137 research outputs found
The habitability of stagnant-lid Earths around dwarf stars
The habitability of a planet depends on various factors, such as delivery of
water during the formation, the co-evolution of the interior and the
atmosphere, as well as the stellar irradiation which changes in time. Since an
unknown number of rocky exoplanets may operate in a one-plate convective
regime, i.e., without plate tectonics, we aim at understanding under which
conditions planets in such a stagnant-lid regime may support habitable surface
conditions. Understanding the interaction of the planetary interior and
outgassing of volatiles with the atmosphere in combination with the evolution
of the host star is crucial to determine the potential habitability. M-dwarf
stars in particular possess a high-luminosity pre-main sequence phase which
endangers the habitability of planets around them via water loss. We therefore
explore the potential of secondary outgassing from the planetary interior to
rebuild a water reservoir allowing for habitability at a later stage. We
compute the boundaries of the habitable zone around M, K, G, and F-dwarf stars
using a 1D cloud-free radiative-convective climate model accounting for the
outgassing history of CO2 and H2O from an interior evolution and outgassing
model for different interior compositions and stellar luminosity evolutions.
The outer edge of the habitable zone strongly depends on the amount of CO2
outgassed from the interior, while the inner edge is mainly determined via the
stellar irradiation, as soon as a sufficiently large water reservoir has been
outgassed. A build-up of a secondary water reservoir for planets around M-dwarf
stars is possible even after severe water loss during the high luminosity
pre-main sequence phase as long as some water has been retained within the
mantle. Earth-like stagnant-lid planets allow for habitable surface conditions
within a continuous habitable zone that is dependent on interior composition.Comment: 15 pages, accepted by A&A, abstract shortene
Assessment of a Physics-based Retrieval of Exoplanet Atmospheric Temperatures from Infrared Emission Spectra
Atmospheric temperatures are to be estimated from thermal emission spectra of
Earth-like exoplanets orbiting M-stars as observed by current and future
planned missions. To this end, a line-by-line radiative transfer code is used
to generate synthetic thermal infrared (TIR) observations. The range of
'observed' intensities provides a rough hint of the atmospheric temperature
range without any a priori knowledge. The equivalent brightness temperature
(related to intensities by Planck's function) at certain wavenumbers can be
used to estimate the atmospheric temperature at corresponding altitudes. To
exploit the full information provided by the measurement we generalize
Chahine's original approach and infer atmospheric temperatures from all
spectral data using the wavenumber-to-altitude mapping defined by the weighting
functions. Chahine relaxation allows an iterative refinement of this 'first
guess'. Analysis of the 4.3{\mu}m and 15{\mu}m carbon dioxide TIR bands enables
an estimate of atmospheric temperatures for rocky exoplanets even for low
signal to noise ratios of 10 and medium resolution. Inference of Trappist-1e
temperatures is, however, more challenging especially for CO2 dominated
atmospheres: the 'standard' 4.3{\mu}m and 15{\mu}m regions are optically thick
and an extension of the spectral range towards atmospheric window regions is
important. If atmospheric composition (essentially CO2 concentration) is known
temperatures can be estimated remarkably well, quality measures such as the
residual norm provide hints on incorrect abundances. In conclusion, temperature
in the mid atmosphere of Earth-like planets orbiting cooler stars can be
quickly estimated from thermal IR emission spectra with moderate resolution.Comment: 16 pages, 19 figures, 1 tabl
Earth-like Habitats in Planetary Systems
Understanding the concept of habitability is related to an evolutionary
knowledge of the particular planet-in-question. Additional indications
so-called "systemic aspects" of the planetary system as a whole governs a
particular planet's claim on habitability. Here we focus on such systemic
aspects and discuss their relevance to the formation of an 'Earth-like'
habitable planet. We summarize our results obtained by lunar sample work and
numerical models within the framework of the Research Alliance "Planetary
Evolution and Life". We consider various scenarios which simulate the dynamical
evolution of the Solar System and discuss the likelihood of forming an
Earth-like world orbiting another star. Our model approach is constrained by
observations of the modern Solar System and the knowledge of its history.
Results suggest that the long-term presence of terrestrial planets is
jeopardized due to gravitational interactions if giant planets are present. But
habitability of inner rocky planets may be supported in those planetary systems
hosting giant planets.
Gravitational interactions within a complex multiple-body structure including
giant planets may supply terrestrial planets with materials which formed in the
colder region of the proto-planetary disk. During these processes, water, the
prime requisite for habitability, is delivered to the inner system. This may
occur either during the main accretion phase of terrestrial planets or via
impacts during a post-accretion bombardment. Results for both processes are
summarized and discussed with reference to the lunar crater record.
Starting from a scenario involving migration of the giant planets this
contribution discusses the delivery of water to Earth, the modification of
atmospheres by impacts in a planetary system context and the likelihood of the
existence of extrasolar Earth-like habitable worlds.Comment: 36 Pages, 6 figures, 2014, Special Issue in Planetary and Space
Science on the Helmholtz Research Alliance on Planetary Evolution and Lif
Warming the early Earth - CO2 reconsidered
Despite a fainter Sun, the surface of the early Earth was mostly ice-free.
