SECTION VI: Planetary Habitability and Life Detection
(Sigurdsson, Leader; Capo, Freeman, Kasting, Stewart and Wolszczan)

In this section, we seek to integrate studies of Earth's atmospheric evolution with astronomical observations. The research objectives here are: (i) to investigate the chances of finding habitable planets around different types of stars; and (ii) to aid in the search for life on habitable planets of our Solar System and of other stars. The objectives will be approached by a combination of theoretical, observational, and laboratory-based research.

The following figure (from Kasting et al., Icarus 101, 108, 1993) shows the zero age main sequence habitable zone (HZ) around stars of different masses. The planets of our own Solar System are shown as well. Earth falls within the HZ while Venus and Mars do not. One of PSARC's research goals is to better understand why Earth has remained habitable for billions of years and to use this information to shed light on the possibility of finding habitable planets around other stars.