Marc Wheeler
Registered Member
Many planets have been discovered for us to assume a large percentage of M type stars have Earth like planets, those with a mass and composition in raw materials similar to Earth. A significant number of these planets become tide locked in a 1:1 resonance. A typical model for these worlds allows a habitable ring to exist on these planets in between the scorched day side of the planet and the frozen night side of the planet.
One problem for life development on these worlds is the proximity to solar flares and CMEs of the parent star, especially in early stages of stellar evolution.
An alternative scenario is to place such a planet on the extreme outer edge of what we would presently consider the habitable zone. This would create conditions where the habitable zone ring would exist skewed and smaller pushed towards the day side of the planet that receives enough direct radiation to keep water a liquid and promote photosynthesis. In theory, the habitable zone could occupy only a small portion of the planet, while the star is still providing enough energy to maintain both a gaseous atmosphere, and a geo-climate system that could include storms, glaciers, mountains and oceans.
The existence of water as a solid, liquid and gas would allow climate regulation. Given enough initial water and other volatiles the atmosphere would be replenished from the migration, melting and evaporation of atmospheric constituents.
I would call these types of worlds "bullseye" worlds.
What do you think?
Marc Wheeler
Teacher
One problem for life development on these worlds is the proximity to solar flares and CMEs of the parent star, especially in early stages of stellar evolution.
An alternative scenario is to place such a planet on the extreme outer edge of what we would presently consider the habitable zone. This would create conditions where the habitable zone ring would exist skewed and smaller pushed towards the day side of the planet that receives enough direct radiation to keep water a liquid and promote photosynthesis. In theory, the habitable zone could occupy only a small portion of the planet, while the star is still providing enough energy to maintain both a gaseous atmosphere, and a geo-climate system that could include storms, glaciers, mountains and oceans.
The existence of water as a solid, liquid and gas would allow climate regulation. Given enough initial water and other volatiles the atmosphere would be replenished from the migration, melting and evaporation of atmospheric constituents.
I would call these types of worlds "bullseye" worlds.
What do you think?
Marc Wheeler
Teacher