Differences in Water Vapor Radiative Transfer among 1D Models Can Significantly Affect the Inner Edge of the Habitable Zone

An accurate estimate of the inner edge of the habitable zone is critical for determining which exoplanets are potentially habitable and for designing future telescopes to observe them. Here, we explore differences in estimating the inner edge among seven one-dimensional radiative transfer models: two line-by-line codes (SMART and LBLRTM) as well as five band codes (CAM3, CAM4_Wolf, LMDG, SBDART, and AM2) that are currently being used in global climate models. We compare radiative fluxes and spectra in clear-sky conditions around G and M stars, with fixed moist adiabatic profiles for surface temperatures from 250 to 360 K. We find that divergences among the models arise mainly from large uncertainties in water vapor absorption in the window region (10 μm) and in the region between 0.2 and 1.5 μm. Differences in outgoing longwave radiation increase with surface temperature and reach 10–20 W m^(−2); differences in shortwave reach up to 60 W m^(−2), especially at the surface and in the troposphere, and are larger for an M-dwarf spectrum than a solar spectrum. Differences between the two line-by-line models are significant, although smaller than among the band models. Our results imply that the uncertainty in estimating the insolation threshold of the inner edge (the runaway greenhouse limit) due only to clear-sky radiative transfer is ≈10% of modern Earth's solar constant (i.e., ≈34 W m^(−2) in global mean) among band models and ≈3% between the two line-by-line models. These comparisons show that future work is needed that focuses on improving water vapor absorption coefficients in both shortwave and longwave, as well as on increasing the resolution of stellar spectra in broadband models

Etude in vitro et in planta de l’activité antifongique de différents lipopeptides de Bacillus sp. contre Venturia inaequalis

editorial reviewedLa tavelure du pommier (Venturia inaequalis) est une maladie redoutable, combattue classiquement par des fongicides chimiques dont la substitution par des alternatives plus respectueuses de l’environnement est recherchée. Dans cette étude l’activité antifongique de biofongicides d’origine bactérienne a été évaluée contre une souche de V. inaequalis. Il s’agit de métabolites de type lipopeptides produits par différentes espèces de bactéries appartenant au genre Bacillus sp. Les CI50 des lipopeptides seuls (fengycine, mycosubtiline, iturine A, surfactine, pumilacidine et lichénysine) et de leurs mélanges binaires (fengycine/surfactine ou iturine A ou pumilacidine ou lichénysine) ont été déterminées et comparées à celles du tébuconazole et du tétraconazole (fongicides chimiques). La fengycine, la mycosubtiline, l’iturine A et la surfactine ainsi que les quatre mélanges binaires présentent une activité antifongique significative. La fengycine seule est la plus active (CI50 = 0,024 mg.L-1 [0,016-0,034]) avec un niveau d’activité proche du tébuconazole (CI50 = 0,012 mg.L-1 [0,008-0,017]) et du tétraconazole (CI50 = 0,009 mg.L-1 [0,006-0,013]). Deux mélanges de lipopeptides (fengycine/surfactine et mycosubtiline/surfactine) ont également été testés en vergers et présentent une diminution de 70% de l’incidence de la maladie pour les deux mélanges. Leur utilisation en tant que produit de biocontrôle semble donc prometteuse

The habitability of Proxima Centauri b II. Possible climates and observability

International audienceRadial velocity monitoring has found the signature of a $M \sin i = 1.3$~M$_\oplus$ planet located within the Habitable Zone of Proxima Centauri, (Anglada-Escud\'e et al. 2016). Despite a hotter past and an active host star the planet Proxima~b could have retained enough volatiles to sustain surface habitability (Ribas et al. 2016). Here we use a 3D Global Climate Model to simulate Proxima b's atmosphere and water cycle for its two likely rotation modes (1:1 and 3:2 resonances) while varying the unconstrained surface water inventory and atmospheric greenhouse effect. We find that a broad range of atmospheric compositions can allow surface liquid water. On a tidally-locked planet with a surface water inventory larger than 0.6 Earth ocean, liquid water is always present, at least in the substellar region. Liquid water covers the whole planet for CO$_2$ partial pressures $\gtrsim 1$~bar. For smaller water inventories, water can be trapped on the night side, forming either glaciers or lakes, depending on the amount of greenhouse gases. With a non-synchronous rotation, a minimum CO$_2$ pressure is required to avoid falling into a completely frozen snowball state if water is abundant. If the planet is dryer, $\sim$0.5~bar of CO$_2$ would suffice to prevent the trapping of any arbitrary small water inventory into polar ice caps. More generally, any low-obliquity planet within the classical habitable zone of its star should be in one of the climate regimes discussed here. We use our GCM to produce reflection/emission spectra and phase curves. We find that atmospheric characterization will be possible by direct imaging with forthcoming large telescopes thanks to an angular separation of $7 \lambda/D$ at 1~$\mu$m (with the E-ELT) and a contrast of $\sim 10^{-7}$. The magnitude of the planet will allow for high-resolution spectroscopy and the search for molecular signatures

