Terrestrial Planets Across Space And Time

• The study of cosmology, galaxy formation, and exoplanets has now advanced to a stage where a cosmic inventory of terrestrial planets (TPs) may be attempted. By coupling semianalytic models of galaxy formation to a recipe that relates the occurrence of planets to the mass and metallicity of their host stars, we trace the population of TPs around both solar-mass (FGK type) and lower-mass (M dwarf) stars throughout all of cosmic history. We find that the mean age of TPs in the local universe is 7 +/- 1 Gyr for FGK hosts and 8 +/- 1 Gyr for M dwarfs. We estimate that hot Jupiters have depleted the population of TPs around FGK stars by no more than approximate to 10%, and that only approximate to 10% of the TPs at the current epoch are orbiting stars in a metallicity range for which such planets have yet to be confirmed. The typical TP in the local universe is located in a spheroid-dominated galaxy with a total stellar mass comparable to that of the Milky Way. When looking at the inventory of planets throughout the whole observable universe, we argue for a total of approximate to 1 x 10(19) and approximate to 5 x 10(20) TPs around FGK and M stars, respectively. Due to light travel time effects, the TPs on our past light cone exhibit a mean age of just 1.7 +/- 0.2 Gyr. These results are discussed in the context of cosmic habitability, the Copernican principle, and searches for extraterrestrial intelligence at cosmological distances.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

cosmology: miscellaneous

extraterrestrial intelligence

galaxies: formation

planets and satellites

terrestrial planets

cosmology: miscellaneous

extraterrestrial intelligence

galaxies: formation

planets and satellites: terrestrial planets

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)