Proposed solutions to this so-called "faint young Sun problem" have usually
involved higher amounts of greenhouse gases than present in the modern-day
atmosphere. However, geological evidence seemed to indicate that the
atmospheric CO2 concentrations during the Archaean and Proterozoic were far too
low to keep the surface from freezing. With a radiative-convective model
including new, updated thermal absorption coefficients, we found that the
amount of CO2 necessary to obtain 273 K at the surface is reduced up to an
order of magnitude compared to previous studies. For the late Archaean and
early Proterozoic period of the Earth, we calculate that CO2 partial pressures
of only about 2.9 mb are required to keep its surface from freezing which is
compatible with the amount inferred from sediment studies. This conclusion was
not significantly changed when we varied model parameters such as relative
humidity or surface albedo, obtaining CO2 partial pressures for the late
Archaean between 1.5 and 5.5 mb. Thus, the contradiction between sediment data
and model results disappears for the late Archaean and early Proterozoic.Comment: 53 pages, 4 tables, 11 figures, published in Planetary and Space
Scienc
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Identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Phenazines that Kill Caenorhabditis elegans
Pathogenic microbes employ a variety of methods to overcome host defenses, including the production and dispersal of molecules that are toxic to their hosts. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative bacterium, is a pathogen of a diverse variety of hosts including mammals and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. In this study, we identify three small molecules in the phenazine class that are produced by P. aeruginosa strain PA14 that are toxic to C. elegans. We demonstrate that 1-hydroxyphenazine, phenazine-1-carboxylic acid, and pyocyanin are capable of killing nematodes in a matter of hours. 1-hydroxyphenazine is toxic over a wide pH range, whereas the toxicities of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid and pyocyanin are pH-dependent at non-overlapping pH ranges. We found that acidification of the growth medium by PA14 activates the toxicity of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid, which is the primary toxic agent towards C. elegans in our assay. Pyocyanin is not toxic under acidic conditions and 1-hydroxyphenazine is produced at concentrations too low to kill C. elegans. These results suggest a role for phenazine-1-carboxylic acid in mammalian pathogenesis because PA14 mutants deficient in phenazine production have been shown to be defective in pathogenesis in mice. More generally, these data demonstrate how diversity within a class of metabolites could affect bacterial toxicity in different environmental niches.Chemistry and Chemical Biolog
Is There Such a Thing as a Biosignature?
The concept of a biosignature is widely used in astrobiology to suggest a link between some observation and a biological cause, given some context. The term itself has been defined and used in several ways in different parts of the scientific community involved in the search for past or present life on Earth and beyond. With the ongoing acceleration in the search for life in distant time and/or deep space, there is a need for clarity and accuracy in the formulation and reporting of claims. Here, we critically review the biosignature concept(s) and the associated nomenclature in light of several problems and ambiguities emphasized by recent works. One worry is that these terms and concepts may imply greater certainty than is usually justified by a rational interpretation of the data. A related worry is that terms such as “biosignature” may be inherently misleading, for example, because the divide between life and non-life—and their observable effects—is fuzzy. Another worry is that different parts of the multidisciplinary community may use non-equivalent or conflicting definitions and conceptions, leading to avoidable confusion. This review leads us to identify a number of pitfalls and to suggest how they can be circumvented. In general, we conclude that astrobiologists should exercise particular caution in deciding whether and how to use the concept of biosignature when thinking and communicating about habitability or life. Concepts and terms should be selected carefully and defined explicitly where appropriate. This would improve clarity and accuracy in the formulation of claims and subsequent technical and public communication about some of the most profound and important questions in science and society. With this objective in mind, we provide a checklist of questions that scientists and other interested parties should ask when assessing any reported detection of a “biosignature” to better understand exactly what is being claimed
Distinguishing between wet and dry atmospheres of TRAPPIST-1 e and f
The nearby TRAPPIST-1 planetary system is an exciting target for
characterizing the atmospheres of terrestrial planets. The planets e, f and g
lie in the circumstellar habitable zone and could sustain liquid water on their
surfaces. During the extended pre-main sequence phase of TRAPPIST-1, however,
the planets may have experienced extreme water loss, leading to a desiccated
mantle. The presence or absence of an ocean is challenging to determine with
current and next generation telescopes. Therefore, we investigate whether
indirect evidence of an ocean and/or a biosphere can be inferred from
observations of the planetary atmosphere. We introduce a newly developed
photochemical model for planetary atmospheres, coupled to a
radiative-convective model and validate it against modern Earth, Venus and
Mars. The coupled model is applied to the TRAPPIST-1 planets e and f, assuming
different surface conditions and varying amounts of CO in the atmosphere.
