Abstract
Previous attempts to describe circumbinary habitable zones have been
concerned with the spatial extent of the zone, calculated analytically
according to the combined radiation field of both stars. By contrast to these
"spatial HZs", we present a numerical analysis of the örbital HZ", a habitable
zone defined as a function of planet orbital elements. This orbital HZ is
better equipped to handle (for example) eccentric planet orbits, and is more
directly connected to the data returned by exoplanet observations.
Producing an orbital HZ requires a large number of climate simulations to be
run to investigate the parameter space - we achieve this using Latitudinal
Energy Balance Models (LEBMs), which handle the insolation of the planet by
both stars (including mutual eclipses), as well as the planetary atmosphere's
ability to absorb, transfer and lose heat.
We present orbital HZs for several known circumbinary planetary systems:
Kepler-16, Kepler-34, Kepler-35, Kepler-47 and PH-1. Generally, the orbital HZs
at zero eccentricity are consistent with spatial HZs derived by other authors,
although we detect some signatures of variability that coincide with resonances
between the binary and planet orbital periods. We confirm that Earthlike
planets around Kepler-47 with Kepler-47c's orbital parameters could possess
liquid water, despite current uncertainties regarding its eccentricity.
Kepler-16b is found to be outside the habitable zone, as well as the other
circumbinary planets investigated.
Description
[1310.3611] Assessing Circumbinary Habitable Zones using Latitudinal Energy Balance Modelling
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