On the Possibility of Habitable Trojan Planets in Binary Star Systems

Approximately 60 % of all stars in the solar neighbourhood (up to 80 % in our Milky Way) are members of binary or multiple star systems. This fact led to the speculations that many more planets may exist in binary systems than are currently known. To estimate the habitability of exoplanetary systems, we have to define the so-called habitable zone (HZ). The HZ is defined as a region around a star where a planet would receive enough radiation to maintain liquid water on its surface and to be able to build a stable atmosphere. We search for new dynamical configurations—where planets may stay in stable orbits—to increase the probability to find a planet like the Earth.