Planetary habitability / Stephen R. Kane.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kane, Stephen R., author.

Contributor:

Rosengarten Family Fund.

Series:

AAS-IOP astronomy

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Habitable planets.

Exobiology.

Physical Description:

1 volume (various pagings) : illustrations (some in colour) ; 27 cm.

Place of Publication:

Bristol, UK ; Philadelphia, PA, USA : IOP Publishing, [2021]

Summary:

"Understanding, and indeed defining, planetary habitability is one of the major challenges of the current scientific era. Though traditionally viewed through the lens of our home planet and its evolutionary history, data from other solar system objects, and a plethora of planets outside of our solar system, are shedding new light on habitability research. Planetary habitability is a vast inter-disciplinary undertaking that combines planetary science, climate science, and stellar astrophysics. This book provides an overview of the many processes that influence the energy balance of planetary surface environments and control the sustainability of temperate conditions. These factors include such aspects as the influence of stars, the atmospheres and interiors of planets, and the orbital dynamics of planetary systems. Also described are the concepts behind the habitable zone, lessons learned from solar system data, and the vast opportunities that are provided by exoplanet discoveries, both now and into the future. Planetary habitability is an exceptionally complicated topic with many co-moving pieces. This book is intended as a guide to how these pieces fit together in an inter-disciplinary pathway that will benefit both the understanding of the evolution of Earth's habitability and identifying possible abodes of life elsewhere throughout the universe."--Cover page 4.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. Introduction

1.1. Why Does Habitability Matter?

1.2. Defining Habitability

1.3. The Terrestrial Planet Demographic

References

2. Habitability Factors

2.1. An Intricate Puzzle

2.2. Stellar Astrophysics

2.3. Planetary Properties

2.4. The Planetary System

2.5. A Statistical Approach

3. Nature's Fusion Reactors

3.1. Key Stellar Parameters

3.2. Stellar Activity and Atmospheric Erosion

3.3. Stellar Evolution

3.4. Binary Systems

4. Planetary Fundamentals

4.1. Constructing an Energy Balance

4.2. Atmospheres

4.3. Interiors

4.4. Planetary Evolution

4.5. A Note on Water Worlds

5. Orbit, Spin, and System Effects

5.1. Keplerian Orbits

5.2. Rotation and Obliquity

5.3. Planet-Planet Interactions

5.4. Moons and Exomoons

6. The Habitable Zone

6.1. Controversial Terminology

6.2. Defining the Search Space

6.3. Evolution Through Time

6.4. Prime Targets

7. The Solar System

7.1. In Situ Data

7.2. The Impact Museums

7.3. A Tale of Two Siblings

7.4. Exploring the Lower Limits

7.5. Jupiter: Friend or Foe?

7.6. Icy Moons

8. The Exoplanet Opportunity

8.1. The Statistical Hammer

8.2. Data Limitations

8.3. Notable Exoplanet Examples

8.3.1. Kepler-186

8.3.2. Proxima Centauri

8.3.3. Teegarden's Star

8.3.4. TOI-700

8.3.5. TRAPPIST-1

9. The Next Steps

9.1. A Strategic Imperative

9.2. Local Lessons

9.3. Unlocking Achievements.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Rosengarten Family Fund.

Other Format:

ebook version :

ISBN:

9780750321181

0750321180

OCLC:

1289263609