English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

We use a new interdisciplinary approach to study the UV surface habitabilityof Proxima $b$ under quiescent and flaring stellar conditions. We assumedplanetary atmospheric compositions based on CO$_2$ and N$_2$ and surfacepressures from 100 to 5000 mbar. Our results show that the combination of theseatmospheric compositions and pressures provide enough shielding from the mostdamaging UV wavelengths, expanding the "UV-protective" planetary atmosphericcompositions beyond ozone. Additionally, we show that the UV radiation reachingthe surface of Proxima $b$ during quiescent conditions would be negligible fromthe biological point of view, even without an atmosphere. Given that high UVfluxes could challenge the existence of life, then, we experimentally testedthe effect that flares would have on microorganisms in a "worst-case scenario"(no UV-shielding). Our results show the impact that a typical flare and asuperflare would have on life: when microorganisms receive very high fluencesof UVC, such as those expected to reach the surface of Proxima $b$ after atypical flare or a superflare, a fraction of the population is able to survive.Our study suggests that life could cope with highly UV irradiated environmentsin exoplanets under conditions that cannot be found on Earth.

The UV surface habitability of Proxima b: first experiments revealing probable life survival to stellar flares