The Far Future of Exoplanet Direct Characterization

Schneider, Jean; Léger, Alain; Fridlund, M.; White, G. J.; Eiroa, C.; Henning, Thomas; Herbst, Tom; Lämmer, H.; Liseau, R.; Paresce, Francesco; Penny, A. J.; Quirrenbach, A.; Röttgering, H. J. A.; Selsis, F.; Beichman, Charles; Danchi, W. C.; Kaltenegger, Lisa; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Stam, Daphné; Tinetti, Giovanna

doi:10.1089/ast.2009.0371

Cited by 76 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 16 publications

(8 reference statements)

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“…On the artifact SETI side, although the direct imaging of large structures on exoplanetary surfaces would require angular resolutions too far in the future for even this work to consider, other options exist (Kreidberg and Loeb 2016; Cowan and Fujii 2017). Campbell (2006) and later Schneider et al (2010) proposed that the direct imaging of exoplanets presents special opportunities for the detection of technosignatures. Surface maps can be constructed using a planet's rotationally modulated brightness (Kawahara and Fujii 2010).…”

Section: Technosignatures On Exoplanets and The Host Starsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exoplanets and SETI

Wright

2018

Handbook of Exoplanets

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The discovery of exoplanets has both focused and expanded the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The consideration of Earth as an exoplanet, the knowledge of the orbital parameters of individual exoplanets, and our new understanding of the prevalence of exoplanets throughout the galaxy have all altered the search strategies of communication SETI efforts, by inspiring new "Schelling points" (i.e. optimal search strategies for beacons). Future efforts to characterize individual planets photometrically and spectroscopically, with imaging and via transit, will also allow for searches for a variety of technosignatures on their surfaces, in their atmospheres, and in orbit around them. In the near-term, searches for new planetary systems might even turn up free-floating megastructures.

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Section: Technosignatures On Exoplanets and The Host Starsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exoplanets and SETI

Wright

2018

Handbook of Exoplanets

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“…Several researchers have already indicated that biosignatures of intelligent/technological species, or technosignatures, can be searched for in exoplanet atmospheres or the planet surroundings. These would include: the search for technological albedo edges, such as that of silicon which might arise from extensive photovoltaic arrays in the planetary surface (Lingam and Loeb 2017), the search for artificial structures or estrange transit shapes (Wright and Sigurdsson 2016), or the detecion of artifical components in the atmosphere (Schneider et al 2010), among others.…”

Section: The Role Of Intelligencementioning

confidence: 99%

The Detectability of Earth’s Biosignatures Across Time

Πάλλη¹

2018

Handbook of Exoplanets

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Over the past two decades, enormous advances in the detection of exoplanets have taken place. Currently, we have discovered hundreds of earth-sized planets, several of them within the habitable zone of their star. In the coming years, the efforts will concentrate in the characterization of these planets and their atmospheres to try to detect the presence of biosignatures. However, even if we discovered a second Earth, it is very unlikely that it would present a stage of evolution similar to the present-day Earth. Our planet has been far from static since its formation about 4.5 Ga ago; on the contrary, during this time, it has undergone multiple changes in its atmospheric composition, its temperature structure, its continental distribution, and even changes in the forms of life that inhabit it. All these changes have affected the global properties of Earth as seen from an astronomical distance. Thus, it is of interest not only to characterize the observables of the Earth as it is today, but also at different epochs. Here we review the detectability of the Earth's globally-averaged properties over time. This includes atmospheric composition and biosignatures, and surface properties that can be interpreted as sings of habitability (bioclues). The resulting picture is that truly unambiguous biosignatures are only detectable for about 1/4 of the Earth's history. The rest of the time we rely on detectable bioclues that can only establish an statistical likelihood for the presence of life on a given planet.

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“…But it requires large interferometers with baselines of at least 400 m combined with a high contrast device Schneider et al (2010). But it requires large interferometers with baselines of at least 400 m combined with a high contrast device Schneider et al (2010).…”

Section: Direct Imagingmentioning

confidence: 99%