# A comprehensive understanding of planet formation is required for assessing planetary habitability and for the search for life

## TL;DR

Understanding planet formation comprehensively is crucial for evaluating planetary habitability, especially for small exoplanets in habitable zones, by combining direct observations with statistical models of system evolution.

## Contribution

This paper emphasizes the importance of statistical understanding of planetary system formation to assess habitability beyond direct measurements.

## Key findings

- Many parameters influencing habitability are indirectly inferred.
- Statistical models are essential for assessing unobservable planetary features.
- Prioritization of planets for follow-up depends on formation understanding.

## Abstract

Dozens of habitable zone, approximately earth-sized exoplanets are known today. An emerging frontier of exoplanet studies is identifying which of these habitable zone, small planets are actually habitable (have all necessary conditions for life) and, of those, which are earth-like. Many parameters and processes influence habitability, ranging from the orbit through detailed composition including volatiles and organics, to the presence of geological activity and plate tectonics. While some properties will soon be directly observable, others cannot be probed by remote sensing for the foreseeable future. Thus, statistical understanding of planetary systems' formation and evolution is a key supplement to the direct measurements of planet properties. Probabilistically assessing parameters we cannot directly measure is essential to reliably assess habitability, to prioritizing habitable-zone planets for follow-up, and for interpreting possible biosignatures.