Habitability of Planets

Biology

Scientific paper

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Exobiology, Solar System, Solar Flux, Carbon Dioxide Concentration, Habitability, Planets, Planetary Environments, Protoplanets, Main Sequence Stars, Atmospheric Composition, Earth (Planet), Water

Scientific paper

The habitable zone (HZ) around a star is defined as the region in which an Earth-like planet could support liquid water. The continuously habitable zone (CHZ) represents the overlap of the HZs at two different instants in time. HZs move outward with time because main sequence stars get brighter as they age. The inner edge of the HZ is set by loss of water by way of photodissociation followed by escape of hydrogen to space. A conservative (i.e., pessimistic estimate for the solar flux at which this phenomenon occurs is 1.1 S0, where S0 is the present solar flux at Earth's orbit, 1370 W/m2. The outer edge of the HZ is set by CO2 condensation, which shuts off the stabilizing feedback provided by the carbonate-silicate cycle. Within the HZ, atmospheric CO2 concentrations should increase with orbital distance as a consequence of this cycle. A conservative estimate for the solar flux at the outer edge of the Hz is 0.53 S0. In terms of distance, the HZ for our own Solar System extends from at least 0.95 AU to 1.37 AU, and the 4.6-Gyr CHZ extends from at least 0.95 AU to 1.15 AU. Corresponding fluxes and distances for other types of stars are tabulated.

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