Title |
ultraviolet radiation from F and K stars and implications for planetary habitability
|
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Published in |
Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres, January 1997
|
DOI | 10.1023/a:1006596806012 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
James F. Kasting, Douglas C. B. Whittet, William R. Sheldon |
Abstract |
Now that extrasolar planets have been found, it is timely to ask whether some of them might be suitable for life. Climatic constraints on planetary habitability indicate that a reasonably wide habitable zone exists around main sequence stars with spectral types in the early-F to mid-K range. However, it has not been demonstrated that planets orbiting such stars would be habitable when biologically-damaging energetic radiation is also considered. The large amounts of UV radiation emitted by early-type stars have been suggested to pose a problem for evolving life in their vicinity. But one might also argue that the real problem lies with late-type stars, which emit proportionally less radiation at the short wavelengths (lambda < 200 nm) required to split O2 and initiate ozone formation. We show here that neither of these concerns is necessarily fatal to the evolution of advanced life: Earth-like planets orbiting F and K stars may well receive less harmful UV radiation at their surfaces than does the Earth itself. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
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---|---|---|
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Unknown | 24 | 96% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 6 | 24% |
Researcher | 4 | 16% |
Student > Bachelor | 3 | 12% |
Professor > Associate Professor | 2 | 8% |
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Other | 2 | 8% |
Unknown | 6 | 24% |
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---|---|---|
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Medicine and Dentistry | 1 | 4% |
Other | 1 | 4% |
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