Characterizing Habitable Exo-Moons

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of using transmission spectroscopy to detect biomarkers on Earth-like exomoons orbiting habitable zone giant planets, assessing their habitability prospects with current and future observational methods.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of using transmission spectroscopy to evaluate exomoon habitability and discusses the detectability and limitations of this method for Earth-like satellites.

Findings

Transmission spectroscopy can potentially detect biomarkers on exomoons.

Exomoons in the habitable zone are detectable with current photometric methods.

Tidal locking effects influence habitability assessments.

Abstract

We discuss the possibility of screening the atmosphere of exomoons for habitability. We concentrate on Earth-like satellites of extrasolar giant planets (EGP) which orbit in the Habitable Zone of their host stars. The detectability of exomoons for EGP in the Habitable Zone has recently been shown to be feasible with the Kepler Mission or equivalent photometry using transit duration observations. Using the Earth itself as a proxy we show the potential and limits of spectroscopy to detect biomarkers on an Earth-like exomoon and discuss effects of tidal locking for such potential habitats. Transmission spectroscopy of exomoons is a unique potential tool to screen them for habitability in the near future.