LiVe

Astronomers now have the capability to search for signs of life on exoplanets by way of atmospheric biosignature gases, thanks to a new generation of telescopes. Yet, we must dramatically expand our ideas about habitable planets in order not to miss our chances. Our objective is to establish the possibility of Venus-like exoplanets hosting life not in water but in concentrated liquid sulfuric acid. The motivation comes from recent ground-breaking studies showing that a growing number of molecules, including amino acids, are stable in concentrated sulfuric acid, challenging the paradigm that sulfuric acid destroys most organic molecules.
Furthermore, planets currently accessible for signs-of-life searches are hosted by small red dwarf stars that spewed high energy particles at early stages of their evolution, likely leading to the evaporation of initial water on their temperate planets and enabling formation of Venus-like worlds. We propose to: use experiments and computer models to establish the existence of exoplanets with liquid sulfuric acid; identify and characterize Venus-like candidates and their host stars; determine which biosignature gases can accumulate in the atmospheres of Venus-like exoplanets; and prepare telescope proposals. By focusing on planets with sulfuric acid instead of water, we aim to broaden our pursuit, ensuring we do not overlook potentially life-sustaining worlds.