The University of Antioquia (Colombia) in partnership with McMaster University (Canada) explored for the first time, what is the influence of magnetic fields exomoons – natural satellites orbiting planets outside our solar system in their conditions to be habitable.
Although many exomoons are in “habitable zones” or places for life for a right amount of light and the presence of liquid water, the probability that they are living is reduced by the effect of other factors that disrupt these conditions, concludes the study.
For researchers Rene Heller and Jorge Zuluaga, who developed this work” the results are not entirely encouraging,” because for that magnetically are protected exomoons could harbor life, should be very close to their planets, which puts them in risk of gravitational tidal heating of these.
“As a result most of the moons would be uninhabitable”, say experts, who with this research take a step forward in the exploration of objects outside our solar system. The exomoons investigated by Heller and Zuluaga have sizes and masses similar to those of Mars and orbiting planets have similar compositions in some cases to those of Neptune or Jupiter.
It also highlights the calculation made by the experts of the size of the magnetosphere or magnetic fields covering giant exoplanets located in “habitable zones”, thanks to the experience in previous studies on the generation and maintenance of these fields in terrestrial planets.
The researchers said in a statement, which will continue to explore in more depth the issue in future work and that the study has “emphasized one aspect of the habitability of exomoons really interesting and not considered in detail to the present”.