Comments on: Toward Alpha Cen B b http://oklo.org/2008/02/24/toward-alpha-cen-b-b/ characterizing planetary systems Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:27:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Interstellar Travel Destinations « Gravity Loss http://oklo.org/2008/02/24/toward-alpha-cen-b-b/comment-page-1/#comment-4950 Interstellar Travel Destinations « Gravity Loss Sun, 18 May 2008 17:42:10 +0000 http://oklo.org/?p=269#comment-4950 [...] Sunday 2008.05.18 by gravityloss Nowadays new exoplanets are found every week. Exoplanet blog systemic has an article from February about possible Earth-like planets around Alpha Centauri B. [...] [...] Sunday 2008.05.18 by gravityloss Nowadays new exoplanets are found every week. Exoplanet blog systemic has an article from February about possible Earth-like planets around Alpha Centauri B. [...]

]]> By: Crowlspace » Blog Archive » Gliese 436c http://oklo.org/2008/02/24/toward-alpha-cen-b-b/comment-page-1/#comment-4857 Crowlspace » Blog Archive » Gliese 436c Sun, 20 Apr 2008 23:20:51 +0000 http://oklo.org/?p=269#comment-4857 [...] Would you go, if you could? Or some place closer, like Alpha Centauri B’s putative rocky world? That would be at least 30 years round-trip at 0.3 c. Would you risk being cut-off from the rest of humanity for so long? Good telecommunications, via laser, would allow you to keep track, but you wouldn’t be able to contribute to it without a multiyear time-lag. Could you stand the separation? Could you tolerate the same faces nearby for +30 years? [...] [...] Would you go, if you could? Or some place closer, like Alpha Centauri B’s putative rocky world? That would be at least 30 years round-trip at 0.3 c. Would you risk being cut-off from the rest of humanity for so long? Good telecommunications, via laser, would allow you to keep track, but you wouldn’t be able to contribute to it without a multiyear time-lag. Could you stand the separation? Could you tolerate the same faces nearby for +30 years? [...]

]]> By: systemic - Hawaii http://oklo.org/2008/02/24/toward-alpha-cen-b-b/comment-page-1/#comment-4628 systemic - Hawaii Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:54:32 +0000 http://oklo.org/?p=269#comment-4628 [...] (On a marginally related note, our Alpha Centauri ApJ paper is starting to pick up some news coverage. Here’s a link to a story by National Geographic.) [...] [...] (On a marginally related note, our Alpha Centauri ApJ paper is starting to pick up some news coverage. Here’s a link to a story by National Geographic.) [...]

]]> By: greg http://oklo.org/2008/02/24/toward-alpha-cen-b-b/comment-page-1/#comment-4625 greg Sat, 08 Mar 2008 22:23:08 +0000 http://oklo.org/?p=269#comment-4625 It's true that South Africa and Australia are equally well positioned. Chile was first choice due to the relationships and infrastructure that are already established. It would be excellent if two independent sites carried out the experiment. It’s true that South Africa and Australia are equally well positioned. Chile was first choice due to the relationships and infrastructure that are already established.

It would be excellent if two independent sites carried out the experiment.

]]> By: Lab Lemming http://oklo.org/2008/02/24/toward-alpha-cen-b-b/comment-page-1/#comment-4623 Lab Lemming Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:43:50 +0000 http://oklo.org/?p=269#comment-4623 Why do you need to be in Chile for such a bright star? Couldn't you use a historical observatory somewhere like Hobart of Cape Town? For that matter, Mt. Stromlo in Canberra has a redevelopment fund for bushfire recovery. Why not use a replacement telescope there- it would be a great high-profile project for the rebuild. Why do you need to be in Chile for such a bright star? Couldn’t you use a historical observatory somewhere like Hobart of Cape Town?

For that matter, Mt. Stromlo in Canberra has a redevelopment fund for bushfire recovery. Why not use a replacement telescope there- it would be a great high-profile project for the rebuild.

]]> By: greg http://oklo.org/2008/02/24/toward-alpha-cen-b-b/comment-page-1/#comment-4612 greg Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:09:40 +0000 http://oklo.org/?p=269#comment-4612 Hi Everyone, Debra Fischer has received NSF funding to begin a design study for the Alpha Cen project. The first observing run starts May 19th on an underutilized 1.5-m telescope at the CTIO in Chile. This first run will largely be an engineering run, and Debra and Javiera will be working with Andrei Tokovinin (a collaborator and staff scientist at CTIO) who is refurbishing an echelle spectrometer for the project. In parallel with the NSF-funded groundwork, Debra is also leading a fund-raising effort to fund the full 5-year project. So things are definitely moving forward... Hi Everyone,

Debra Fischer has received NSF funding to begin a design study for the Alpha Cen project. The first observing run starts May 19th on an underutilized 1.5-m telescope at the CTIO in Chile.

