UV transit observations of EUV-heated expanded thermospheres of Earth-like exoplanets around M-stars: testing atmosphere evolution scenarios

The detection and investigation of EUV heated, extended and non-hydrostatic upper atmospheres around terrestrial exoplanets would provide important insights into the interaction of the host stars plasma environment as well as the evolution of Earth-type planets their atmospheres and possible magnetic environments. We discuss different scenarios where one can expect that Earth-like planets should experience non-hydrostatic upper atmosphere conditions so that dynamically outward flowing neutral atoms can interact with the stellar plasma flow so that huge hydrogen coronae and energetic neutral atoms (ENA) can be produced via charge exchange. By observing the size of the extended upper atmospheres and related ENA-clouds and by determining the velocities of the surrounding hydrogen atoms, conclusions can be drawn in respect to the origin of these features. Due to the large number of M-type stars in our neighbourhood and their long periods of strong and moderate stellar activity in comparison to G-stars, we expect that M-type stars represent the most promising candidates for the detection of hydrogen ENA-clouds and the subsequent study of the interaction between the host star and the planets?? upper atmosphere. We show that the low mass of M-type stars also makes them preferable targets to observe extended hydrogen clouds around terrestrial exoplanets with a mass as low as one Earth mass. Transit follow-up observations in the UV-range of terrestrial exoplanets around M-type stars with space observatories such as the World Space Observatory-UV (WSO-UV) would provide a unique opportunity to shed more light on the early evolution of Earth-like planets, including those of our own Solar System.     

Planetary atmosphere evolution:Do other habitable planets exist and can we detect them?

The goal of this conference is to consider whether it is possible within the next few decades to detect Earth-like planets around other stars using telescopes or interferometers on the ground or in space. Implicit in the term “Earth-like” is the idea that such planets might be habitable by Earth-like organisms, or that they might actually be inhabited. Here, I shall address two questions from the standpoint of planetary atmosphere evolution. First, what are the chances that habitable planets exist around other stars? And, second, if inhabited planets exist, what would be the best way to detect them?     

Metallicity of Sun-like G-stars that have Exoplanets

By considering the physical and orbital characteristics of G type stars and their exoplanets, we examine the association between stellar mass and its metallicity that follows a power law. Similar relationship is also obtained in case of single and multiplanetary stellar systems suggesting that, \(\hbox {Sun}^{\prime }\)s present mass is about 1% higher than the estimated value for its metallicity. Further, for all the stellar systems with exoplanets, association between the planetary mass and the stellar metallicity is investigated, that suggests planetary mass is independent of stellar metallicity. Interestingly, in case of multiplanetary systems, planetary mass is linearly dependent on the stellar absolute metallicity, that suggests, metal rich stars produce massive (\(\ge \)1 Jupiter mass) planets compared to metal poor stars. This study also suggests that there is a solar system planetary missing mass of \({\sim }\)0.8 Jupiter mass. It is argued that probably 80% of missing mass is accreted onto the Sun and about 20% of missing mass might have been blown off to the outer solar system (beyond the present Kuiper belt) during early history of solar system formation. We find that, in case of single planetary systems, planetary mass is independent of stellar metallicity with an implication of their non-origin in the host star’s protoplanetary disk and probably are captured from the space. Final investigation of dependency of the orbital distances of planets on the host stars metallicity reveals that inward migration of planets is dominant in case of single planetary systems supporting the result that most of the planets in single planetary systems are captured from the space.     

Extra-solar planets: Detection methods and results

Since 1995, more than 200 extra-solar planets have been discovered, demonstrating not only that planetary systems are common, but also that planets may come in a large variety of flavors. As the number of detections grows, statistical studies of the properties of exoplanets and their host stars can be conducted to unravel some of the key physical and chemical processes leading to the formation of planetary systems. In this paper we describe the major techniques used to search for extra-solar planets. In particular, we discuss in more detail the radial-velocity and the transit techniques, responsible for the discovery of the bulk of the known planets orbiting solar-type stars. We then present the main results from the planet surveys, describing the global properties of the newfound worlds.     

What makes a planet habitable?

