This Project Grant award for $494,863 from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences Program (CFDA 47.050) supports research at the University of Texas at Austin to chart a path towards determining where life may (or may not) exist in the universe. The goal is to combine astronomy and petrology to constrain the location of potentially habitable worlds by understanding how the key element phosphorus is distributed across the galaxy and what the required amounts are for life to exist. The key activities include: 1) measuring phosphorus abundances in stars in the Milky Way and Gaia Enceladus dwarf galaxy through astronomical observations, and 2) building predictive models for phosphorus partitioning in planetary systems. This interdisciplinary framework aims to link stellar compositions to phosphorus abundances at rocky planet surfaces to identify locations that could support life. The award period runs from September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2027.
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