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22 -- Habitability of Super-Earths
WEDNESDAY, April 16, 2008: AFTERNOON
Lisa Kaltenegger
Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Cambridge, MA, USA
James Kasting
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA, USA
Description
Planets in the size range of 5-10 Earth masses have detected in or near the habitable zones of low-mass stars using the ground-based radial velocity (RV) technique. In particular, the M star Gliese 581 has a minimum 5-Earth-mass planet near the inner edge of its habitable zone and a minimum 8-Earth-mass planet near the outer edge. Given the vigorous RV planet searches being carried out by several groups worldwide, we can anticipate the discovery of many more such planets over the next several years, around M stars in particular. A natural question that has already arisen is: Could any of these planets be habitable? This session will focus specifically on the ways in which such planets might be similar to, or different from, Earth. How might increased planet mass affect geological processes and climate? What are the expected inventories of water and other volatiles on such planets? Would tidal locking of planetary rotation pose a significant problem for habitability? How well do we understand the boundaries of the conventional liquid water habitable zone, and could various extremophiles possibly live outside of it? This session is intended to spark a lively dialogue between geologists, biologists, atmospheric chemists, and astronomers in order to help lay the groundwork for interpreting future astronomical observations of super-Earth-sized exoplanets.
ORAL SESSION
3:15 22-06-O. Tectonics and Habitability of Superearths [invited] N. Sleep
3:40 22-05-O. The Atmosphere of Big Terrestrial Planets Around Low-mass Stars
[invited] F. Selsis
4:05 22-03-O. Spectral Fingerprints: From Earths to Super Earths [invited]
L. Kaltenegger
4:30 BREAK
4:45 22-07-O. Super-Earths: Good Candidates for Habitability
D. Valencia, R.J. O'Connell, D.D. Sasselov
5:00 22-02-O. Tidal Heating Susceptibility in Short Period Terrestrial Exoplanets
W. Henning, R. O'Connell, D. Sasselov
5:15 22-01-O. Habitable Zone Limits for Dry Planets
Y. Abe, A. Abe Ouchi, N. H. Sleep, K.J. Zahnle
POSTERS
22-04-P. Rotation Rate and Weather on Earth-like Rocky Planets
E. Palle, E.B Ford, S. Seager, P. Montanes-Rodriguez. M. Vazquez
22-08-P. The Photosynthetic Life Span on Super-Earth Planets
W. von Bloh, C. Bounama, S. Franck