This work reviews factors which are important for the evolution of habitable Earth-like planets such as the effects of the host star dependent radiation and particle fluxes on the evolution of atmospheres and initial water inventories. We discuss the geodynamical and geophysical environments which are necessary for planets where plate tectonics remain active over geological time scales and for planets which evolve to one-plate planets. The discoveries of methane–ethane surface lakes on Saturn’s large moon Titan, subsurface water oceans or reservoirs inside the moons of Solar System gas giants such as Europa, Ganymede, Titan and Enceladus and more than 335 exoplanets, indicate that the classical definition of the habitable zone concept neglects more exotic habitats and may fail to be adequate for stars which are different from our Sun. A classification of four habitat types is proposed. Class I habitats represent bodies on which stellar and geophysical conditions allow Earth-analog planets to evolve so that complex multi-cellular life forms may originate. Class II habitats includes bodies on which life may evolve but due to stellar and geophysical conditions that are different from the class I habitats, the planets rather evolve toward Venus- or Mars-type worlds where complex life-forms may not develop. Class III habitats are planetary bodies where subsurface water oceans exist which interact directly with a silicate-rich core, while class IV habitats have liquid water layers between two ice layers, or liquids above ice. Furthermore, we discuss from the present viewpoint how life may have originated on early Earth, the possibilities that life may evolve on such Earth-like bodies and how future space missions may discover manifestations of extraterrestrial life.     

内日冕的绿线强度分布研究

日冕是太阳大气活动的关键区域,是日地空间天气的源头.受观测限制,对日冕低层大气等离子体结构和磁场状态的研究非常欠缺,国际上对于可见光波段日冕低层大气的亮度分层研究很少.利用丽江日冕仪YOGIS(Yunnan Green-line Imaging System)的日冕绿线(Fe_ⅩⅣ5303?)观测资料,对内日冕区域(1.03R_☉-1.25R_☉,R_☉表示太阳半径)亮结构及其中冕环进行了有效的强度衰减分析.对亮结构的强度在太阳径向高度上进行了指数衰减拟合,比较这些拟合结果发现所得到的静态内冕环的衰减指数在一固定值附近.然后将比较明显的冕环提取出来,通过对不同高度的绿线强度进行指数拟合,得出的衰减指数与亮结构中也比较相近,这对进一步研究日冕中的各项物理参数演化提供了参考.     

Estimates of dynamic parameters and boundaries of habitable zones of selected stars of the Pulkovo program

A list of selected binary stars is presented that have been observed for several decades using a 26-inch refractor at the Pulkovo Observatory. These stars are at a distance from 3.5 to 25 pc from the Sun. They belong to spectral classes F, G, K, and M. Their masses range from 0.3 to 1.5 solar masses. We have analyzed them as possible parent stars for exoplanets taking into account the physical characteristics of these stars. In view of dynamic parameters and orbital elements that we have obtained by Pulkovo observations, ephemerides of positions for the coming years are calculated. The boundaries of the habitable zones around these stars are calculated. The astrometric signal that depends on the gravitational influence of hypothetical planets is estimated. Space telescopes for astrometric observations with microsecond accuracy can be used to detect Earth-like planets near the closest stars of this program. This paper presents an overview of astrometric programs of searches for exoplanets.     

超短周期系外行星研究进展

超短周期(ultra-short-period,USP)行星是指轨道周期小于1 d的系外行星,是近年来系外行星研究领域中一个新的前沿目标。USP行星的搜寻与确认需要借助傅里叶变换(Fourier transform,FT)和盒最小二乘法(the box least,BLS)等光变曲线分析算法,以筛选和确认精准的周期信号。利用统计方法可得到目前USP行星的轨道周期、行星半径、宿主恒星类型等分布特征。大部分USP行星半径小于2R⊕,受行星质量限制,大多数USP行星无法通过视向速度信号测得精确的行星质量。根据已有的观测结果可算出,部分USP行星的质量小于10M⊕,由此推测这些USP的组成更接近金属与岩石混合的类地行星。由于密近轨道可能发生光致蒸发等物质损失过程,USP行星大气的存在情况尚不明确。目前,USP行星被认为起源于热木星(hot-Jupiters)或亚海王星(sub-Neptunes),但USP行星与热木星的主星金属丰度的分布存在较大差异,亚海王星的光致蒸发起源理论可能性更高。USP行星轨道演化机制包括低偏心率轨道迁移和潮汐耗散的原位起源模型等。     

The origin and nature of Neptune-like planets orbiting close to solar type stars

The sample of known exoplanets is strongly biased to masses larger than the ones of the giant gaseous planets of the Solar System. Recently, the discovery of two extrasolar planets of considerably lower masses around the nearby Stars GJ 436 and ρ Cancri was reported. They are like our outermost icy giants, Uranus and Neptune, but in contrast, these new planets are orbiting at only some hundredth of the Earth-Sun distance from their host stars, raising several new questions about their origin and constitution. Here we report numerical simulations of planetary accretion that show, for the first time through N-body integrations that the formation of compact systems of Neptune-like planets close to the hosts stars could be a common by-product of planetary formation. We found a regime of planetary accretion, in which orbital migration accumulates protoplanets in a narrow region around the inner edge of the nebula, where they collide each other giving rise to Neptune-like planets. Our results suggest that, if a protoplanetary solar environment is common in the Galaxy, the discovery of a vast population of this sort of ‘hot cores’ should be expected in the near future.     

