The Prospects for Earth-Like Planets within Known Extrasolar Planetary Systems

We consider the possible existence of habitable Earth-like planets in four recently discovered extrasolar planetary systems. Such prospective planets must have orbits that are (1) dynamically stable, and (2) allow for surface temperatures compatible with liquid water. We find that three of the four new systems (51 Peg, p¹ Cnc, and 47 UMa) are easily capable of supporting habitable planets. The fourth (70 Vir) is capable of having a habitable planet only under rather extreme circumstances. To obtain these results, we develop a probabilistic formulation for the coupled problem of orbital stability and planetary habitability.