Presented by:Kyle Thompson and Ginny Connor

The abundance of M Dwarfs

A solar flare’s impact on atmospheric ozone

Two distinct tests With charged

particles With uncharged (UV

radiation only) particles

Abundant Long living 70% of all stars in

our galaxy Infrared radiation Low luminosity

stars Closer habitable

zone

Charged particles vs. uncharged (UV radiation only) particles

Ionizing particles emitted during a flare may be more dangerous depending on how much of the particle flux strikes the planet

No significant temperature change for either test

Final temperature difference was 0.1 K

Greatest difference was observed in the Mesosphere

Ozone variations cause temperature fluctuations in the upper atmosphere, but these fluctuations are small, and the climate at the surface is unaffected

Depleted in the Stratosphere

30 ppmv – 0.3 ppmv

Noticeable decrease in the Stratosphere during the impulsive phase

Continued to increase until the flare ended

Much of the potentially life-damaging UV radiation goes into photolyzing ozone in the Stratosphere, which prevents it from reaching the planetary surface

UV radiation only: 1,000 seconds after the flare, depletion was only 1%

With charged photons: large effect but stabilizes after 4 months

Given that M Dwarfs can be active on timescales of days to weeks, the atmosphere may not return to equilibrium before another flare occurs

For an oxygen-rich, Earth-like planet in the habitable zone of an active M Dwarf, stellar flares do not necessarily affect habitability

Segura, Antigona, Lucianne M. Walkowicz, Victoria Meadows, James Kasting, and Suzanne Hawley. "The Effect of a Strong Stellar Flare on the Atmospheric Chemistry of an Earth-like Planet Orbiting an M Dwarf." Astrobiology 10.7 (2010): 751-71. Web.