Pulsations and planets: The asteroseismology‐extrasolar‐planet connection

The disciplines of asteroseismology and extrasolar planet science overlap methodically in the branch of high‐precision photometric time series observations. Light curves are, amongst others, useful to measure intrinsic stellar variability due to oscillations, as well as to discover and characterize those extrasolar planets that transit in front of their host stars, periodically causing shallow dips in the observed brightness. Both fields ultimately derive fundamental parameters of stellar and planetary objects, allowing to study for example the physics of various classes of pulsating stars, or the variety of planetary systems, in the overall context of stellar and planetary system formation and evolution. Both methods typically also require extensive spectroscopic follow‐up to fully explore the dynamic characteristics of the processes under investigation. In particularly interesting cases, a combination of observed pulsations and signatures of a planet allows to characterize a system's components to a very high degree of completeness by combining complementary information. The planning of the relevant space missions has consequently converged with respect to science cases, where at the outset there was primarily a coincidence in instrumentation and techniques. Whether space‐ or ground‐based, a specific type of stellar pulsations can themselves be used in an innovative way to search for extrasolar planets. Results from this additional method at the interface of stellar pulsation studies and exoplanet hunts in a beyond‐mainstream area are presented (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Prospects for the characterisation of exo-zodiacal dust with the VLTI

Exo-zodiacal dust, exozodi for short, is warm (～300 K) or hot (up to ～2000 K) dust found in the inner regions of planetary systems around main sequence stars. In analogy to our own zodiacal dust, it may be located in or near the habitable zone or closer in, down to the dust sublimation distance. The study of the properties, distribution, and evolution of exozodis can inform about the architecture and dynamics of the innermost regions of planetary systems, close to their habitable zones. On the other hand, the presence of large amounts of exo-zodiacal dust may be an obstacle for future space missions aiming to image Earth-like exoplanets. The dust can be the most luminous component of extrasolar planetary systems, but predominantly emits in the near- to mid-infrared where it is outshone by the host star. Interferometry provides a unique method of separating the dusty from the stellar emission. We discuss the prospects of exozodi observations with the next generation VLTI instruments and summarize critical instrument specifications.     

Regularity of Extrasolar Planetary Systems and the Role of the Star Metallicity in the Formation of Planets (Review)

The discovery in 1995 of the first extrasolar giant planet 51 Peg b initiated the physics of extrasolar planetary systems. By May 2004, the total number of the detected planets orbiting other stars was 122, including 24 hot jupiters, which have a semimajor axis of the orbit of less than 0.15 AU. Due to the high activity of researchers who work with the radial-velocity method, the probable candidates, say, in the 75-parsec radius, are quickly exhausted. The OGLE-type objects, even if their number increases, may only slightly contribute to the physics of extrasolar planets (or exoplanets), because even to determine the type of the companion (a giant planet, brown dwarf, or star of small mass) is extremely problematic for such weak objects. A search for Earth-like planets is still far beyond the technical capabilities: the Keplerian velocity of the Sun induced by the Earth is only 0.09 m/s, which requires to improve the results obtained by a factor of 20–30. Particularly important results were obtained in the observations of transits of the object HD 209458b, which became the only object of this type namely due to transits. The hope of finding another short-period object with similar transits is becoming less and less. The important role of the star metallicity in the formation of planetary systems predicted during the first years after the discovery of exoplanets has gained recognition and been developed successfully. Metallicity has become an indicator of the possible presence of planetary systems and, probably, even determines the type of planets. This review also considers the statistical data on the orbital and mass characteristics of exoplanets.     

Spectro-Polarimetry of Self-Luminous Extrasolar Planets

Planets which are old and close to their parent stars are considered as reflecting planets because their intrinsic temperature is extremely low but they are heated strongly by the impinging stellar radiation and hence radiation of such planets are the reflected star light that is governed by the stellar radiation, orbital distance and albedo of the planet. These planets cannot be resolved from the host stars. The second kind of exoplanets are those which are very young and hence they have high intrinsic temperature. They are far away from their star and so they can be resolved by blocking the star-light. It is now realized that radiation of such planets are linearly polarized due to atmospheric scattering and polarization can determine various physical properties including the mass of such directly detected self-luminous exoplanets. It is suggested that a spectropolarimeter of even low spectral resolution and with a capacity to record linear polarization of 0.5–1% at the thirty-meter telescope would immensely help in understanding the atmosphere, especially the cloud chemistry of the self-luminous and resolvable exoplanets.     

