arXiv subjects

Ashika Capirala

Publications and source records attributed to Ashika Capirala.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Collaborating with Artists in the Search for Life

Art and science collaborations that go beyond outreach and advertisement in service of science have the potential to unlock new ways of seeing and understanding the Universe that science alone cannot reach. In this white paper for the NASA Decadal Astrobiology Research and Exploration Strategy (DARES) request for information, we outline examples and benefits of artscience and research-creation methods for astrobiology. The search for life and its origin is inherently interdisciplinary and requires novel approaches that could benefit from the training artists receive in design thinking, contextualization, speculation, and community building. We take a look at this process in action through the work of Robert Irwin during the 1970 NASA Habitability Symposium, Carl Sagan's approach to mixing art and science, and the Transition Design framework of creativity-led problem solving. Each example underscores a specific advantage of deeper art-science collaborations: Irwin's creative approach to problem-solving broke scientists from conventional thought patterns, Sagan's contextualization helped align scientific work with ethical and societal considerations, and design-led research is shown to improve planning and efficiency, even for problems as complex as searching for life. Specific implementation recommendations include specifically allowing funding for artist consultations in research grants, reviving NASA's artist-in-residence program, and supporting artscience training initiatives within the astrobiology community.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

From Underground Oceans to Continents: A Glimpse into the Water Inventory on Rocky Planets using Host Star Abundances

The amount of surface water is thought to be critical for a planet's climate stability and thus habitability. However, the probability that a rocky planet may exhibit surface water at any point its evolution is dependent on multiple factors, such as the initial water mass, geochemical evolution, and interior composition. To date, studies have examined the influence of interior composition on the water inventory of the planet or how surface oceans may be impacted by planet topography individually. Here, we provide the first exploration on the impact of interior composition, topography, and planet radius on the water inventory of rocky planets using a sample of 689 rocky planets with spectroscopically derived stellar abundances from APOGEE and GALAH. We find that the oxidation state of the mantle (FeO content) significantly impacts the mantle water storage capacity and potential for surface flooding. For an FeO ~11 wt%, the water storage capacity of a 1 M$_\oplus$ is 2 times that of Earth, indicating that the oxidation state may reduce the amount of surface water. We quantify the impact of topography on seafloor pressures, showing that flat topographies are more likely to be flooded for all planet compositions and radii. We also find that Mars-like topographies are more likely to have seafloor pressures that may form high-pressure ice, reducing seafloor weathering. Thus, for the first time, we show that the composition and topography of the mantle influence the water inventory of rocky planets.

astro-ph.EP↗