Red dwarf stars like Proxima Centauri are known to host many terrestrial planets in their habitable zones. However, the flaring of these stars poses a significant threat to the habitability of their planets. Researchers have published extensive research on M-dwarf flaring, with new data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) providing insights into Proxima Centauri’s behavior.
The study, titled “The Proxima Centauri Campaign—First Constraints on Millimeter Flare Rates from ALMA,” observed 463 flare events over a 50-hour period and found that the flares were short-lived but extremely powerful. The energy released during these flares was comparable to the Sun’s B-Class flares, despite Proxima Centauri being much less massive.
The researchers used the FLARE Frequency Distribution (FFD) to describe how often flares of different strengths occur. They found that millimeter flaring was more frequent than optical flaring, which suggests a disconnect between the sources of these two types of emission during flares. This could indicate that Proxima Centauri b’s atmosphere is being chemically modified or eroded by the intense radiation and particles released during these events.
The habitability of Proxima Centauri b is particularly concerning due to its proximity to the star, which means it receives a significant amount of stellar radiation and flares. As a tidally-locked planet, it does not rotate and therefore lacks a protective magnetosphere. This makes it vulnerable to intense stellar radiation and frequent stellar flares, making it surprising if Proxima Centauri b could maintain an atmosphere or be habitable.
Overall, the study highlights the importance of considering the effects of M-dwarf flaring on exoplanet habitability. Further research is needed to fully understand the impact of these stars on their planetary systems and to determine whether planets like Proxima Centauri b can support life.
Source: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/revealing-proxima-centauris-extreme-flares