A new opportunity from space: PLATO mission

The satellite PLATO represents a new challenge for future investigations of exoplanets and oscillations of stars. It is one of the proposed missions of ESA COSMIC VISION 2015–2025 and it is scheduled for launch in 2017. The goal of the mission is a full characterization of the planet star systems with an asteroseismic analysis of the host stars. The PLATO Payload Consortium (PPLC) includes several European countries which are employed in the assessment study of the mission. Thanks to the high precision photometry, PLATO is thought to be able to detect planets and oscillations within a large sample of targets.     

Detection of Extra-Solar Planets by GAIA Photometry

The transit of exoplanets across a stellar disk will often occur in GAIA observations. A safe detection of the slight dimming of the star can be made many hundred times, i.e. in cases where the star is sufficiently constant in intensity, and the photometry is very precise. When combined with the simultaneous GAIA astrometry or ground-based radial velocities the scientific harvest is orbit, mass and mass density for hundreds of exoplanets. We have typically considered Jupiter-size planets at Earth-like distances from the stars. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres in our Galaxy

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.In this paper, we critically review the key achievements accomplished in the study of exoplanet atmospheres in the past ten years. We discuss possible hurdles and the way to overcome those. Finally, we review the prospects for the future. The knowledge and the experience gained with the planets in our solar system will guide our journey among those faraway worlds.     

Can variable meridional flows lead to false exoplanet detections?

The search for habitable exoplanets centers on planets with Earth-like conditions around late type stars. Radial velocity searches for these planets require precisions of 1 m/s and better. That is now being achieved. At these precisions stellar surface motions might lead to false detections. Of particular interest are variable meridional flows on stellar surfaces. I review the available observations of solar surface meridional flows using both Doppler shift and local helioseismology techniques. Interpretation in terms of Doppler shifts in integrated starlight leads to estimates of the likelihood of false detections. It is unlikely that these false detections occur in the habitability zones of exoplanets. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Hydrogen ENA-cloud observation and modeling as a tool to study star-exoplanet interaction

During the previous years spacecraft observations of so-called Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENAs) have become an important remote-sensing technique in planetary science for analyzing the solar wind plasma flow around the upper atmospheric environments of Solar System bodies. ENAs are produced whenever solar- or stellar wind protons interact via charge exchange with a neutral particle from a planetary atmosphere so that their signals constrain both, ion distributions and neutral gas densities. The observation of ENAs which have been generated due to charge exchange with stellar wind plasma have been used for the indirect mass loss and stellar wind property estimation of Sun-like stars by observing the interaction regions carved out by the collisions between stellar winds and the interstellar medium. In this work we review ENA-observations and data interpretations at Solar System planets and recent hydrogen-cloud observations in UV Lyman-α absorption around hydrogen-rich extra-solar gas giants. We discuss the production of stellar wind related hydrogen ENA-clouds around close-in exoplanets and show how a detailed analysis of attenuation spectra obtained for transiting hydrogen-rich close-in gas giants can be used for the study of the upper atmosphere structure, the planet’s magnetosphere and to obtain information on stellar wind properties. Finally, we discuss how future hydrogen cloud observations around exoplanets by space observatories like the Russia-led World Space Observatory-UV (WSO-UV) together with ESAs planned PLATO mission can be used for the reconstruction of the solar wind history or the test of magnetosphere evolution hypotheses.     

The ARIEL mission reference sample

The ARIEL (Atmospheric Remote-sensing Exoplanet Large-survey) mission concept is one of the three M4 mission candidates selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) for a Phase A study, competing for a launch in 2026. ARIEL has been designed to study the physical and chemical properties of a large and diverse sample of exoplanets and, through those, understand how planets form and evolve in our galaxy. Here we describe the assumptions made to estimate an optimal sample of exoplanets – including already known exoplanets and expected ones yet to be discovered – observable by ARIEL and define a realistic mission scenario. To achieve the mission objectives, the sample should include gaseous and rocky planets with a range of temperatures around stars of different spectral type and metallicity. The current ARIEL design enables the observation of ～1000 planets, covering a broad range of planetary and stellar parameters, during its four year mission lifetime. This nominal list of planets is expected to evolve over the years depending on the new exoplanet discoveries.