Project description
A closer look at exoplanet habitability
As the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) ushers in a new era of exoplanetary research, scientists are studying what makes a planet habitable. In this context, the ERC-funded EASE project explores the long-term evolution of Earth, Venus, and Mars. By examining factors such as volcanism, atmospheric escape, and spectroscopy, the project seeks to decipher the unique journey each planet has taken. Through advanced numerical models and a connection to JWST data, EASE promises to unlock critical insights into habitability beyond our solar system, shaping the future of exoplanetary exploration. This study expands our understanding of our own solar system and provides invaluable knowledge for identifying potential habitable worlds elsewhere in the universe.
Objective
The era of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has opened a new chapter in exoplanetary research. We cannot understand exoplanets without looking back at the cradle of life as we know it - the Earth. Why did the Earth become a habitable planet? Why did Mars and Venus evolve differently? What would JWST see if it looked at the solar system planets as they were billions of years ago? My team will investigate the long-term evolution of the atmospheres and spectral fingerprints of Earth, Venus, and Mars.
I propose a unique joint evolutionary study of volcanism, atmospheric escape to space, and spectroscopy. My team will use numerical models at the cutting edge of modern development and connect their outputs to the growing list of JWST spectra of exoplanets. The team will model interior processes, the evolution of lower and upper atmospheres, and the evolving atmospheric spectra of Earth, Venus, and Mars and their possible exoplanetary analogues. Our predictions of spectral features of these three planets at different evolutionary stages will be critical for the astrophysics community to identify potential habitable worlds outside the solar system, and forecast their future evolution. My deep expertise in stellar and planetary evolution makes me uniquely well-placed to lead this project.
This project will not only significantly expand our current knowledge of the evolution of the Earth, Venus, and Mars, but will also place much better constrains on the probability for a terrestrial planet to evolve into a habitable world. The team will in particular characterize possible “failed” analogues of Earth and investigate if they could have become habitable planets under slightly different conditions. By studying for the first time this unique combination of factors that are crucial for the evolution of Earth-like worlds, my project will break new ground in the study of exoplanetary habitability.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences geology volcanology
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy astrophysics
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2023-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1010 WIEN
Austria
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.