presented by: kyle thompson and ginny connor
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Presented by: Kyle Thompson and Ginny Connor. The Effect of a Strong Stellar Flare on the Atmospheric Chemistry of an Earth-like Planet Orbiting an M Dwarf. Overview. The abundance of M Dwarfs A solar flare’s impact on atmospheric ozone Two distinct tests With charged particles - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Presented by:Kyle Thompson and Ginny Connor
The abundance of M Dwarfs
A solar flare’s impact on atmospheric ozone
Two distinct tests With charged
particles With uncharged (UV
radiation only) particles
Abundant Long living 70% of all stars in
our galaxy Infrared radiation Low luminosity
stars Closer habitable
zone
Charged particles vs. uncharged (UV radiation only) particles
Ionizing particles emitted during a flare may be more dangerous depending on how much of the particle flux strikes the planet
No significant temperature change for either test
Final temperature difference was 0.1 K
Greatest difference was observed in the Mesosphere
Ozone variations cause temperature fluctuations in the upper atmosphere, but these fluctuations are small, and the climate at the surface is unaffected
Depleted in the Stratosphere
30 ppmv – 0.3 ppmv
Noticeable decrease in the Stratosphere during the impulsive phase
Continued to increase until the flare ended
Much of the potentially life-damaging UV radiation goes into photolyzing ozone in the Stratosphere, which prevents it from reaching the planetary surface
UV radiation only: 1,000 seconds after the flare, depletion was only 1%
With charged photons: large effect but stabilizes after 4 months
Given that M Dwarfs can be active on timescales of days to weeks, the atmosphere may not return to equilibrium before another flare occurs
For an oxygen-rich, Earth-like planet in the habitable zone of an active M Dwarf, stellar flares do not necessarily affect habitability
Segura, Antigona, Lucianne M. Walkowicz, Victoria Meadows, James Kasting, and Suzanne Hawley. "The Effect of a Strong Stellar Flare on the Atmospheric Chemistry of an Earth-like Planet Orbiting an M Dwarf." Astrobiology 10.7 (2010): 751-71. Web.