Exoplanet biosignatures: a review of remotely detectable signs of life

EW Schwieterman, NY Kiang, MN Parenteau… - Astrobiology, 2018 - liebertpub.com
In the coming years and decades, advanced space-and ground-based observatories will
allow an unprecedented opportunity to probe the atmospheres and surfaces of potentially …

Solar energy conversion by photosystem II: principles and structures

D Shevela, JF Kern, G Govindjee, J Messinger - Photosynthesis research, 2023 - Springer
Photosynthetic water oxidation by Photosystem II (PSII) is a fascinating process because it
sustains life on Earth and serves as a blue print for scalable synthetic catalysts required for …

Stellar flares from the first TESS data release: exploring a new sample of M dwarfs

MN Günther, Z Zhan, S Seager… - The Astronomical …, 2020 - iopscience.iop.org
We perform a study of stellar flares for the 24,809 stars observed with 2 minute cadence
during the first two months of the TESS mission. Flares may erode exoplanets' atmospheres …

Atmospheres of rocky exoplanets

R Wordsworth, L Kreidberg - Annual Review of Astronomy and …, 2022 - annualreviews.org
Rocky planets are common around other stars, but their atmospheric properties remain
largely unconstrained. Thanks to a wealth of recent planet discoveries and upcoming …

Constraining the climate and ocean pH of the early Earth with a geological carbon cycle model

J Krissansen-Totton, GN Arney… - Proceedings of the …, 2018 - National Acad Sciences
The early Earth's environment is controversial. Climatic estimates range from hot to glacial,
and inferred marine pH spans strongly alkaline to acidic. Better understanding of early …

Exoplanet biosignatures: understanding oxygen as a biosignature in the context of its environment

VS Meadows, CT Reinhard, GN Arney… - Astrobiology, 2018 - liebertpub.com
We describe how environmental context can help determine whether oxygen (O2) detected
in extrasolar planetary observations is more likely to have a biological source. Here we …

The pale orange dot: the spectrum and habitability of hazy Archean Earth

G Arney, SD Domagal-Goldman, VS Meadows… - Astrobiology, 2016 - liebertpub.com
Recognizing whether a planet can support life is a primary goal of future exoplanet spectral
characterization missions, but past research on habitability assessment has largely ignored …

Impact of space weather on climate and habitability of terrestrial-type exoplanets

VS Airapetian, R Barnes, O Cohen… - International Journal of …, 2020 - cambridge.org
The search for life in the Universe is a fundamental problem of astrobiology and modern
science. The current progress in the detection of terrestrial-type exoplanets has opened a …

Modeling repeated M dwarf flaring at an Earth-like planet in the habitable zone: atmospheric effects for an unmagnetized planet

MA Tilley, A Segura, V Meadows, S Hawley… - Astrobiology, 2019 - liebertpub.com
Understanding the impact of active M dwarf stars on the atmospheric equilibrium and
surface conditions of a habitable zone Earth-like planet is key to assessing M dwarf planet …

The effect of a strong stellar flare on the atmospheric chemistry of an Earth-like planet orbiting an M dwarf

A Segura, LM Walkowicz, V Meadows, J Kasting… - Astrobiology, 2010 - liebertpub.com
Main sequence M stars pose an interesting problem for astrobiology: their abundance in our
galaxy makes them likely targets in the hunt for habitable planets, but their strong …