Experimental Comparative Study between Conventional and Green Parking Lots: Analysis of Subsurface Thermal Behavior under Warm and Dry Summer Conditions

Green infrastructure has a role to play in climate change adaptation strategies in cities. Alternative urban spaces should be designed considering new requirements in terms of urban microclimate and thermal comfort. Pervious pavements such as green parking lots can contribute to this goal through solar evaporative cooling. However, the cooling benefits of such systems remain under debate during dry and warm periods. The aim of this study was to compare experimentally the thermal behavior of different parking lot types (PLTs) with vegetated urban soil. Four parking lots were instrumented, with temperature probes buried at different depths. Underground temperatures were measured during summer 2019, and the hottest days of the period were analyzed. Results show that the less mineral used in the surface coating, the less it warms up. The temperature difference at the upper layer can reach 10 °C between mineral and non-mineral PLTs. PLTs can be grouped into three types: (i) high surface temperature during daytime and nighttime, important heat transfer toward the sublayers, and low time shift (asphalt system); (ii) high (resp. low) surface temperature during daytime (resp. nighttime), weak heat transfer toward the sublayers, and important time shift (paved stone system); and (iii) low surface temperature during daytime and nighttime, weak heat transfer toward the sublayers, and important time shift (vegetation and substrate system, wood chips system, vegetated urban soil). The results of this study underline that pervious pavements demonstrate thermal benefits under warm and dry summer conditions compared to conventional parking lot solutions. The results also indicate that the hygrothermal properties of urban materials are crucial for urban heat island mitigation

A chemical survey of exoplanets with ARIEL

Thousands of exoplanets have now been discovered with a huge range of masses, sizes and orbits: from rocky Earth-like planets to large gas giants grazing the surface of their host star. However, the essential nature of these exoplanets remains largely mysterious: there is no known, discernible pattern linking the presence, size, or orbital parameters of a planet to the nature of its parent star. We have little idea whether the chemistry of a planet is linked to its formation environment, or whether the type of host star drives the physics and chemistry of the planet’s birth, and evolution. ARIEL was conceived to observe a large number (~1000) of transiting planets for statistical understanding, including gas giants, Neptunes, super-Earths and Earth-size planets around a range of host star types using transit spectroscopy in the 1.25–7.8 μm spectral range and multiple narrow-band photometry in the optical. ARIEL will focus on warm and hot planets to take advantage of their well-mixed atmospheres which should show minimal condensation and sequestration of high-Z materials compared to their colder Solar System siblings. Said warm and hot atmospheres are expected to be more representative of the planetary bulk composition. Observations of these warm/hot exoplanets, and in particular of their elemental composition (especially C, O, N, S, Si), will allow the understanding of the early stages of planetary and atmospheric formation during the nebular phase and the following few million years. ARIEL will thus provide a representative picture of the chemical nature of the exoplanets and relate this directly to the type and chemical environment of the host star. ARIEL is designed as a dedicated survey mission for combined-light spectroscopy, capable of observing a large and well-defined planet sample within its 4-year mission lifetime. Transit, eclipse and phase-curve spectroscopy methods, whereby the signal from the star and planet are differentiated using knowledge of the planetary ephemerides, allow us to measure atmospheric signals from the planet at levels of 10–100 part per million (ppm) relative to the star and, given the bright nature of targets, also allows more sophisticated techniques, such as eclipse mapping, to give a deeper insight into the nature of the atmosphere. These types of observations require a stable payload and satellite platform with broad, instantaneous wavelength coverage to detect many molecular species, probe the thermal structure, identify clouds and monitor the stellar activity. The wavelength range proposed covers all the expected major atmospheric gases from e.g. H2O, CO2, CH4 NH3, HCN, H2S through to the more exotic metallic compounds, such as TiO, VO, and condensed species. Simulations of ARIEL performance in conducting exoplanet surveys have been performed – using conservative estimates of mission performance and a full model of all significant noise sources in the measurement – using a list of potential ARIEL targets that incorporates the latest available exoplanet statistics. The conclusion at the end of the Phase A study, is that ARIEL – in line with the stated mission objectives – will be able to observe about 1000 exoplanets depending on the details of the adopted survey strategy, thus confirming the feasibility of the main science objectives.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Planetary Exploration Horizon 2061 Report, Chapter 3: From science questions to Solar System exploration

This chapter of the Planetary Exploration Horizon 2061 Report reviews the way the six key questions about planetary systems, from their origins to the way they work and their habitability, identified in chapter 1, can be addressed by means of solar system exploration, and how one can find partial answers to these six questions by flying to the different provinces to the solar system: terrestrial planets, giant planets, small bodies, and up to its interface with the local interstellar medium. It derives from this analysis a synthetic description of the most important space observations to be performed at the different solar system objects by future planetary exploration missions. These observation requirements illustrate the diversity of measurement techniques to be used as well as the diversity of destinations where these observations must be made. They constitute the base for the identification of the future planetary missions we need to fly by 2061, which are described in chapter 4. Q1- How well do we understand the diversity of planetary systems objects? Q2- How well do we understand the diversity of planetary system architectures? Q3- What are the origins and formation scenarios for planetary systems? Q4- How do planetary systems work? Q5- Do planetary systems host potential habitats? Q6- Where and how to search for life?Comment: 107 pages, 37 figures, Horizon 2061 is a science-driven, foresight exercise, for future scientific investigation

