Physicists at The University of Texas at Arlington have identified F-type star systems that might host exolife, offering new possibilities in the search for habitable planets.
A new study from physicists at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) offers a glimmer of hope in the quest to find habitable planets beyond our solar system. The research delves into F-type star systems, a category often overlooked despite its potential to support life.
F-type stars are notable for their high surface temperatures exceeding 10,000 degrees and yellowish-white hue. These stars, more massive and luminous than our sun, possess wider habitable zones (HZs), which are regions where conditions may allow liquid water to exist on orbiting planets.
“F-type stars are usually considered the high-luminosity end of stars with a serious prospect for allowing an environment for planets favorable for life,” co-author Manfred Cuntz, a professor of physics at UTA, said in a news release. “However, those stars are often ignored by the scientific community. Although F-type stars have a shorter lifetime than our sun, they have a wider HZ. In short, F-type stars are not hopeless in the context of astrobiology.”
Led by doctoral student Shaan Patel, the research team conducted a thorough statistical analysis of known planet-hosting F-type stars using data from the NASA Exoplanet Archive. This resource, an essential tool for astronomers, compiles a wealth of exoplanet and star data for scientific study.
“F-type star systems are important and intriguing cases when dealing with habitability due to the larger HZs,” Patel said in the news release. “HZs are defined as areas in which conditions are right for Earth-type bodies to potentially host exolife.”
Their analysis identified 206 systems of interest and further subdivided 18 of these systems based on the time planets spend within the habitable zones. In one striking example, the planet HD 111998, located 108 light-years away, remains entirely within its star’s HZ. Designated 38 Virginis, this planet is a Jupiter-type that, while not suitable for life itself, could host habitable moons.
“The planet in question was discovered in 2016 at La Silla, Chile,” added Cuntz. “It is a Jupiter-type planet which is unlikely to permit life itself, but it offers the general prospect of habitable exomoons, an active field of worldwide research also pursued here at UTA.”
This breakthrough opens doors to future investigations into Earth-mass planets and potential exomoons in F-type systems. Studies will also delve into planetary orbits, astrobiological aspects of stellar evolution and habitability correlations.
“What makes a study like this possible is the hard work and dedication of the worldwide community of astronomers who have discovered more than 5,000 planets over the last 30 years,” added co-author Nevin Weinberg, a professor of physics at UTA. “With so many known planets, we can now carry out statistical analyses of even relatively rare systems, such as planets orbiting F-type stars, and identify those that might reside in the habitable zone.”
This discovery contributes valuable knowledge to the ongoing search for extraterrestrial life and highlights the importance of studying diverse star systems. The findings, published in The Astrophysical Journal, represent a significant advance in our understanding of where life might thrive beyond Earth.