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Project Reports

• Exploring Conditions for Habitability in Our Solar System

  Subsurface Habitability on Mars: Armstrong and Sondossi (2005) are exploring the stability of deep subsurface environments (3-6 km) on Mars. Thermal diffusion models indicate that temperature fluctuations at these depths are minor, and provide reasonable environments for sub-surface life, perhaps probed by the recent detection of methane in Mars’ atmosphere.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 4.1 6.2 7.1

• Database of Molecular Spectroscopy to Support Extrasolar Planet Modeling

  The VPL database of molecular spectroscopic parameters contains a compilation of calculated and experimental linelists (including line positions, line intensities, lower state transition energies and broadening coefficients) combined with a collection of empirical absorption cross-sections for specific molecules of interest to planetary environmental and spectrum generating models. These data reside on the VPL’s supercomputer for use with the VPL atmospheric and spectral generation models.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 7.2

• The Virtual Planetary Laboratory – The Life Modules

  Field research on the freshwater bacteria of Cuatro Cienegas, Mexico (Siefert). These communities are good proxies for early earth type bacterially-dominated systems. To understand the community dynamics that lead to microbialite (general term for structures produced by microbial precipitation) the metagenomes of two microbialites, from two separate regions of the system were performed using 454 sequencing technology.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 4.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2

• Model Synthesis and Architecture

  The VPL integrated model to develop self-consistent planetary environments has acquired several separate components into its model suite over the past year, including weathering, land model, and tectonic/solid earth components. These are now housed in a version controlled online database of all VPL software components, including the coupled online model as well as other model components under development.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 4.1 4.3 7.2

• A 1-D Climate Model for Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 7.2

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

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2

• The Generalized Terrestrial Planet Photochemical Model

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 7.2

• The Abiotic Planetary Model: The Upper and Lower Boundary Condition on the Atmosphere

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 4.1 7.2

• The Astrophysical Environment and Planetary and Lunar Habitability

  We worked to characterize the intermittent aspects of stellar radiation fields, namely flares and stellar cosmic rays, and their effects on biosignature detection, habitability, and space exploration.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 4.3 6.1 6.2

• Database of Stellar Spectra to Support Extrasolar Planet Modeling

  We established a database of stellar spectra during the past year to serve as a
  dynamic repository within the VPL website for accurate reference spectra of stars
  that are considered relevant hosts in the search for habitable exoplanets.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 4.1 6.2 7.2

• Modeling Terrestrial Planet Formation and Composition

  We have run the most realistic simulations of the final stages in the formation of Earth-like planets to date (Raymond), including 10 times as many particles as previous simulations.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 3.1

• Searching for Life on Mars: Interpretation of Remote-Sensing Observations of Methane

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 7.1

• Extrasolar Planet Detection and Characterization

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2

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

  The results of our coupled climate-chemical modeling of Earth-like planet atmospheres around M stars was published (Segura et al., 2005).

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 4.3 7.2

• Understanding the Earth’s Early Environment

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 4.1 7.2