One study found that stellar flare can lead to a planet’s diminishing habitability

In a new study, a team led by researcher Dimitra Atri of the Center for Space Science at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has identified which stars are most likely to host habitable exoplanets based on calculated erosion rates of planetary atmospheres.

In the document entitled “Star rockets against luminosity: XUV-induced atmospheric escape and planetary habitability”, published in the journal Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices: Letters, Atri and graduate student Shane Carberry Mogan presented the process of analyzing flare emissions data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) observatory.

The researchers found that more frequent and lower energy flares have a greater impact on an exoplanet’s atmosphere than less frequent and higher energy flares. The researchers also determined how different types of stars produce extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation through stellar flare and how nearby planets are affected.

The ability to sustain an atmosphere is one of the most important requirements for a habitable planet. This research provides new insight into the habitability of exoplanets, as the effects of stellar activity were not well understood. This study also highlights the need for better numerical modeling of atmospheric escape – how planets release atmospheric gases into space – as it can lead to erosion of the atmosphere and decrease in the planet’s habitability.

“Given the proximity of exoplanets to host stars, it is critical to understand how space weather events linked to those stars can affect the exoplanet’s habitability,” said Atri. “The next step in the research would be to expand our dataset to analyze stellar flares from a wider variety of stars to see the long-term effects of stellar activity and to identify more potentially habitable exoplanets.”