High-Energy Photon and Particle Effects onExoplanet Atmospheres and Habitability

Jeremy J. Drake; Julián D. Alvarado-Gómez; Vladimir Airapetian; P. Wilson Cauley; Costanza Argiroffi; Matthew K. Browning; Damian J. Christian; Ofer Cohen; Lia Corrales; William Danchi; Miguel de Val-Borro; Chuanfei Dong; William Forman; Kevin France; Elena Gallo; Katherine Garcia-Sage; Cecilia Garraffo; Dawn M. Gelino; Guillaume Gronoff; H. Moritz Günther; Graham M. Harper; Raphaëlle D. Haywood; Margarita Karovska; Vinay Kashyap; Joel Kastner; Jinyoung Serena Kim; Maurice A. Leutenegger; Jeffrey Linsky; Mercedes López-Morales; Giusi Micela; Sofia-Paraskevi Moschou; Lidia Oskinova; Rachel A. Osten; James E. Owen; Katja Poppenhaeger; David A. Principe; John P. Pye; Salvatore Sciortino; Panayiotis Tzanavaris; Brad Wargelin; Peter J. Wheatley; Peter K. G. Williams; Elaine Winston; Scott J. Wolk

arXiv · 1903.12338

High-Energy Photon and Particle Effects onExoplanet Atmospheres and Habitability

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Abstract

It is now recognized that energetic stellar photon and particle radiation evaporates and erodes planetary atmospheres and controls upper atmospheric chemistry. Key exoplanet host stars will be too faint at X-ray wavelengths for accurate characterization using existing generation and future slated X-ray telescopes. Observation of stellar coronal mass ejections and winds are also beyond current instrumentation. In line with theCommittee on an Exoplanet Science Strategy recognition that holistic observational approaches are needed, we point out here that a full understanding of exoplanet atmospheres, their evolution and determination of habitability requires a powerful high-resolution X-ray imaging and spectroscopic observatory. This is the only capability that can: (1) characterize by proxy the crucial, difficult to observe, EUV stellar flux, its history and its variations for planet hosting stars; (2) observe the stellar wind; (3) detect the subtle Doppler signatures of coronal mass ejections.

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Jeremy J. Drake, Julián D. Alvarado-Gómez, Vladimir Airapetian, P. Wilson Cauley, Costanza Argiroffi, Matthew K. Browning, Damian J. Christian, Ofer Cohen, Lia Corrales, William Danchi, Miguel de Val-Borro, Chuanfei Dong, William Forman, Kevin France, Elena Gallo, Katherine Garcia-Sage, Cecilia Garraffo, Dawn M. Gelino, Guillaume Gronoff, H. Moritz Günther, Graham M. Harper, Raphaëlle D. Haywood, Margarita Karovska, Vinay Kashyap, Joel Kastner, Jinyoung Serena Kim, Maurice A. Leutenegger, Jeffrey Linsky, Mercedes López-Morales, Giusi Micela, Sofia-Paraskevi Moschou, Lidia Oskinova, Rachel A. Osten, James E. Owen, Katja Poppenhaeger, David A. Principe, John P. Pye, Salvatore Sciortino, Panayiotis Tzanavaris, Brad Wargelin, Peter J. Wheatley, Peter K. G. Williams, Elaine Winston, Scott J. Wolk. 2019-03-29. High-Energy Photon and Particle Effects onExoplanet Atmospheres and Habitability. https://arxiv.org/abs/1903.12338

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