A team of scientists is proposing a new approach to searching for signs of alien life using the James Webb Space Telescope. They aim to detect methyl halides, gases produced by bacteria, algae, fungi, and plants on Earth, in the atmospheres of exoplanets.
Methyl halides are particularly interesting because they can be detected in infrared light, which is a specialty of the James Webb Space Telescope. The researchers believe that these gases may appear in higher concentrations around “Hycean” planets, which have thick hydrogen-rich atmospheres and could potentially harbor seas. These worlds are part of a class of sub-Neptune planets, which are larger than rocky worlds like Earth.
According to Michaela Leung, a planetary scientist at the University of California, detecting methyl halides could be done in as few as 13 hours using the James Webb Space Telescope, significantly less time required for detecting gases like oxygen or methane. This approach is more efficient and cost-effective, making it an attractive option for researchers.
The proposal builds on a previous study that used the James Webb Space Telescope to analyze the atmosphere of K2-18 b, a planet with a potentially habitable environment. While the results sparked debate among experts, they highlighted the need for further research on what gases can be detected and their potential significance in indicating biological activity.
In this new paper, Leung’s team proposes detecting methyl chloride, one particular methyl halide that could be present in Hycean planets. Computer simulations suggest that the telescope could detect it in as few as 14 observations.
The detection of methyl halides on exoplanets would have significant implications for our understanding of life’s distribution and origins. According to Leung, finding microbial life beyond Earth “would reshape our understanding of life’s distribution and the processes that lead to the origins of life.”
Source: https://mashable.com/article/james-webb-space-telescope-gas-biosignatures