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A new model suite to determine the influence of cosmic rays on (exo)planetary atmospheric biosignatures – Validation based on modern Earth

Herbst, Konstantin; Grenfell, John Lee; Sinnhuber, Miriam ORCID iD icon 1; Rauer, Heike; Heber, Bernd; Banjac, Saša; Scheucher, Markus; Schmidt, Vanessa 1; Gebauer, Stefanie; Lehmann, Ralph; Schreier, Franz
1 Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung (IMK), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

Abstract:

Context. The first opportunity to detect indications for life outside of the Solar System may be provided already within the next decade with upcoming missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) and the Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey (ARIEL) mission, searching for atmospheric biosignatures on planets in the habitable zone of cool K- and M-stars. Nevertheless, their harsh stellar radiation and particle environment could lead to photochemical loss of atmospheric biosignatures.

Aims. We aim to study the influence of cosmic rays on exoplanetary atmospheric biosignatures and the radiation environment considering feedbacks between energetic particle precipitation, climate, atmospheric ionization, neutral and ion chemistry, and secondary particle generation.

Methods. We describe newly combined state-of-the-art modeling tools to study the impact of the radiation and particle environment, in particular of cosmic rays, on atmospheric particle interaction, atmospheric chemistry, and the climate-chemistry coupling in a self-consistent model suite. To this end, models like the Atmospheric Radiation Interaction Simulator (AtRIS), the Exoplanetary Terrestrial Ion Chemistry model (ExoTIC), and the updated coupled climate-chemistry model are combined.
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Originalveröffentlichung
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201935888
Web of Science
Zitationen: 22
Dimensions
Zitationen: 33
Zugehörige Institution(en) am KIT Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung – Atmosphärische Spurenstoffe und Fernerkundung (IMK-ASF)
KIT-Zentrum Klima und Umwelt (ZKU)
Publikationstyp Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Publikationsmonat/-jahr 11.2019
Sprache Englisch
Identifikator ISSN: 0004-6361, 1432-0746
KITopen-ID: 1000099576
HGF-Programm 12.04.05 (POF III, LK 01) Trends,Variaility,Large-Scale Processes
Erschienen in Astronomy and astrophysics
Verlag EDP Sciences
Band 631
Seiten Article no: A101
Vorab online veröffentlicht am 31.10.2019
Schlagwörter astrobiology / planets and satellites: terrestrial planets / planets and satellites: atmospheres
Nachgewiesen in Dimensions
Web of Science
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