News

The Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability convenes a Postgraduate module, "Habitability in the Universe", which is run by the Institute for Advance Teaching and Learning. This module is open to all postgraduates, from all disciplines, and covers the subject of habitability from myriad perspectives. More details can be found on the module's home pageLink opens in a new window.

Welcome to the website of the Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability (CEH) at the University of Warwick. The CEH is a cross-disciplinary research centre that draws upon expertise from departments across the university. It is a collaborative project which works with both the sciences and arts in order to consider life beyond, and on, this planet. Please explore our webpages, and feel free to contact us if you would like to get involved.

We are excited to announce our final event of 2025, and our first ever panel discussion event. Join us as three Warwick academics, Dr Siddharth Gandhi from Physics, Prof Hendrik Schaefer from Life Sciences, and Prof Nick Lee from WBS, discuss the case of K2-18b.

Abstract:

K2-18b is an exoplanet a few times the size of Earth, orbiting in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star. Originally discovered in 2015 using the Kepler space telescope, it is one of very few small habitable zone exoplanets currently known, and is thought to have a temperature similar to Earth. As such, it is a very interesting target for studies of exoplanet atmospheres and habitability.

Over the last few years, K2-18b has been observed using telescopes such as JWST, and studies of its atmosphere by several different research groups have identified possible signatures of methane, carbon dioxide, and water.

Earlier this year, a new study tentatively detected dimethyl sulphide (DMS) in K2-18b's atmosphere. This gas is a possible biosignature, though can be produced through non-biological means. The study sparked extensive debate in the academic literature and in public media, and the claimed detection remains controversial in terms of both the science and how that science was communicated and publicised.

In this panel discussion, experts from the University of Warwick will present their work on aspects of science relevant to the K2-18b case, and discuss how the way we communicate research can influence public opinion.

We are pleased to announce a new initiative from the CEH: coffee and networking.

This will be a regular series of relaxed, social events where CEH members can chat, learn about each other's research, and build a network of contacts for future collaboration. Coffee and snacks will be provided.

These sessions will run on the last Friday of months without a CEH seminar, from 14:00 to 15:00. Location is TBC.

The first coffee and networking session is on Friday 22nd March - we hope to see you there!

We are thrilled to welcome Dr Katharina Brinkert from the Chemistry Department at the University of Warwick as the next speaker in the Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability seminar series. Dr Brinkert will be giving a talk titled 'Photoelectrochemical Devices for Space Applications'.

Abstract:
Human deep space exploration will rely on efficient and sustainable life support systems for the production of oxygen and other chemicals as well as the recycling of carbon dioxide. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices are investigated for the light-assisted production of hydrogen and carbon-based fuels from CO₂ within the green energy transition on Earth [1]. Similarly to natural photosynthesis, they only require water and solar energy for the process and release oxygen as a by-product. Their monolithic, compact design comprising integrated semiconductor-electrocatalyst systems for light absorption, charge separation and catalysis as well as their sole reliance on solar energy makes them attractive for applications in space, where they can directly convert solar into chemical energy without requiring additional accessories [2,3]. This talk highlights our recent experiments with PEC devices in microgravity environments realised for 9.3 s at the Bremen Drop Tower and links results regarding device efficiencies to gas bubble management [4] and optoelectronic simulations [5]. We will discuss obstacles such as the limiting solar irradiance on Mars as well as the reduced gravitation on the Martian and lunar surface for the application of PEC and other electrochemical devices in these environments and point to practical, sustainable solutions how to overcome them.

[1] Fehr A. M. K. et al. (2023). "Integrated halide perovskite photoelectrochemical cells with solar-driven water-splitting efficiency of 20.8%", Nat. Commun. 14 (3797).
[2] Brinkert K. et al. (2018). Nat. Commun. 9 (2527).
[3] Brinkert K. and Mandin, P. (2022). "Fundamentals and future applications of electrochemical energy conversion in space", npj Microgravity 52
[4] Romero-Calvo Á. et al. (2022). "Magnetic phase separation in microgravity", Microgravity 8 (32)
[5] Ross B. et al. (2023). "Assessment of the technological viability of photoelectrochemical devices for oxygen and fuel production on Moon and Mars", Nat. Commun. 14, (3141)