Metal-rich stars are less suitable for the evolution of life on their planets
Anna V Shapiro1, Christoph Brühl2, Klaus Klingmüller2
1Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Göttingen, Germany. shapiro@mps.mpg.de.
Abstract:
Atmospheric ozone and oxygen protect the terrestrial biosphere against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Here, we model atmospheres of Earth-like planets hosted by stars with near-solar effective temperatures (5300 to 6300 K) and a broad range of metallicities covering known exoplanet host stars. We show that paradoxically, although metal-rich stars emit substantially less ultraviolet radiation than metal-poor stars, the surface of their planets is exposed to more intense ultraviolet radiation. For the stellar types considered, metallicity has a larger impact than stellar temperature. During the evolution of the universe, newly formed stars have progressively become more metal-rich, exposing organisms to increasingly intense ultraviolet radiation. Our findings imply that planets hosted by stars with low metallicity are the best targets to search for complex life on land.
Related Concept Videos
Conditions on Early Earth
Properties of Transition Metals
Complexation Equilibria: Factors Influencing Stability of Complexes
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs
Microbial Nutrition


