Habitable Extrasolar Planets

A Search for Potential Habitable Planets in Multiple Planet Systems

S. T. Maddison, M. C. Gino, A. Munro & P. Hinds

Although the detection of habitable terrestrial planets around nearby stars is currently beyond our observational capabilities, carrying out dynamical studies of known extrasolar planetary systems allows us to search for potential candidates. Following from the work of Menou & Tabachnik (2003), we use a symplectic integrator to search for potential stable terrestrial planetary orbits in the habitable zones of known extrasolar systems with multiple planets. A swarm of massless test particles is initially used to identify stability zones, and then an Earth-mass planet is placed within these zones to investigate their dynamical stability. We investigate three systems discovered to be confirmed or potential double planetary systems since the work of Menou & Tabachnik: HD169830, HD160691 and eps Eridani, as well as previously modeled multiple planet systems whose orbital parameters have been constrained more precisely. The results of these dynamical studies can be used as a potential target list for the Terrestrial Planet Finder.

A dynamic search for potential habitable planets amongst the extrasolar planets

Paul Hinds, Andy Munro, Sarah Maddison, Candice Tan & Colleen Gino

While the detection of habitable terrestrial planets around nearby stars is currently beyond our observational capabilities, dynamical studies can help us locate potential candidates. Following from the work of Menou & Tabachnik (2003), we use a symplectic integrator to search for potential stable terrestrial planetary orbits in the habitable zones of known extrasolar planetary systems. A swarm of massless test particles is initially used to identify stability zones, and then an Earth-mass planet is placed within these zones to investigate their dynamical stability. We investigate 22 new systems discovered since the work of Menou & Tabachnik, as well as simulate some of the previous 85 extrasolar systems whose orbital parameters have been more precisely constrained. In particular, we model three systems that are now confirmed or potential double planetary systems: HD169830, HD160691 and eps Eridani. The results of these dynamical studies can be used as a potential target list for the Terrestrial Planet Finder.
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