Dynamical Viability Assessment for Habitable Worlds Observatory Targets

TL;DR

This paper assesses the dynamical stability of potential habitable zones in 30 exoplanetary systems to inform target selection for the Habitable Worlds Observatory, highlighting how known giant planets influence habitability prospects.

Contribution

It provides a novel dynamical analysis of 30 systems, quantifying the stable habitable zone fraction for potential terrestrial planets, aiding in target prioritization for the HWO mission.

Findings

11 systems have less than 50% of their HZ dynamically viable.

Presence of giant planets often reduces habitable zone stability.

Dynamical constraints can refine target selection for habitable exoplanet imaging.

Abstract

Exoplanetary science is increasingly prioritizing efforts toward direct imaging of planetary systems, with emphasis on those that may enable the detection and characterization of potentially habitable exoplanets. The recent 2020 Astronomy and Astrophysics decadal survey recommended the development of a space-based direct imaging mission that has subsequently been referred to as the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). A fundamental challenge in the preparatory work for the HWO search for exo-Earths is the selection of suitable stellar targets. Much of the prior efforts regarding the HWO targets has occurred within the context of exoplanet surveys that have characterized the stellar properties for the nearest stars. The preliminary input catalog for HWO consists of 164 stars, of which 30 are known exoplanet hosts to 70 planets. Here, we provide a dynamical analysis for these 30 systems, injecting a terrestrial planet mass into the Habitable Zone (HZ) and determining the constraints on stable orbit locations due to the influence of the known planets. For each system, we calculate the percentage of the HZ that is dynamically viable for the potential presence of a terrestrial planet, providing an additional metric for inclusion of the stars within the HWO target list. Our analysis shows that, for 11 of the systems, less than 50% of the HZ is dynamically viable, primarily due to the presence of giant planets whose orbits pass near or through the HZ. These results demonstrate the impact that known system architectures can have on direct imaging target selection and overall system habitability.