Risks for Life on Proxima b from Sterilizing Impacts

Abstract

Abstract We consider the implications that a debris belt located between Proxima b and Proxima c would pose for the rate of large asteroid impacts that could sterilize life from Proxima b. Future observations by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array or the James Webb Space Telescope could constrain the existence of an asteroid belt in the life-threatening regime. We generalize our rate calculation of sterilizing impacts for habitable planets in systems with an asteroid belt and an outer planet.