Exploring the planetary conditions and the habitability of exoplanets orbiting M-dwarf suns: detection, characterization and prospects for engineered archaeal strains

open_access
Open Access
Author:
Maney, Marissa Ann
Area of Honors:
Interdisciplinary in Astronomy and Astrophysics and Chemical Engineering
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Suvrath Mahadevan, Thesis Supervisor
William Nielsen Brandt, Thesis Honors Advisor
Alexander Wolszczan, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
Exoplanets
Transits
Radial Velocities
M dwarfs
Habitable Zone
Abiogenesis Zone
Archaeal cells
Air-adapted Methanosarcina acetivorans
Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs)
Abstract:
The purpose of this project is to utilize photometric, radial velocity, and validation data from exoplanet transits in the “habitable zone” of M-dwarf suns to calculate planetary parameters such as the radius. The transiting method and radial velocity methods will be the primarily detection techniques utilized as well as descriptions of the ground- and space-based instruments that are used to collect this data. The atmospheric conditions of Earth-like exoplanets will be obtained via spectroscopic techniques in the near future with missions such as JWST and then will be used to determine the atmospheric compositions. Depending on planetary conditions, microbial life could arise. Recent advances in biofuel production via microbes have proven that the archaeal methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans can grow anaerobically and exclusively on methane. The exploration of results and sensitivity of future photometric and spectroscopic techniques as well anaerobic processes will be used to gain a concrete understanding of the current exoplanet detection methods particularly with respect to M-dwarf detections, characterization and implications that extremophiles on Earth may have on the search for life beyond our planet.