Introduction

Welcome to the website of the Sirius A symposium!

The Universe is filled with an incredible amount of interesting objects, from stellar remnants to galactic filaments. Within that great expanse are trillions of stars, many of which will have planets orbiting them. This naturally begs the question: Are there other planets that can sustain life? And if so, how could we see that? How does life even begin, and what conditions are needed for an exoplanet to play host to it?

Luckily, none of these questions have definitive answers (yet!), and so the science behind them is buzzing with activity. Not just astronomers are pondering the possibility of life on other planets - biology, chemistry and many other fields are working out all sorts of theories, from the uniqueness of water as a solvent for life to the possibility of non-carbon-based organisms. Meanwhile in Astronomy we are finding more exoplanets every day while investigating every aspect of exoplanets we can - from their formation and evolution to the compositions of their atmospheres.

Doesn't all of that just get you filled with curiosity and excitement? Join us at the Exoplanets & Astrobiology Symposium on the 28th of May at the unique DOT Live Planetarium from 9:00 - 17:00 to sate your thirst for knowledge! Experts in the fields of Planetary Sciences and Astrobiology will describe their research in a range of topics, from the formation and evolution of rocky planets to the detection of biosignatures and so much more.

Programme

09:00-09:30 Opening and Drinks

Abstract: The advent of JWST observations enables a new level of characterisation of the environments of terrestrial planets – both in their formation epoch and late evolutionary stages. In this talk I will first focus on how improved characterisation of planet-forming disks links to the formation conditions of the terrestrial planets of our own Solar System, and in particular how high-entropy states during accretion shape the distribution of atmospheric volatiles between different chemical phases (such as core, mantle and atmosphere) of forming planets. Second, I will then describe the current efforts to characterise the composition and find potential signs of secondary atmospheres on ultra-short period lava exoplanets. While seemingly disconnected at first glance, lava exoplanets and accreting terrestrial planets share common physical characteristics, from which we can fill in gaps in this poorly understood epoch of terrestrial planet evolution.
Abstract: Today, thousands of planets are known to orbit stars other than the Sun. We can measure their sizes and orbital periods, infer their masses and temperatures, and constrain their compositions. Based on these data, about 1% of extrasolar planets are potentially habitable for life as we know it, implying that of the billions of planets in our Galaxy, some may actually be inhabited, at least by microbes. However, recognizing signs of alien life forms is a major challenge for current technology, because of the wide range of conditions on extrasolar planets, and because of the wide range of forms that life may take. This talk reviews observations of exoplanets and discusses astrobiological definitions of habitability and the likelihood of finding life beyond the Earth, both within and outside our Solar system.

11:05-11:35 Break

Abstract: The discovery and understanding of exoplanets have experienced transformative advances thanks to space observatories. The European Space Agency plays a major role in this area, with several space missions dedicated to the study of exoplanets and general-purpose observatories making significant contributions to this field. Currently, the Gaia, HST, JWST, and CHEOPS missions are operational, while PLATO, Ariel, and the Roman Space Telescope are in development and scheduled for launch within the next five years. In this talk I will explain the techniques used by these exoplanet space missions, discuss some of their exciting discoveries, and highlight the key questions that upcoming missions will address.
Abstract: How did we get here? Are we alone in the universe? These questions are as old as humanity. As technology advances, we can increase our understanding of how life got started on Earth and how it could begin in other places. Astrochemistry as a field has grown immensely in recent years and, with the advent of ALMA in particular, has unveiled hundreds of molecular species which are able to form in space, including several prebiotic molecules. The first prebiotic molecule detected in space, formamide (NH2CHO) has been shown to be a precursor to amino acids in the conditions of early Earth. Despite over 20 years of study, formamide has no clear dominant formation reaction. In my talk, I will explain the astrobiological and astrochemical tools used to address the origin of life in general and speak about my own observational and theoretical work on understanding the formation of formamide in various environments.

