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UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENS TO ROCKY PLANETS AND THEIR ATMOSPHERES IN THE HABITABLE ZONES OF LOW MASS STARS IS CURRENTLY ONE OF THE GREATEST ASTRONOMICAL CHALLENGES. AS PART OF OUR HST MUSCLES TREASURY PROJECT WE PROPOSE XMM-NEWTON EPIC OBSERVATIONS OF THREE OF THE NEAREST LOW-MASS EXOPLANET HOSTS WITH SUPER-EARTHS ORBITING IN OR NEAR THEIR HABITABLE ZONES (THE K DWARFS - HD40307 HD85512 HD97658). WE WILL MEASURE THEIR X-RAY LUMINOSITIES AND CORONAL TEMPERATURES AND DERIVE THE HIGH ENERGY RADIATION FIELD TOFACILITATE EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERIC MODELING. THESE PLANETARY SYSTEMS ALLOW STUDY OF EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERIC HEMISTRY AND EVOLUTION UNDER A DIVERSITY OF PHYSICAL SITUATIONS. X-RAY HEATING ENHANCES EVAPORATION AND ATMOSPHERIC ESCAPE WHICH CAN IMPACT THE LONG-TERM STABILITY OF EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERES.

$50,878FY2016National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASA

The Regents Of The University Of Colorado

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UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENS TO ROCKY PLANETS AND THEIR ATMOSPHERES IN THE HABITABLE ZONES OF LOW MASS STARS IS CURRENTLY ONE OF THE GREATEST ASTRONOMICAL CHALLENGES. AS PART OF OUR HST MUSCLES TREASURY PROJECT WE PROPOSE XMM-NEWTON EPIC OBSERVATIONS OF THREE OF THE NEAREST LOW-MASS EXOPLANET HOSTS WITH SUPER-EARTHS ORBITING IN OR NEAR THEIR HABITABLE ZONES (THE K DWARFS - HD40307 HD85512 HD97658). WE WILL MEASURE THEIR X-RAY LUMINOSITIES AND CORONAL TEMPERATURES AND DERIVE THE HIGH ENERGY RADIATION FIELD TOFACILITATE EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERIC MODELING. THESE PLANETARY SYSTEMS ALLOW STUDY OF EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERIC HEMISTRY AND EVOLUTION UNDER A DIVERSITY OF PHYSICAL SITUATIONS. X-RAY HEATING ENHANCES EVAPORATION AND ATMOSPHERIC ESCAPE WHICH CAN IMPACT THE LONG-TERM STABILITY OF EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERES. · GrantIndex