The Unlikeliness of Life in Trappist-1: Red Dwarf Star System

SPACE — Trappist-1 is a very interesting exoplanetary system. Seven planets orbit a red dwarf star just 40 light years from Earth.

The seven worlds in a Solar System-like system are similar in mass and size to Earth, and 3 or 4 of them are potentially habitable. Imagine exploring world systems rich in life within relatively easy travel distance of each other.

For astronomers, exploring the Trappist system is a beautiful dream. However, a new study shows it is unlikely that there is life in the system. Most likely these planets are barren and have lost their atmosphere.

The Trappist system has received a lot of attention since it was discovered in 2017 because, at first glance, the system seems perfect for extraterrestrial life. A number of the planets are warm terrestrial worlds, similar to our inner solar system.

Also Read: TRAPPIST-1, Another Solar System with 7 Twin Planets of Earth

However, one question arises, are red dwarf stars suitable for habitation? Red dwarfs are much cooler than the Sun, so any habitable planet would have to orbit its star at a very close distance.

Red dwarfs are also known to have intense solar flares, which can expose nearby planets to X-rays and other harm. Can life survive these threats over billions of years? If Trappist-1 is typical of such stars, the answer is probably no.

The new work examines the potential atmospheres of Trappist planets. Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have confirmed the two innermost planets do not have significant atmospheres, but that was previously expected.

In our own system, Mercury has no atmosphere. However, in general it is thought that the world in Trappist-1 is cooler and more distant so it can maintain its atmosphere. So the research team tried to see it in a computer simulation.

Also Read: TRAPPIST-1, Another Solar System with 7 Twin Planets of Earth

Based on observations of Trappist-1 and other red dwarf stars, the authors calculated the amount of high-energy radiation these stars are capable of emitting over time. They then simulated the effects of such radiation on the possible early atmospheres of the Trappist outer planets.

From there, they modeled the rate of evaporation in the atmosphere. All planets lose some of their atmosphere over time, including Earth. The question is, how much and how fast does it happen?

The team found, for worlds like the Trappists, the answer is that much of the atmosphere would disappear quickly. Based on Trappist-1’s current radiation levels, even its outermost planet would lose as much gas as Earth’s atmosphere in a few hundred million years.

“Planets such as Earth, Mars, and Venus had very thick atmospheres in their youth, so we can assume that the Trappist world also had very thick atmospheres,” the researchers wrote.

2024-02-06 12:46:00
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