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Project Reports

• The Virtual Planetary Laboratory – The Life Modules

  Coupled model of the anaerobic, early Archean biosphere, prior to the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis (Kharecha, Kasting, and Siefert). This model includes organisms that metabolize using H₂, H₂S, and Fe⁺⁺ as reductants. A primary goal was to estimate the production rate of methane.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2

• 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

• 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

• Climate Model for Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 7.2

• Chemistry Models for Extrasolar Planets

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 6.1 7.1 7.2

• Database of Stellar Spectra to Support Extrasolar Planet Modeling

  M. Cohen has developed complete far-UV to far-IR spectra of a variety of potential host stars from solar analogs to M-dwarfs in their quiescent phase (non-flaring).

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 7.2

• Database of Molecular Spectroscopy to Support Extrasolar Planet Modeling

  The database of molecular spectroscopic parameters at http://vpl.ipac.caltech.edu/spectra/ contains a compilation of calculated and experimental linelists combined with a collection of empirical absorption cross-sections for specific molecules of interest to the VPL

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 7.2

• The Astrophysical Environment and Planetary Habitability

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.3 6.2 7.2

• 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

• 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