Interstellar Updates

 

These are items of interest to the interstellar exploration community that we’ve found in our quest for information that will help us advance toward our goals.  If you know of anything we’ve overlooked, or any sources of such information we should monitor, or if you would like to be added to our IRG-updates mailing list and receive these updates in you email every weekday, please send that information to info@irg.space.

You can now search our database of interstellar updates and find items of interest to you.

September 29, 2025 Updates

From Earthbound to Stars: Analyzing Humanity’s Path to a Type II Civilization
https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202509.1932/v1

Hybrid Strategy for Coordinated Interstellar Signaling: Linking the Galactic Center and Extragalactic Bursts
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.20718

The Temporal Observability Filter Hypothesis (TOFH): A Physically-Constrained, Bayesian Framework for the Observational Invisibility of Technological Civilizations
https://www.academia.edu/143709470/The_Temporal_Observability_Filter_Hypothesis_TOFH_A_Physically_Constrained_Bayesian_Framework_for_the_Observational_Invisibility_of_Technological_Civilizations

Innovative SiC ultraviolet instrumentation development with potential applications for the Habitable Worlds Observatory
https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/Journal-of-Astronomical-Telescopes-Instruments-and-Systems/volume-11/issue-4/042225/Innovative-SiC-ultraviolet-instrumentation-development-with-potential-applications-for-the/10.1117/1.JATIS.11.4.042225.full

Beyond Earth: Strategic Pathways to a Multiplanet Civilization and the Case for Mars Settlement
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2362&context=ccr

The Transcendent Tapestry
https://philarchive.org/rec/AROTTT

Debris disks and their properties with the Habitable Worlds Observatory
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.21407

Upper Limit on the Non-Gravitational Acceleration and Lower Limits on the Nucleus Mass and Diameter of 3I/ATLAS
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.21408

Dynamical Pathways to the Misalignment of the VHS 1256-1257 System
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.21452

A Combined TESS and Ground-based Study of Transit Timing Variations in HAT-P-16, TOI-1516 and TOI-2046 Systems
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.21551

Limb Asymmetries on WASP-39b: A Multi-GCM Comparison of Chemistry, Clouds, and Hazes
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.21588

Low-mass companions to nine stars
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.22127

Starshades as technosignatures in direct imaging phase curves: Application to the Habitable Worlds Observatory targets
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.22301

The Origins & Reservoirs of Exocomets
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.22541

Temporal evolution of the third interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS: Spin, color, spectra, and dust activity
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/10/aa56717-25/aa56717-25.html

Shape shifting sailer: Entry and descent capabilities of self-foldable shape memory membranes
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0094576525006320

JWST Detection of a Carbon-dioxide-dominated Gas Coma Surrounding Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ae0647

Astrometric Methods for Detecting Exomoons Orbiting Imaged Exoplanets: Prospects for Detecting Moons Orbiting a Giant Planet in α Centauri A’s Habitable Zone
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ae0741

PEPSI Investigation, Retrieval, and Atlas of Numerous Giant Atmospheres (PIRANGA). III. Composition and winds in the atmosphere of TOI-1518 b
https://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article/doi/10.1093/mnras/staf1648/8266785

September 26, 2025 updates

Deriving ʻOumuamua’s Anomalous Acceleration from First Principles in Spatial-Causal Geometry (SCG)
https://zenodo.org/records/17205296

The JWST weather report: Retrieving temperature variations, auroral heating, and static cloud coverage on SIMP-0136
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/10/aa55370-25/aa55370-25.html

Hot Rocks Survey. IV. Emission from LTT 3780 b Is Consistent with a Bare Rock
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-3881/adfc51

JWST Detection of a Carbon-dioxide-dominated Gas Coma Surrounding Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ae0647

Modelling the effect of stellar metallicity on the XUV evolution of low-mass stars and its impact on exoplanet atmospheres/habitability
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/395848251_Modelling_the_effect_of_stellar_metallicity_on_the_XUV_evolution_of_low-mass_stars_and_its_impact_on_exoplanet_atmosphereshabitability

Revising the Giant Planet Mass-Metallicity Relation: Deciphering the Formation Sequence of Giant Planets
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.20428

Not All Sub-Neptune Exoplanets Have Magma Oceans
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.20429

How two-dimensional are planet-disc interactions? II. Radiation hydrodynamics and suitable cooling prescriptions
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.20464

