Could We Search for Primitive Life on Extrasolar Planets in the Near Future?

Léger, Alain; Mariotti, J. M.; Mennesson, Bertrand; Ollivier, M.; Puget, J.‐L.; Rouan, D.; Schneider, Jean

doi:10.1006/icar.1996.0155

Cited by 194 publications

(115 citation statements)

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“…Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) (Marsh et al 2006;Martin et al 2007) and Darwin (Léger et al 1996;Cockell et al 2009a). The detection of life depends upon the concentration and detectability of an atmospheric constituent out of equilibrium with abiotic processes (Lovelock 1975;DesMarais et al 2002;Tinetti et al 2006;Kaltenegger and Selsis 2007;Kaltenegger et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planetary targets in the search for extrasolar oxygenic photosynthesis

Cockell

Raven

Kaltenegger

et al. 2009

Plant Ecology & Diversity

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Background:In the coming decades space telescopes will be constructed that will attempt to find the gaseous products of oxygenic photosynthesis, the most promising biosignatures of life, in the atmospheres of temperate Earth-like planets orbiting distant stars. Aims: This paper aims to provide a synthesis of the range of feasible targets -either planets or their satellites -that could harbour photosynthesis. Methods: We calculated photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) fluxes on a diversity of planetary bodies including those receiving direct light from a single star, similarly to the Earth, and investigated the potential of these fluxes to support photosynthesis. Results: All main sequence stars emit radiation that is capable of supporting photosynthesis on Earth-like planets. We discuss tidally-locked M star planets as a special case. Less conventional targets for searches include large moons orbiting gas giant planets, which receive reflected light from their host planets and from the host star, planets in stable orbits in binary star systems, and the search for two planets within the same star system with photosynthetic signatures. Conclusions: A diversity of planetary bodies are targets in the search for extrasolar photosynthesis. The demonstration that many or none of these candidate planetary bodies harbour photosynthesis would be an important conclusion in understanding the evolution and prevalence of photosynthesis.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Planetary targets in the search for extrasolar oxygenic photosynthesis

Cockell

Raven

Kaltenegger

et al. 2009

Plant Ecology & Diversity

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“…These biogenic molecules present attractive narrow molecular bands. This led in 1993 to the Darwin ESA project (Léger et al 1996), followed by a similar NASA project, Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF, Angel & Woolf 1997;Beichman et al 1999…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A test for the search for life on extrasolar planets

Arnold

Gillet²,

Lardière³

et al. 2002

A&A

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152

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Abstract. We report spectroscopic observations (400−800 nm, R ≈ 100) of Earthshine in June, July and October 2001 from which normalized Earth albedo spectra have been derived. The resulting spectra clearly show the blue colour of the Earth due to Rayleigh diffusion in its atmosphere. They also show the signatures of oxygen, ozone and water vapour. We tried to extract from these spectra the signature of Earth vegetation. A variable signal (4 to 10 ± 3%) around 700 nm has been measured in the Earth albedo. It is interpreted as being due to the vegetation red edge, expected to be between 2 to 10% of the Earth albedo at 700 nm, depending on models. We discuss the primary goal of the present observations: their application to the detection of vegetation-like biosignatures on extrasolar planets.

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“…6). To get to the "Earthtwin", no experiment appeared to be too challenging or expensive (Bracewell 1978;Angel et al 1986;Léger et al 1996).…”

Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres in our Galaxy

Tinetti

Encrenaz

Coustenis

2013

Astron Astrophys Rev

130

111

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About 20 years after the discovery of the first extrasolar planet, the number of planets known has grown by three orders of magnitude, and continues to increase at neck breaking pace. For most of these planets we have little information, except for the fact that they exist and possess an address in our Galaxy. For about one third of them, we know how much they weigh, their size and their orbital parameters. For less than 20, we start to have some clues about their atmospheric temperature and composition. How do we make progress from here?We are still far from the completion of a hypothetical Hertzsprung-Russell diagram for planets comparable to what we have for stars, and today we do not even know whether such classification will ever be possible or even meaningful for planetary objects. But one thing is clear: planetary parameters such as mass, radius and temperature alone do not explain the diversity revealed by current observations. The chemical composition of these planets is needed to trace back their formation history and evolution, as happened for the planets in our Solar System. As in situ measurements are and will remain off-limits for exoplanets, to study their chemical composition we will have to rely on remote sensing spectroscopic observations of their gaseous envelopes.

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Could We Search for Primitive Life on Extrasolar Planets in the Near Future?

Cited by 194 publications

References 1 publication

Planetary targets in the search for extrasolar oxygenic photosynthesis

Planetary targets in the search for extrasolar oxygenic photosynthesis

A test for the search for life on extrasolar planets

Spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres in our Galaxy

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