Optimal Target Stars in the Search for Life
Manasvi Lingam, Abraham Loeb
TL;DR
This paper evaluates the strategic importance of star selection in the search for extraterrestrial life, suggesting that solar-type stars may be more promising targets than low-mass stars based on habitability considerations.
Contribution
It provides a comparative analysis of habitability around different star types, highlighting the potential advantages of targeting Sun-like stars.
Findings
Planets around solar-type stars may be more promising for life detection.
Habitability around low-mass stars might be suppressed.
Target selection strategies should consider stellar type based on habitability prospects.
Abstract
The selection of optimal targets in the search for life represents a highly important strategic issue. In this Letter, we evaluate the benefits of searching for life around a potentially habitable planet orbiting a star of arbitrary mass relative to a similar planet around a Sun-like star. If recent physical arguments implying that the habitability of planets orbiting low-mass stars is selectively suppressed are correct, we find that planets around solar-type stars may represent the optimal targets.
Peer Reviews
No public reviews on file for this paper yet. If you reviewed it on a platform where reviews are public (OpenReview, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML), you can paste yours below so the community can read it here.
Videos
No videos yet. Explain this paper in a talk, walkthrough, or lecture? Add one.