HWO Target Stars and Systems: A Prioritized Community List of Potential Stellar Targets for the Habitable Worlds Observatory’s ExoEarth Survey
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.20544

September 25, 2025 updates

Planets Without Plate Tectonics and too Little Carbon Dioxide Could Mean that Technological Alien Life is Rare
https://www.europlanet.org/epsc-dps2025-planets-without-plate-tectonics-and-too-little-carbon-dioxide-could-mean-that-technological-alien-life-is-rare/

Winding motion of spirals in a gravitationally unstable protoplanetary disk
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-025-02639-y

The GAPS Programme at TNG – LXIX. The dayside of WASP-76 b revealed by GIANO-B, HARPS-N, and ESPRESSO: Evidence of 3D atmospheric effects
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/09/aa55702-25/aa55702-25.html

Impact of rotation on synthetic mass–radius relationships of two-layer rocky planets and water worlds
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/09/aa54116-25/aa54116-25.html

Quantifying thermal water dissociation in the dayside photosphere of WASP-121 b using NIRPS
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/09/aa53724-25/aa53724-25.html

Evolution of Stellar Activity and Habitable zone: I. Ultraviolet Emission of Dwarfs in Open Clusters and Field Stars
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.18559

Searching for GEMS: TOI-5349b is a Saturn-like planet orbiting a metal-rich early M-dwarf
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.19492

Deep learning for exoplanet detection and characterization by direct imaging at high contrast
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.20310

21st-Century Astrobiology Missions Should Seek These High-Confidence Biosignatures
https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.02746

September 24, 2025 updates

What do the fundamental constants of physics tell us about life?
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.09892

Is ozone a reliable proxy for molecular oxygen? – III. The impact of CH4 on the O2–O3 relationship for Earth-like atmospheres
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/09/aa56015-25/aa56015-25.html

Magnetohydrodynamic simulations preliminarily predict the habitability and radio emission of TRAPPIST-1e
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/09/aa55471-25/aa55471-25.html

Quantifying the Distribution of Europium in the Milky Way Disk: Its Connection to Planetary Habitability and the Source of the r-process
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adfb4d

A Comprehensive Analysis of Three Microlensing Planet Candidates with the Planet/Binary Degeneracy
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.18345

A multi-object approach for studying exoplanet atmospheres using high-resolution spectrographs
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.18721

A Scatter of Light from a Polarized World
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.19172

Exploring the Sub-Neptune Frontier with JWST
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.19247

September 23, 2025 updates

Surveying the stellar drivers of exoplanet evolution for the first time with the ESCAPE small explorer mission
https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/13625/136250B/Surveying-the-stellar-drivers-of-exoplanet-evolution-for-the-first/10.1117/12.3063555.short

Intercepting 3I/ATLAS at Its Closest Approach to Jupiter with the Juno Spacecraft
https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4310/12/9/851

A Model for Massless Gravity: The Maths that makes Interstellar Drives possible.
https://zenodo.org/records/17176483

The Hot Neptune Initiative (HONEI) – II. TOI-5795 b: A hot super-Neptune orbiting a metal-poor star
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/09/aa56081-25/aa56081-25.html

RAVEN: RAnking and Validation of ExoplaNets
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.17645

Identifying close-in Jupiters that arrived via disk migration: Evidence of primordial alignment, preference of nearby companions and hint of runaway migration
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.16322

Polarized Signatures of Variable Worlds: Modeling Heterogeneous Habitable Earth- and Early Mars-like (Exo)planets
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.16338

Evaluation of the magnetic field of hot Jupiters within the geometric approach
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.16565

Direct Imaging for the Debris Disk around ε Eridani with the Cool-Planet Imaging Coronagraph
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.16761

Identifying rocky planets and water worlds among sub-Neptune-sized exoplanets with the Habitable Worlds Observatory
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.16798

An Initial Assessment of the Hanle Echelle Spectrograph for Exoplanet Atmosphere Studies
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.17142

Radial Velocity Strategies for the Orbital Refinement of Exoplanet Direct Imaging Targets
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.17169

A Thick Volatile Atmosphere on the Ultra-Hot Super-Earth TOI-561 b
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.17231

Improving radial velocity precision with CARMENES-PLUS:An upgrade of the near-infrared spectrograph cooling system
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.17966

A Decade of Transit-Timing Measurements Confirm Resonance in the K2-19 System
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.18031

Ionospheric Electron Heat Flow Modulates Planetary Ambipolar Electric Fields
https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.10218