Beginning to End: Climatic Habitability, the Origin of Life, and The Longterm Evolution of Planetary Systems

Colloquium: Astronomy Colloquia | April 18 | 4-5 p.m. | 1 LeConte Hall

Speaker/Performer: David Spiegel, IAS

Sponsor: Department of Astronomy

I will address several questions related to how much life there might be in our Galaxy: What affects whether potentially Earth-like exoplanets might be good abodes for life? What kind of (Milankovitch-like) variations in habitability might be expected in exosolar systems? And what does the origin of life on Earth tell us about the probability of life elsewhere in the Galaxy? I will also discuss the longterm evolution of binary systems, including thermal and chemical changes, and orbital evolution. In particular, Jupiter will eventually become a hot Jupiter, and if it were somewhat closer to the Sun it would eventually be tidally engulfed by the future-red-giant Sun.

Event Contact: rhelgens@astro.berkeley.edu, 510-642-5275