Metal-rich stars are less suitable for the evolution of life on their planets
2023 | journal article. A publication with affiliation to the University of Göttingen.
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Metal-rich stars are less suitable for the evolution of life on their planets
Shapiro, A. V.; Brühl, C.; Klingmüller, K.; Steil, B.; Shapiro, A. I.; Witzke, V. & Kostogryz, N. et al. (2023)
Nature Communications, 14(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37195-4
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Details
- Authors
- Shapiro, Anna V.; Brühl, Christoph; Klingmüller, Klaus; Steil, Benedikt; Shapiro, Alexander I.; Witzke, Veronika; Kostogryz, Nadiia; Gizon, Laurent; Solanki, Sami K.; Lelieveld, Jos
- Abstract
- Abstract Atmospheric ozone and oxygen protect the terrestrial biosphere against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Here, we model atmospheres of Earth-like planets hosted by stars with near-solar effective temperatures (5300 to 6300 K) and a broad range of metallicities covering known exoplanet host stars. We show that paradoxically, although metal-rich stars emit substantially less ultraviolet radiation than metal-poor stars, the surface of their planets is exposed to more intense ultraviolet radiation. For the stellar types considered, metallicity has a larger impact than stellar temperature. During the evolution of the universe, newly formed stars have progressively become more metal-rich, exposing organisms to increasingly intense ultraviolet radiation. Our findings imply that planets hosted by stars with low metallicity are the best targets to search for complex life on land.
- Issue Date
- 2023
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- eISSN
- 2041-1723
- Language
- English