ARLINGTON -- Star Trek's Captain James Tiberius Kirk led his USS Enterprise through space in search of new life forms and worlds -- a task outlined at the beginning of the popular 1960s television show.
"Space," states that iconic voice. "The final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before."Kirk, who according to story was born in 2233, had only to go back in time to find an Earth-based team working on a similar project. Today, a group of astrophysicists from The University of Texas at Arlington are also pondering: "Are we alone in the universe?"Physics professor Zdzislaw Musielak, associate professor Manfred Cuntz and Billy Quarles, a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Arlington's College of Science, are grabbing headlines this week as they unveil research that may help scientists find a planet or moon with some sort of life form. Their work tries to answer a question that has inspired fiction writers and scientists through the ages."We are almost discovering what was science fiction 30 years ago," Quarles said.TatooineUsing data collected from the Kepler Mission space telescope and computer modeling, the UTA team is trying to map for scientists where conditions exist to support potential life forms within the Kepler-16 System. That system made headlines last fall when NASA announced the existence of a "world with a double sunset, as portrayed in the film Star Wars."Kepler-16b has been likened to Tatooine (think of the place Luke Skywalker was attacked by Tusken Raiders or Sand People), but it is uninhabitable, according to NASA.The UTA team was inspired by the planet's discovery, said Musielak, describing how Quarles brought him an article about the planet and how they were moved to make calculations using the tools available. The results indicated that an Earth-type planet could exist in a "habitable zone" as an exomoon orbiting the Keplar-16b planet.The team also concluded that an "extendable habitable zone" exists outside the orbit of Kepler-16b, according to the university.Cuntz said that potential life form could be along the lines of a plant or bacteria. The critical feature for a life form would be the possibility of fluid water, he said.Quarles said it would be akin to life forms believed to be on Mars, which are more dependent on carbon dioxide than oxygen.Musielak said finding a moon in that system would be historical."It would be one of the greatest discoveries," he said. "This would be the first moon discovered outside of our solar system and it would be habitable."These findings were presented this week to the American Astronomical Society in Austin, prompting articles in a variety of publications, including National Geographic Daily News.Space travelThe team is encouraged by all the attention their work is getting -- imagine people talking astrophysics on the streets. The science fiction references help people understand the information. It is also prompting people to ask more questions, which scientist thrive on, he said.Musielak said people's response is typically, "Ah, really. Hmmm, that's very, very interesting."Quarles said that while scientists can use satellites and modeling to make these detections, man still can't verify a finding in person. Still, the team says this type of scientific discussion can lead to more space exploration."You never know what people will do," Musielak said. "Sometimes, it's very hard to make predictions. Things are changing almost every year from the technology point of view."So while man doesn't have the tools required to make an archeological dig in the Keplar-16 System today, scientists don't rule out the possibility that someday humans will find a way to travel there.Just don't expect them to find Klingons, Tribbles and Romulans.Diane Smith, 817-390-7675Twitter: @dianestarHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
