Destination exoplanet: Habitability conditions influenced by stellar winds properties

Abstract

AbstractThe cumulative effect of the magnetized stellar winds on exoplanets dominates over other forms of star‐planet interactions. When combined with photoevaporation, these winds will lead to atmospheric erosion. This is directly connected with the concept of habitable zone (HZ) planets around late‐type stars. Our knowledge of these magnetized winds is limited, making numerical models useful tools to explore them. In this preliminary study, we focus on solar‐like stars exploring how different stellar wind properties scale with one another. We used one of the most detailed physics‐based models, the 3D Alfvén wave solar model part of the Space Weather Modeling Framework, and applied it to the stellar winds domain. Our simulations showed that the magnetic field topology on the star surface plays a fundamental role in shaping the different stellar wind properties (wind speed, mass loss rate, and angular momentum loss rate). We conclude that a characterization of the Alfvén surface is crucial when studying star‐planet interaction as it can serve as an inner‐boundary of the HZ.