|
So what does this imply? According to these two studies... Spectral signatures of photosynthesis I: Review of Earth organisms ...and its follow-up... Spectral signatures of photosynthesis II: coevolution with other stars and the atmosphere on extrasolar worlds ...it means that M-dwarf stars can sustain oxygenic photosynthesis and might even allow land-based life, if their flares are of the milder variety. Most M-dwarfs flare - rapidly increase in x-ray and UV brightness for brief periods - but some flares are milder than others. A proper atmosphere is quite able to absorb harmful x-rays, but a bit of UV gets through, enough to inhibit life - but even the largest flares will only penetrate about 9 metres into water with their UV, so oceanic life is quite safe. An who's to say that life can't adapt to UV and even find it useful? Perhaps by incorporating more metals into their metabolism organisms might usefully trap UV energy for biological processes? In more immediate terms what it means is that we can fairly confidently hope to find habitable planets around even the smaller variety of stars - and since M-dwarfs make up 75% of stars in our immediate neighbourhood that's a good thing. |
| Leave a Comment: |