As input for the model we use a constructed spectrum of TRAPPIST-1, based on
near-simultaneous data from X-ray to optical wavelengths. We compute cloud-free
transmission spectra of the planetary atmospheres and determine the
detectability of molecular features using the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT)
and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We find that under certain
conditions, the existence or non-existence of a biosphere and/or an ocean can
be inferred by combining 30 transit observations with ELT and JWST within the
K-band. A non-detection of CO could suggest the existence of an ocean, whereas
significant CH hints at the presence of a biosphere.Comment: 37 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Exoplanet Biosignatures: Understanding Oxygen as a Biosignature in the Context of Its Environment
Here we review how environmental context can be used to interpret whether O2
is a biosignature in extrasolar planetary observations. This paper builds on
the overview of current biosignature research discussed in Schwieterman et al.
(2017), and provides an in-depth, interdisciplinary example of biosignature
identification and observation that serves as a basis for the development of
the general framework for biosignature assessment described in Catling et al.,
(2017). O2 is a potentially strong biosignature that was originally thought to
be an unambiguous indicator for life at high-abundance. We describe the
coevolution of life with the early Earth's environment, and how the interplay
of sources and sinks in the planetary environment may have resulted in
suppression of O2 release into the atmosphere for several billion years, a
false negative for biologically generated O2. False positives may also be
possible, with recent research showing potential mechanisms in exoplanet
environments that may generate relatively high abundances of atmospheric O2
without a biosphere being present. These studies suggest that planetary
characteristics that may enhance false negatives should be considered when
selecting targets for biosignature searches. Similarly our ability to interpret
O2 observed in an exoplanetary atmosphere is also crucially dependent on
environmental context to rule out false positive mechanisms. We describe future
photometric, spectroscopic and time-dependent observations of O2 and the
planetary environment that could increase our confidence that any observed O2
is a biosignature, and help discriminate it from potential false positives. By
observing and understanding O2 in its planetary context we can increase our
confidence in the remote detection of life, and provide a model for
biosignature development for other proposed biosignatures.Comment: 55 pages. The paper is the second in a series of 5 review manuscripts
of the NExSS Exoplanet Biosignatures Workshop. Community commenting is
solicited at https://nexss.info/groups/ebww
Cost-Effectiveness of Adolescent Pertussis Vaccination for The Netherlands: Using an Individual-Based Dynamic Model
BACKGROUND: Despite widespread immunization programs, a clear increase in pertussis incidence is apparent in many developed countries during the last decades. Consequently, additional immunization strategies are considered to reduce the burden of disease. The aim of this study is to design an individual-based stochastic dynamic framework to model pertussis transmission in the population in order to predict the epidemiologic and economic consequences of the implementation of universal booster vaccination programs. Using this framework, we estimate the cost-effectiveness of universal adolescent pertussis booster vaccination at the age of 12 years in the Netherlands. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We designed a discrete event simulation (DES) model to predict the epidemiological and economic consequences of implementing universal adolescent booster vaccination. We used national age-specific notification data over the period 1996-2000--corrected for underreporting--to calibrate the model assuming a steady state situation. Subsequently, booster vaccination was introduced. Input parameters of the model were derived from literature, national data sources (e.g. costing data, incidence and hospitalization data) and expert opinions. As there is no consensus on the duration of immunity acquired by natural infection, we considered two scenarios for this duration of protection (i.e. 8 and 15 years). In both scenarios, total pertussis incidence decreased as a result of adolescent vaccination. From a societal perspective, the cost-effectiveness was estimated at €4418/QALY (range: 3205-6364 € per QALY) and €6371/QALY (range: 4139-9549 € per QALY) for the 8- and 15-year protection scenarios, respectively. Sensitivity analyses revealed that the outcomes are most sensitive to the quality of life weights used for pertussis disease. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: To our knowledge we designed the first individual-based dynamic framework to model pertussis transmission in the population. This study indicates that adolescent pertussis vaccination is likely to be a cost-effective intervention for The Netherlands. The model is suited to investigate further pertussis booster vaccination strategies
Is there such a thing as a biosignature?
The concept of a biosignature is widely used in astrobiology to suggest a link between some observation and a biological cause, given some context. The term itself has been defined and used in several ways in different parts of the scientific community involved in the search for past or present life on Earth and beyond. With the ongoing acceleration in the search for life in distant time and/or deep space, there is a need for clarity and accuracy in the formulation and reporting of claims. Here, we critically review the biosignature concept(s) and the associated nomenclature in light of several problems and ambiguities emphasized by recent works. One worry is that these terms and concepts may imply greater certainty than is usually justified by a rational interpretation of the data. A related worry is that terms such as “biosignature” may be inherently misleading, for example, because the divide between life and non-life—and their observable effects—is fuzzy. Another worry is that different parts of the multidisciplinary community may use non-equivalent or conflicting definitions and conceptions, leading to avoidable confusion. This review leads us to identify a number of pitfalls and to suggest how they can be circumvented. In general, we conclude that astrobiologists should exercise particular caution in deciding whether and how to use the concept of biosignature when thinking and communicating about habitability or life. Concepts and terms should be selected carefully and defined explicitly where appropriate. This would improve clarity and accuracy in the formulation of claims and subsequent technical and public communication about some of the most profound and important questions in science and society. With this objective in mind, we provide a checklist of questions that scientists and other interested parties should ask when assessing any reported detection of a “biosignature” to better understand exactly what is being claimed
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