This first run will largely be an engineering run, and Debra and Javiera will be working with Andrei Tokovinin (a collaborator and staff scientist at CTIO) who is refurbishing an echelle spectrometer for the project.

In parallel with the NSF-funded groundwork, Debra is also leading a fund-raising effort to fund the full 5-year project.

So things are definitely moving forward…

]]> By: Blog de Astronomia do astroPT » Planetas telúricos em Alfa Centauri B ? http://oklo.org/2008/02/24/toward-alpha-cen-b-b/comment-page-1/#comment-4593 Blog de Astronomia do astroPT » Planetas telúricos em Alfa Centauri B ? Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:04:00 +0000 http://oklo.org/?p=269#comment-4593 [...] A equipa realizou também um estudo que indica que observações das variações da velocidade radial da estrela em alta cadência poderão, ao fim de cinco anos, levar à descoberta de um desses planetas. A razão da escolha da componente B de Alfa Centauri para o estudo reside precisamente aqui. Esta estrela tem uma actividade cromosférica bastante menor que a componente A e portanto apresenta um espectro mais estável para medições da velocidade radial. A equipa planeia utilizar um telescópio de 1.5m no Chile para levar a cabo o projecto para o qual estão a procurar financiamento. Podem ler mais sobre isto aqui e aqui. (crédito da imagem) [...] [...] A equipa realizou também um estudo que indica que observações das variações da velocidade radial da estrela em alta cadência poderão, ao fim de cinco anos, levar à descoberta de um desses planetas. A razão da escolha da componente B de Alfa Centauri para o estudo reside precisamente aqui. Esta estrela tem uma actividade cromosférica bastante menor que a componente A e portanto apresenta um espectro mais estável para medições da velocidade radial. A equipa planeia utilizar um telescópio de 1.5m no Chile para levar a cabo o projecto para o qual estão a procurar financiamento. Podem ler mais sobre isto aqui e aqui. (crédito da imagem) [...]

]]> By: andy http://oklo.org/2008/02/24/toward-alpha-cen-b-b/comment-page-1/#comment-4592 andy Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:22:48 +0000 http://oklo.org/?p=269#comment-4592 graywyvern - you need to add fluxes not temperatures, which means you raise the two temperatures to the fourth power and add them, then take the fourth root. If you do that, you find that Alpha Centauri A's contribution to the temperature of an HZ planet around Alpha Centauri B is a few tenths of a degree, so the habitable zone is pretty much in the same place as it would be if the star was single. graywyvern – you need to add fluxes not temperatures, which means you raise the two temperatures to the fourth power and add them, then take the fourth root.

If you do that, you find that Alpha Centauri A’s contribution to the temperature of an HZ planet around Alpha Centauri B is a few tenths of a degree, so the habitable zone is pretty much in the same place as it would be if the star was single.

]]> By: graywyvern http://oklo.org/2008/02/24/toward-alpha-cen-b-b/comment-page-1/#comment-4580 graywyvern Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:43:37 +0000 http://oklo.org/?p=269#comment-4580 NB i see the terrestrial range of "0.5-1.5 AU" being bandied about, here. no way! due to the thermal impact of star A, that moves the habitable zone considerably farther out. i don't have my numbers in front of me, but just consider what the graybody temperature of Uranus is & add this to Earth's (plus, it's a brighter sun). i think we should be looking 2 to 3 AU out from B for a planet that's not runaway greenhousing. (even moreso, for planets of star A.) in this system we really are pushing the edge of what's dynamically stable... m. NB i see the terrestrial range of “0.5-1.5 AU” being bandied about, here. no way!

due to the thermal impact of star A, that moves the habitable zone considerably farther out. i don’t have my numbers in front of me, but just consider what the graybody temperature of Uranus is & add this to Earth’s (plus, it’s a brighter sun). i think we should be looking 2 to 3 AU out from B for a planet that’s not runaway greenhousing. (even moreso, for planets of
star A.) in this system we really are pushing the edge of what’s dynamically stable…

m.

]]> By: Hungry4info2 http://oklo.org/2008/02/24/toward-alpha-cen-b-b/comment-page-1/#comment-4504 Hungry4info2 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:03:57 +0000 http://oklo.org/?p=269#comment-4504 So what does this prospect exist at the moment? Are you going to attempt to get this 5-year commitment underway? And if so, when do you think it could start? Needless to say, I'm quite excitedly waiting for developments on this. Who wouldn't like to see a handful of terrestrial planets around Alf Cen B? Is a proposal in writing? or what? So what does this prospect exist at the moment?
Are you going to attempt to get this 5-year commitment underway? And if so, when do you think it could start? Needless to say, I’m quite excitedly waiting for developments on this. Who wouldn’t like to see a handful of terrestrial planets around Alf Cen B? Is a proposal in writing? or what?

]]>