English

Accounting for Multiplicity in Calculating Eta Earth

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 2019-05-28 v1

Abstract

Using the updated exoplanet population parameters of our previous study, which includes the planetary radius updates from Gaia DR2 and an inferred multiplicity distribution, we provide a revised η\eta_{\oplus} calculation. This is achieved by sampling planets from our derived population model and determining which planets meet our criterion for habitability. To ensure robust results, we provide probabilities calculated over a range of upper radius limits. Our most optimistic criterion for habitability provides an η\eta_{\oplus} value of 0.34±0.02planetsstar0.34\pm 0.02 \frac{\rm planets}{\rm star}. We also consider the effects of multiplicity and the number of habitable planets each system may contain. Our calculation indicates that 6.4±0.5%6.4\pm0.5\% of GK dwarfs have more than one planet within their habitable zone. This optimistic habitability criterion also suggests that 0.036±0.009%0.036\pm0.009\% of solar-like stars will harbor 5 or more habitable planets. These tightly packed highly habitable system should be extremely rare, but still possible. Even with our most pessimistic criterion we still expect that 1.8±0.2%1.8\pm0.2\% of solar-like stars harbor more than one habitable planet.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1905.01032,
  title  = {Accounting for Multiplicity in Calculating Eta Earth},
  author = {Jon K. Zink and Bradley M. S. Hansen},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1905.01032},
  year   = {2019}
}

Comments

7 pages, 1 figure; Accepted for publication in MNRAS