CAREER: Bridging Theory and Observations of Habitable Worlds and Building a Bridge to Astronomy and Astrobiology for Underrepresented Middle-School Girls

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

Many stars smaller and cooler than the Sun have planets; such stars are by far the most numerous in our Galaxy. Because the stars are relatively dim and their gravity relatively weak, detecting planets close enough to the star support life is easier around these stars. The investigator will use theoretical modeling to study the diversity of climates that may exist on extrasolar worlds. She will produce a database of likely surface conditions, depending on whether the surface of the planet is covered with water, soil, or salt. This database will be of use to investigators studying newly discovered planets for signs of life. She will expand upon a program, Rising Stargirls, that she has already created to strengthen the interest of middle-school girls from underrepresented groups in science. She will conduct monthly workshops for girls and help train educators to facilitate workshops in their own communities. The proposed program will incorporate atmospheric science, orbital and climate dynamics, surface geology and glaciology, and numerical modeling with the goal of building a qualitative pathway to the most rigorous evaluations of candidates for habitable planets beyond the Solar System. The major factors to be considered are surface albedo (various proportions of water, water ice, land, and salt), atmospheric composition, and planetary rotation rate. The PI will use two different Global Climate Models to run the climate simulations. The systems of Proxima Centauri, TRAPPIST-1e, and LHS-1140b will be used at testbeds to apply the methods developed here to new planets discovered with TESS. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.