The detectability of Earth-like atmospheres on nearby temperate rocky exoplanets

The field of exoplanet science is rapidly growing, with over 5,900 exoplanets (planets beyond our Solar System) detected to date. A handful of these exoplanets orbit nearby small red dwarf stars, and may be amenable to observational characterization with both space-based and ground-based observing facilities. In this project, we will explore the detectability of key molecular features that could serve as habitability indicators and/or biosignatures (e.g., carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor) on nearby temperate rocky planets. To do so, we will post-process three-dimensional general circulation models of planetary climates using the NASA Planetary Spectrum Generator radiative transfer tool. We will focus on Proxima Centauri b, the closest potentially habitable rocky planet, but also study other nearby rocky planets as a comparison set. We will simulate observations both in thermal emission and reflected light to determine the optimal observational methods to characterize the atmospheric composition of these planets, focusing on the effects of cloud coverage. This will enable us to both understand the impact of climate state on observational properties and provide guidelines for the potential characterization of nearby temperate rocky planets with current and future observatories. The student participant is expected to have a strong interest in atmospheric science, climate science, and/or astronomy with a background in physics, chemistry, Earth science, or a related field. The student participant would ideally have some programming experience in Python or another scientific computing language. The student will spend their time predominantly running Planetary Spectrum Generator simulations using a Python and Docker wrapper for the online interface to make simulated spectra of exoplanets, and analyzing these spectra to make signal-to-noise calculations for various atmospheric gases. The outcome of the project will be a library of simulated spectra of nearby exoplanets in thermal emission and reflected light that can be used to guide future observations of nearby rocky planets.