13:10-14:10 Lunch break

Abstract: Astronomers are now regularly identifying planets outside our Solar System. However, it remains a mystery if such planets can host life. I will reveal how radio waves emitted from exoplanets can help us understand if life could exist around the most common stars in the Galaxy.
Abstract: In this talk, Exploration Scientist Dr Nicol Caplin will delve into the captivating world of astrobiology through the lens of human and robotic exploration at the European Space Agency (ESA). Beginning with an overview of legacy activities, the talk will also cover present day research aboard the International Space Station (ISS), where scientists explore the effects of microgravity on microbial life, paving the way for understanding extraterrestrial life forms, should they exist. Transitioning beyond Earth's orbit, details will be provided about plans to seize the opportunities in lunar orbit on the Gateway, a crucial outpost for future human exploration missions to the Moon and beyond. Through these diverse space platforms, ESA is at the forefront of astrobiology research, pushing the boundaries of human knowledge and unlocking the secrets of life beyond our planet.

16:00-17:00 Drinks

Speakers

Picture of Tim Lichtenberg
Tim Lichtenberg

Dr. Tim Lichtenberg is an assistant professor at our very own RUG, and heads the Forming Worlds research team. His research centers around the formation and evolution of rocky exoplanets, with the ultimate aim of furthering our understanding of the origin of life in relation to the evolution of planetary conditions.

Talk: Formation and Evolution of Terrestrial Worlds

Picture of Floris van der Tak
Floris van der Tak

Prof. Dr. Floris van der Tak is a senior scientist at SRON and the Kapteyn Institute. Over the years he has worked in collaborations with several space projects, including Herschel, SPICA and most recently LIFE - a candidate for ESA’s next Large Mission focussed on detection of exoplanets and their atmospheres. His areas of expertise include the Interstellar medium, star formation, interstellar chemistry and astrobiology.

Talk: The likelihood and appearance of life beyond the Earth

Picture of Ana Heras
Ana Heras

Dr. Ana Heras has worked at ESA for over 25 years, and works currently as project scientist for Plato: a space observatory that will search for planets similar in size to Earth orbiting sun-like stars. As project scientist, Dr. Heras’ focus is on defining the observatory’s key scientific objectives and specifying its capabilities.

Talk: ESA’s fleet of exoplanet missions: Investigating uncharted worlds

Picture of Veronica Allen
Veronica Allen

Veronica Allen completed her PhD at the Kapteyn Institute in 2018, after which she obtained a fellowship at the NASA Goddard space flight center for three years. Now back here in Groningen, she researches the origins of molecules within star-forming regions.

Talk: Astrochemistry and the origin of life

Picture of Joseph Callingham
Joseph Callingham

Dr. Joseph Callingham has expertise in the fields of radio astronomy, extragalactic astronomy, stellar systems and high-energy astrophysics. Dr. Callingham works at ASTRON as the head of the Square Kilometer Array science group, and teaches at Leiden University.

Talk: Life around a radio star

Picture of Nicol Caplin
Nicol Caplin

Dr. Nicol Caplin extensively studied plant biology before coming to work at ESA in the field of astrobiology. She now works as an exploration scientist for ESA and ESTEC, and works in the fields of space radiation and radioecology.

Talk: Towards the Search for Life: European Space Agency Astrobiology Research Activities

Venue

The Symposium will take place at the DOT Liveplanetarium (Vrydemalaan 2, 9713 WS Groningen, the Netherlands). This unique location’s best known feature is the large white dome, within which our Symposium will be taking place! The dome offers a large amount of comfortable seats under which you can gaze on the night sky - even in broad daylight.

Sponsors

About

The Sirius A symposium is an event organized by Sirius A - the study association for Astronomy at the University of Groningen. All aspects of the event were planned by students in the association’s S.T.A.R. Talks committee in their free time. These dedicated students are:

Sabine van den Brom - Jorick Lania - Emma van der Vinne - Malina Ovesen - Maria Dziouba - Marloes van Asselt - Andrei Dirjan - Ivaylo Kamburov

For more information about Sirius A, please visit siriusa.nl.

If you have any questions send us an email at Startalks@astro.rug.nl .