Life evolving on a planet revolving a red dwarf?

[Gold Barz]

Could it happen or is it very unlikely?

 

[selfAdjoint]

Well I would think the most intense frequency band from a red dwarf would be suilable for photosynthesis, since it uses photons in the deep red frequency band. The planet would have to be in a very special orbit, since the habitable zone would be much narrower than that for a G-type like the Sun.

The free energy gap between the incoming radiation from the star and the outgoing infrared of the heated planet would be much narrower too, which would suggest only simple life. Of course if the planet had live tectonics and midocean rifts to supply free energy, all bets are off.

 

[Gold Barz]

So do you think these planets are out there in the galaxy, many of them?

Also, there is another question in the PM I sent you...thanks.

 

[selfAdjoint]

As I replied in the PM, I think these planets would be extemely rare. And I'm talking about planets with some bacteria, not comfortable planets for humans.

 

[Danger]

It seems to me that there are very few conditions under which life can't develop. To start with, nothing is said about the basis of that life. It could use a sulphur metabolism, or be silicon based, or maybe even a plasma field with a coherent internal 'neurology' based upon charge exchanges. Just looking at Earth, who would suspect that one lifeform evolved living on the brink of undersea volcanic vents or that some lichen thingie is happy at subzero temperatures with no air? The life span of a red dwarf is so long that trillions of experimental attempts by random molecules to join into 'life' can take place. It's entirely possible that at least one of them is viable.

 

[Gold Barz]

So, life is against all odds then in the galaxy because...red dwarfs make up like 4 out of 5 planets in the galaxy and 60% of the stars are in binary systems.

 

[turbo]

So, life is against all odds then in the galaxy because...red dwarfs make up like 4 out of 5 planets in the galaxy and 60% of the stars are in binary systems.

There is life on Earth, and there has been for about 75% of its existence.

A red dwarf might have a smaller habitable zone, but a long quiescent lifetime might allow life to arise and develop at a rate similar to, or perhaps superior to, the emergence of life around our own star, adjusted for the lifetime of the star.

 

[Gold Barz]

But if it has a very narrow habitable zone then it could last for gazillions of years and still not have life evolve because there is no planet in that narrow habitable zone.