The habitability of Proxima Centauri b I. Irradiation, rotation and volatile inventory from formation to the present

International audienceProxima b is a planet with a minimum mass of 1.3 MEarth orbiting within the habitable zone (HZ) of Proxima Centauri, a very low-mass, active star and the Sun's closest neighbor. Here we investigate a number of factors related to the potential habitability of Proxima b and its ability to maintain liquid water on its surface. We set the stage by estimating the current high-energy irradiance of the planet and show that the planet currently receives 30 times more EUV radiation than Earth and 250 times more X-rays. We compute the time evolution of the star's spectrum, which is essential for modeling the flux received over Proxima b's lifetime. We also show that Proxima b's obliquity is likely null and its spin is either synchronous or in a 3:2 spin-orbit resonance, depending on the planet's eccentricity and level of triaxiality. Next we consider the evolution of Proxima b's water inventory. We use our spectral energy distribution to compute the hydrogen loss from the planet with an improved energy-limited escape formalism. Despite the high level of stellar activity we find that Proxima b is likely to have lost less than an Earth ocean's worth of hydrogen before it reached the HZ 100-200 Myr after its formation. The largest uncertainty in our work is the initial water budget, which is not constrained by planet formation models. We conclude that Proxima b is a viable candidate habitable planet

Characterization of urban heat island based on climatic zoning and mobile measurements : Case study of Nancy

De par ses caractéristiques, l’environnement urbain influe significativement sur le climat observé dans et à la périphérie des villes. Il est communément admis que le centre des villes présente fréquemment des températures d’air plus élevées que celles mesurées dans les zones rurales environnantes. Ce phénomène appelé îlot de chaleur urbain intéresse les enjeux relatifs à la santé publique, au confort urbain et à la demande énergétique. Ce travail de thèse propose de caractériser le phénomène d’îlot de chaleur à partir de l'association d'un zonage climatique et de mesures mobiles à haute résolution spatiale dans la canopée urbaine. Il repose sur une approche méthodologique en trois temps. Une classification climatique ("Local Climate Zones" (LCZ)) est tout d'abord appliquée à l'agglomération de Nancy. Ce découpage climatique du territoire sert de support à la réalisation de mesures embarquées effectuées en période estivale à l'aide d'un véhicule instrumenté. Celles-ci ont pour but d'observer in situ les spécificités climatiques des LCZ recensées dans l'agglomération. L'association d'une base de données de relevés météorologiques et de la classification LCZ permet de caractériser le comportement climatique du milieu urbain et de comparer le comportement de différentes typologies de quartiers en présence d'un îlot de chaleur urbain. Cette démarche propose également un cadre théorique pour le développement d'un modèle de diagnostic à partir d'indicateurs urbains et climatiques, avec la perspective de construction d'un outil de prise en compte de l'îlot de chaleur dans le processus de planification urbaineUrban environment impacts significantly the climate observed within and around cities. In this context, city centers frequently present higher air temperatures than those measured in the rural areas nearby. This phenomenon called urban heat island impacts major issues such as public health, urban comfort and energy demand. This Ph.D. thesis proposes to characterize the urban heat island phenomenon based on the combination of a climatic zoning and high spatial density mobile measurements performed within the urban canopy layer. This study is divided into three steps. A climate classification ("Local Climate Zones" (LCZ)) is first applied to the conurbation of Nancy, France. This climatic zoning is used in order to perform mobile measurements thanks to an instrumented vehicle. These measurements target to observe the climatic patterns of the LCZ built in this conurbation. The combination of meteorological database and LCZ classification scheme allows to characterize the urban climate behavior and to compare the thermal behavior of different neighbourhood types. This approach provides a theoretical framework for the development of a diagnosis model based on urban and climatic indicators. It also brings outlooks regarding the building of a decision-support tool that aims to supply information about urban heat island adapted to the urban planners need

Un petit tableau de la côte ouest (1817)

En 1815, le traité d’Utrecht a été maintenu en ce qui concerne l’île de Terre-Neuve. Quoique cette grande île soit propriété anglaise, la France y a le droit exclusif de pêche sur environ 150 lieux de ses côtes et c’est la partie qui est réputée pour être la plus poissonneuse ; les deux limites sont le cap de Raie, dans le sud, et le cap Saint-Jean dans le nord ; elle comprend toute la partie occidentale et une partie de celle du nord. Étant sous voiles, après avoir doublé le cap de Raie, nou..