James Murdza

Imagining Other Earths

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A habitable moon concept based on the Alpha Centauri AB system and the film Avatar
Calculations based on recent astronomical surveys estimate that their could be as many as 60 billion habitable planets in our galaxy alone. However, our narrow understanding and knowledge of
these far away systems makes generalizations about extraterrestrial life in this vast and varied
planetary zoo impossible. Another way to learn about the nature of habitable systems is to invent
models of planetary systems and see if they are plausible in theory. In this paper I create a model
using two characteristics of solar systems seen in the 2009 science fiction film Avatar, but never
before observed to support life. The first is a binary star, two stars which orbit each other, which
we know much about from observing our two closest neighbor stars, Alpha Centauri A and B. In
fact, one possible planet has recently been detected in orbit around ACB. The second is the concept of a habitable moon. While an Earth-sized orbiting a Jupiter-sized planet has not been observed such as the film Avatar depicts, there is certainly not enough evidence to conclude that
this does not occur.
To support our calculations, we will first establish the basic properties and orbits of bodies involved. In Avatar, Pandora is a moon orbiting the gas giant Pandora which follows an S-type
(around one star only) orbit around ACA. We will base our system on depictions from the film
by assuming many properties of Polyphemus and Pandora to be roughly the same as that of
Jupiter and Earth. In addition the movie shows the axial tilt of Pandora to be quite small, which
means seasonal changes in temperature would be moderate.
Characteristics of habitability in a binary star system
The primary requirement in determining habitable planets is the precise amount of energy to
keep water in a liquid state. Surface temperature on the hypothetical Pandora would be mainly
the result of four factors: radiated heat from the suns, radiated heat from Polyphemus, the albedo
of Pandora and the heat retaining properties of Pandora and its atmosphere. To start with,
Polyphemus, the gas giant appears in the sky in the film with a perceived radius of about 10 in
the celestial sphere, and knowing actual radius we can estimate the orbital radius, RP, of Pandora:
RP = 43,000 km / tan10 = 240,000 km
We can now estimate the radiance from Polyphemus based on the known size and temperature of
Jupiter:

James Murdza

Imagining Other Earths

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FPolyphemus = (1/4) (43,000 km)2/RP2 (418 K)4 = 2.4 108 K4

An important question to ask is what effect the orbit of two suns will have on planet temperature.
The radiation from each is a function of distance to the star depending on the stars size and temperature:
FACA = (1/4) (854,000 km)2/RACA2 (5790 K)4
FACB = (1/4) (695,800 km)2/RACB2 (5260 K)4
Because we assume the albedo and greenhouse effect of Pandora to be similar to Earths, we can
find a radiative habitable zone (RHZ) by simply finding the orbit where Pandora would receive
the same radiance as Earth, which is easily calculated via the same method.
FSol = (1/4) (700,000 km)2/(150,000,000 km)2 (5800 K)4 = 6.2 109K4
Assuming Polyphemus has a nearly circular orbit, RACA will remain constant but RACB will vary
as the stars move in orbit. By looking up this orbit we can generalize that RACB will fall within
this range at any given time:
11.2 AU - RACA < RACB < 35.6 AU - RACA
By combining the above equations we can relate the orbital radius of Polyphemus and the total
radiance it receives. This model shows us that within the RHZ, ACB is far enough that change in
radiation will be insignificant. Working backwards we find that at the optimal distance, 1.24 AU,
radiance from ACB would result in a minuscule .3K fluctuation in temperature.

James Murdza

Imagining Other Earths

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Characteristics of habitability on an Earth-like moon

Having determined a sensible orbit for a planet to sustain life, we can then calculate its yearly
path around the sun. The periods of both Polyphemus and Pandora can be calculated from their
orbital radii using Keplers third law:
TPolyphemus2 = 42 (1.851011 m)3 / (G 2.21030 kg + 1.91027 kg)
TPolyphemus = 477.5 days
TPandora2 = 42 (2.4108 m)3 / (G 1.91027 kg + 6.01024 kg)
TPandora = 18 hours
We would expect Pandora to be a tidally locked moon, so the orbital period of Pandora around
Polyphemus, 18 Earth hours, corresponds to a solar day as well as a month. A solar year on Pandora would last 477.5 Earth days or 636.7 Pandora days. Whereas tidally locked bodies orbiting
stars are extremely harsh environments for life to form, having one hot and one cold side, on
Pandora, only 4% of radiation reaching Pandora would come from the planet it orbits, resulting
in only a small temperature gradient between the two sides.
We can also estimate the strength of tides on a tidally locked moon using Lowrie's equation for
tidal acceleration:
a = G MACA ((6.4106 m)-2 - (1.51011 m + 6.4106 m)-2)
a = 5.510-7 m/s
Since Pandora would be tidally locked, only ACA, and not Polyphemus, would have an effect on
tides. Tides on Pandora would be be about the strength of neap tides on Earth, which are the
weakest tides that occur on Earth in a given six month cycle.
Some areas on the near side of Pandora would experience frequent and large solar eclipses due to
the large apparent size of Polyphemus in the sky, but eclipses would never block the sun for
more than 60 minutes per 18 hour day, since this is the time it takes the sun to follow a 20 arc in
the celestial sphere.
Requirements for life

James Murdza

Imagining Other Earths

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In this paper I have shown by example that the basic thermal criteria for life can be met for a
body orbiting within a binary star system and/or as a moon orbiting a planet, just two examples
of habitable systems which can be hypothesized to exist. The temperature requirement is just the
most basic requirement for habitability, ensuring that liquid water can exist, but we can imagine
systems like this with every imaginable mineral and atmospheric composition. Future observations will seek out systems like these which are habitable, and finally prove weather or not they
do sustain life.