Analysis of the incidence of solar
radiation in the Exoplanet habitability
Autores: Daniel Fontalvo; Sergei Suarez; Jorge Rodríguez.
Abstract
This paper presents the effects of solar
radiation on the exoplanet habitability.
Bibliographical sources were used to
facilitate the understanding and
resolution of different equations related
to the theory of the black body and
radiation on surfaces, in this case the
atmospheric, in order to reach the main
objective of this Research.
Similarly, it was considered as affect
the levels of solar radiation to the
biosphere, with the purpose of showing
each parameter of radiation that affects
the habitability of Exoplanet and how it
alters the possibility of an exoplanet to be
an ideal candidate to keep life.
With this study it was concluded that
at the time of talking about habitability is
not only important the index of similarity
with the Earth (IST), parameter most used
for the search of exoplanets with
capacities to host life, but come into play
various factors, such as; The
composition of the exoplanet, its rotation
period ETC. However, through this study
it is verified that solar radiation takes one
of the most important roles.
Key words: exoplanet, solar radiation,
black body, Earth Similarity Index,
habitability, life.
Introduction
The current number of terrestrial and satellite
telescopes allows a glimpse of the past to observe
the life of the universe. The images of the
telescope "Hubble" show how galaxies were
from even 14 billion years ago: Plasma, gigantic
clouds of gas and dust of stars at high
temperature, full of those star nurseries called
Nebulas, where the action of the Gravity allows
them to form from small brown dwarfs, to
imposing and majestic blue giants. These stars
fused the hydrogen to create new elements,
heavier atoms; when they died, they left the basic
components of life as we know it: carbon,
oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. The problem is
that someday, the sun's fuel is going to end, and
if no other home is found, the biosphere will die
with him.
As a result of this perspective, the search for
exoplanets has been considered as a priority task
on the world agenda. Different parameters have
been used to look for exoplanets that can host
liquid water and life as we know it, one of those
parameters is the IST that compares the
characteristics of an exoplanet with those of the
Earth. But although an exoplanet presents the
highest IST, it may not be habitable, due to other
factors, one of them and the main problem of this
work: solar radiation.
For this reason, this work covers the different
necessary factors such as the amount of radiation
that affects a surface, the chemical reactions that
it generates and its affectation to the geological
processes of a planet.
Study Object
The application of the study will be towards the
exoplanet Kepler 438 B, because this is the one
that maintains the higher IST, but, according to
studies of the University of Warwick this would
not be possibly habitable, these studies of the
center of Astrophysics shows that the star Kepler
438, which is an orange dwarf of the stellar type
K generates enormous amounts of radiation and
solar flares, which causes the planet to lose its
atmosphere or to be sterilized like the planet
Mars, or it can provoke a massive greenhouse
effect as in the case of Venus. The problem with
this star is that being one of not very great
magnitude presents a habitable zone very close to
it, being dangerous for the habitability.
1 Kepler 438 Habitable zone
(Source: PHL 2018)
Results
There is the incident radiation on Kepler 438
B, the earth Mars and Venus to reach the
effective temperature on each atmosphere and
the way the radiation affects habitability.
The calculations of the solar constant and the
effective temperature are made via Steffan
Boltzmann.
 For Sun Values This value is not equal to the surface
temperature of a planet, because this varies
First the Solar luminosity is calculated. according to the greenhouse gases that have its
1 Power density atmosphere, the surface temperature tends to be
higher than the effective temperature.
4
( 𝑃𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦= 𝜎𝑇𝑒𝑓𝑓 )
For Mars Values
Where Replacing in 3 for Mars values:
4
2𝜋5 𝐾𝐵 𝐽
𝜎= ;ℎ = 6,67 × 10−34 ⁄𝑠 And 𝐾𝐵 ≅ 3,83 × 1026 𝑊
15ℎ3 𝑐 2 𝑆𝑢𝑛
𝑃𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑠 = ≅ 586 𝑊⁄𝑚2
𝐽⁄
−23 4𝜋(2,28 × 1011 𝑚)2
1,38 × 10 𝐾
𝑊
Replacing in 4 for Mars values:
𝜎 ≅ 5,670373 × 10−8
𝑚2 ∙𝐾 4

Replacing in 1 for sun values: 4 586 𝑊⁄𝑚2 × (1 − 0,17)

𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑠
𝑇𝑒𝑓𝑓 =√
𝑊
𝑆𝑢𝑛
𝑃𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 5,670373 × 4 × (5,670373 × 10−8 2 4 )
𝑚 ∙𝐾
𝑊
10−8 (57774 𝐾) = 6,31 × 107 𝑊⁄ 2 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑠
∴ 𝑇𝑒𝑓𝑓 (𝐾) ≅ 216 𝐾
𝑚2 ∙𝐾 4 𝑚
= −57 ℃
2 Solar Luminosity
For Venus Values
2 4
(𝑃𝑆𝑢𝑛 = 4𝜋𝑅𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟 𝜎𝑇𝑒𝑓𝑓 )
Replacing in 3 for Venus values:
Replacing in 2 for sun values:
3,83 × 1026 𝑊
𝑆𝑢𝑛
𝑃𝑉𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑠 = ≅ 2613 𝑊⁄𝑚2
6,31 × 107 𝑊⁄𝑚2 × 4𝜋(6,95 × 4𝜋(1,08 × 1011 𝑚)2
2
108 𝑚) 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐷𝑆𝑢𝑛 = 1.391 × 109 Replacing in 4 for Venus values:
𝑃 𝑆𝑢𝑛 ≅ 3,83 × 1026 𝑊
4 2613 𝑊⁄𝑚2 × (1 − 0.71)
𝑉𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑠
For Earth Values 𝑇𝑒𝑓𝑓 =√
𝑊
4 × (5,670373 × 10−8 2 4 )
3 Solar constant 𝑚 ∙𝐾
𝑉𝑒𝑛𝑢𝑠
∴ 𝑇𝑒𝑓𝑓 (𝐾) ≅ 240 𝐾
2 4
𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟
4𝜋𝑅𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟 𝜎𝑇𝑒𝑓𝑓 = −33 ℃
(𝑃𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 2 )
4𝜋𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟−𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
Evaluating Star Kepler 438
Replacing in 3 for Earth values: Replacing in 1 for Kepler 438 values:
26
𝑆𝑢𝑛
3,83 × 10 𝑊 𝐾𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑟 438
𝑃𝐸𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ = 𝑃𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 5,670373
4𝜋(1,49 × 1011 𝑚)2 𝑊
≅ 1370 𝑊⁄𝑚2 × 10−8 (36884 𝐾)
𝑚2
∙ 𝐾4
= 1,05 × 107 𝑊⁄𝑚2
4 Effective temperature
Replacing in 2 for Kepler 438 values
𝐾 × (1 − 𝑎)
4
(𝑇𝑒𝑓𝑓 =√ ) 𝑃𝐾𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑟 438 = 6,31 × 107 𝑊⁄𝑚2
4×𝜎
× 4𝜋(0,52 𝑅⨀ )2 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐷𝑆𝑢𝑛
Where 𝑎 is albedo and 𝐾 is Solar Constant = 1.391 × 109 𝑚 ∴ 𝑅⨀
= 6,95 × 108 𝑚
Replacing in 3 for Earth values:
Clearing X:
4 1370 𝑊⁄𝑚2 × (1 − 0,33) 1𝑅⨀ 0,56𝑅⨀
𝐸𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ
𝑇𝑒𝑓𝑓 =√ 8
=
𝑊 6,98 × 10 𝑚 𝑥
4 × (5,670373 × 10−8 2 4 )
𝑚 ∙𝐾
𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑥 = 3,62 × 108 𝑚
∴ 𝑇𝑒𝑓𝑓 (𝐾) ≅ 252 𝐾
= −21 ℃ Therefore 6,31 × 107 𝑊⁄𝑚2 × 4𝜋(3,62 ×
2
108 𝑚) = 1,73 × 1025 𝑊
 For Exoplanet Kepler 438 b Values 2 Solar constant

Replacing in 3 for Kepler 438 b values:

𝐾𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑟 438 1,73 × 1025 𝑊

𝑃𝐾𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑟 438 𝑏 = 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 1 𝐴𝑈
4𝜋(0,16 𝐴𝑈)2
≅ 1,49 × 1011 𝑚
Clearing X:
1 𝐴𝑈 0,164
11
=
1,49 × 10 𝑚 𝑥
𝑥 = 2,44 × 1010 𝑚
1,73×1025 𝑊
Therefore = 2312 𝑊⁄𝑚2
4𝜋(2,44×1010 𝑚)2

Replacing in 4 for Kepler 438 b values: Source: (Fontalvo; Suarez; Rodríguez, 2018)

𝐾𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑟 438 𝑏 Radiation levels affect the possibility of

𝑇𝑒𝑓𝑓
keeping water on the exoplanet surface due to
4 2312 𝑊⁄𝑚2 × (1 − 0,33) water photolysis.
=√
𝑊 𝐻2 𝑂 → 1⁄2 𝑂2 + 2𝐻 + + 2𝑒 −
4 × (5,670373 × 10−8 2 4 )
𝑚 ∙𝐾
𝐾𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑟 438 𝑏
∴ 𝑇𝑒𝑓𝑓 (𝐾) ≅ 287 𝐾 = 14 ℃ Losing the most important factor of habitability

The Kepler’s 438 B albedo takes the same value 3 Radiation vs Temperature
as the terrestrial albedo because that are the
parameters of terrestrial habitability translated to
this exoplanet, this means that the exoplanet is
taken as if it were hypothetically composed in the
same way as the Earth and had the same
characteristics.
Results Analysis
Is proceeded to compare the results obtained for
an analysis of the incidence of radiation on
habitability.
1 Effective temperature of each planet

Source: (Fontalvo; Suarez; Rodríguez, 2018)

Following the theory of thermal radiation, as

Source: (Fontalvo; Suarez; Rodríguez, 2018)
In table No. 1 It can be seen that the effective
temperature of the exoplanet studied is superior
in relation to the others, without counting the
greenhouse gases, which would elevate its
surface temperature.
it increases the radiation should increase the
temperature, but in the case of Venus does not
happen directly due to its dense atmosphere of
sulfuric acid, which reflects a high percentage of
radiation for some Wavelengths, but generates a
runaway greenhouse effect, so if at any time
Venus presented liquid water on its surface, it lost
thanks to this process.
An additional fact is that if the exoplanet
Kepler 438 b was composed hypothetically in the
same way as the earth, it would lose its
atmosphere because the one who protects the
Earth from radiation is the ozone layer, and by
the following reaction dissociates the ozone.
𝑂3 + ℎ𝑣(𝜆<310𝑛𝑚) → 𝑂2 + 𝑂(1 𝐷)
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