Exoplanet Characterization and the Search for Life (2009)
Kasting, J., Traub, W., Roberge, A., Leger, A., Schwartz, A., Wooten, A., ...
Over 300 extrasolar planets (exoplanets) have been detected orbiting nearby stars. We now hope to conduct a census of all planets around nearby stars and to characterize their atmospheres and...
Deciphering Spectral Fingerprints of Habitable Extrasolar Planets (2009)
Kaltenegger, L., Selsis, F., Fridlund, M., Lammer, H., Beichman, Ch., Danchi, W., ...
In this paper we discuss how we can read a planets spectrum to assess its habitability and search for the signatures of a biosphere. After a decade rich in giant exoplanet detections, observation...
We study the spectrum of a planetary atmosphere to derive detectable features in low resolution of different global geochemical cycles - using the sulfur cycle as our example to derive detectable...
Characterizing Habitable Extrasolar Planets using Spectral Fingerprints (2009)
The detection and characterization of Earth-like planet is approaching rapidly thanks to radial velocity surveys (HARPS), transit searches (Corot, Kepler) and space observatories dedicated to their...
Kaltenegger, L., Eiroa, C., Ribas, I., Paresce, F., Leitzinger, M., Odert, P., ...
In this paper we present and discuss the criteria for selecting potential target stars suitable for the search for Earth like planets, with a special emphasis on the stellar aspects of habitability....
Darwin —- a mission to detect and search for life on extrasolar planets (2009)
Cockell, C. S., Léger, A., Fridlund, M., Herbst, T. M., Kaltenegger, L., Absil, O., ...
The discovery of extrasolar planets is one of the greatest achievements of modern astronomy. The detection of planets that vary widely in mass demonstrates that extrasolar planets of low mass exist....
Darwin-A Mission to Detect and Search for Life on Extrasolar Planets (2009)
Cockell, C S, Léger, A, Fridlund, M, Herbst, T M, Kaltenegger, L, Absil, Olivier, ...
The discovery of extrasolar planets is one of the greatest achievements of modern astronomy. The detection of planets that vary widely in mass demonstrates that extrasolar planets of low mass exist....
Transits of Earth-Like Planets (2009)
Transmission spectroscopy of Earth-like exoplanets is a potential tool for habitability screening. Transiting planets are present-day "Rosetta Stones" for understanding extrasolar planets because...
Technology for a Mid-IR Flagship Mission to Characterize Earth-like Exoplanets (2009)
Lawson, PR, Absil, Olivier, Akeson, RL, Bally, J, Barry, Raphaëlle, Beichman, CA, ...
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What makes a planet habitable? (2009)
Lammer, H, Bredehöft, J, Coustenis, A, Khodachenko, M, Kaltenegger, L, Grasset, O, ...
Target star catalog for Darwin: Nearby Stellar sample for a search for terrestrial planets (2008)
Kaltenegger, L., Eiroa, C., Fridlund, C. V. M.
In order to evaluate and develop mission concepts for a search for Terrestrial Exoplanets, we have prepared a list of potential target systems. In this paper we present and discuss the criteria for...
Cryptic photosynthesis, Extrasolar planetary oxygen without a surface biological signature (2008)
Cockell, C. S., Kaltenegger, L., Raven, J. A.
On the Earth, photosynthetic organisms are responsible for the production of virtually all of the oxygen in the atmosphere. On the land, vegetation reflects in the visible, leading to a red edge that...
ESA White paper: Atmospheric modeling: Setting Biomarkers in context (2008)
Motivation: ESAs goal to detect biomarkers in Earth-like exoplanets in the Habitable Zone requires theoretical groundwork that needs to be done to model the influence of different parameters on the...
DARWIN - A Mission to Detect, and Search for Life on, Extrasolar Planets (2008)
Cockell, C. S., Leger, A., Fridlund, M., Herbst, T., Kaltenegger, L., Absil, O., ...
The discovery of extra-solar planets is one of the greatest achievements of modern astronomy. The detection of planets with a wide range of masses demonstrates that extra-solar planets of low mass...
Biomarkers set in context (2007)
In a famous paper, Sagan et al.(1993) analyzed a spectrum of the Earth taken by the Galileo probe, searching for signatures of life. They concluded that the large amount of O2 and the simultaneous...
Spectral Evolution of an Earth-Like Planet (2006)
Kaltenegger, L., Traub, W. A., Jucks, K. W.
We have developed a characterization of the geological evolution of the Earths atmosphere and surface in order to model the observable spectra of an Earth-like planet through its geological history....
Kaltenegger, L, Fridlund, M., Karlsson, A.
The requirements on space missions designed to study Terrestrial exoplanets are discussed. We then investigate whether the design of such a mission, specifically the Darwin nulling interferometer,...
Characteristics of proposed 3 and 4 telescope configurations for Darwin and TPF-I (2006)
The Darwin and TPF-I missions are Infrared free flying interferometer missions based on nulling interferometry. Their main objective is to detect and characterize other Earth-like planets, analyze...
Atmospheric Biomarkers and their Evolution over Geological Timescales (2005)
Kaltenegger, L., Jucks, K., Traub, W.
The search for life on extrasolar planets is based on the assumption that one can screen extrasolar planets for habitability spectroscopically. The first space born instruments able to detect as well...