets From Disk-Averaged Spectra: Earths Around Other Stars
Continuing work completed in previous years on Earth-like planets around F, G and K stars, this year we submitted a paper to Astrobiology that describes a coupled photochemical-climate model for Earth-like planets around M stars.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2 -
Project 1. From Molecular Clouds to Habitable Planetary Systems
Chambers developed a new semi-analytic model for the oligarchic growth stage of planet formation.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 3.1 7.2 -
The Abiotic Planetary Model: The Upper and Lower Boundary Condition on the Atmosphere
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 3.1 4.1 7.2 -
From Stars to Genes: Addition to Extrasolar Planetary Systems
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2 -
Characterization of Terrestrial Planets From Disk-Averaged Spectra: Spatially and Spectrally Resolved Planetary Models
The first generation of NASA and ESA space-based observatories to characterize extrasolar terrestrial planets will only be able to obtain disk-averaged spectra. This year, we completed a 3-D model of the Earth’s environment, complete with clouds, and used it to simulate its disk-averaged spectrum and lightcurves (Tinetti et al., 2005).
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2 -
Electrochemical Isotope Effects With Applications to Stable Isotope Fractionation in Transition Metals
We have successfully begun a research program examining how electrochemical processes (e.g. electroplating, corrosion, biological metabolism) act on stable isotopes of transition metals, starting with Fe.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 4.2 4.3 -
Exploring Conditions for Habitability on Mars
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 2.1 -
Detectability of Planets and Biosignatures: Implications for TPF-C/TPF-I and LifeFinder
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2 -
The Evolution of a Habitable Planet (Sigurdsson)
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 -
From Stars to Genes
Thermal evolution of Io: The thermal equilibrium of a silicate body subject to tidal heating has been studied and applied to the thermal state of Io. The results of this work demonstrate that heat transport in Io is accomplished predominantly by melt segregation and not by convection as previously assumed.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.2 -
Extrasolar Planetary Systems
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 -
Young Low Mass Stars
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2