1
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Wogan NF, Catling DC, Zahnle KJ. Timing and Likelihood of the Origin of Life Derived from Post-Impact Highly Reducing Atmospheres. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:881-891. [PMID: 39344973 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Big impacts on the early Earth would have created highly reducing atmospheres that generated molecules needed for the origin of life, such as nitriles. However, such impactors could have been followed by collisions that were sufficiently big to vaporize the ocean and destroy any pre-existing life. Thus, a post-impact-reducing atmosphere that gives rise to life needs to be followed by a lack of subsequent sterilizing impacts for life to persist. We assume that prebiotic chemistry required a post-impact-reducing atmosphere. Then, using statistics for the impact history on Earth and the minimum impact mass needed to generate post-impact highly reducing atmospheres, we show that the median timing of impact-driven biopoiesis is favored early in the Hadean, ∼4.35 Ga. However, uncertainties are large because impact bombardment is stochastic, and so biopoiesis could have occurred between 4.45 and 3.9 Ga within 95% uncertainty. In an optimistic scenario for biopoiesis from post-impact-reducing atmospheres, we find that the origin of life is favorable in ∼90% of stochastic impact realizations. In our most pessimistic case, biopoiesis is still fairly likely (∼20% chance). This potentially bodes well for life on rocky exoplanets that have experienced an early episode of impact bombardment given how planets form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas F Wogan
- Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - David C Catling
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Kevin J Zahnle
- Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
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2
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Avdellidou C, Delbo' M, Nesvorný D, Walsh KJ, Morbidelli A. Dating the Solar System's giant planet orbital instability using enstatite meteorites. Science 2024; 384:348-352. [PMID: 38624242 DOI: 10.1126/science.adg8092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The giant planets of the Solar System formed on initially compact orbits, which transitioned to the current wider configuration by means of an orbital instability. The timing of that instability is poorly constrained. In this work, we use dynamical simulations to demonstrate that the instability implanted planetesimal fragments from the terrestrial planet region into the asteroid main belt. We use meteorite data to show that the implantation occurred >60 million years (Myr) after the Solar System began to form. Combining this constraint with a previous upper limit derived from Jupiter's trojan asteroids, we conclude that the orbital instability occurred 60 to 100 Myr after the beginning of Solar System formation. The giant impact that formed the Moon occurred within this range, so it might be related to the giant planet instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrysa Avdellidou
- Laboratoire Lagrange, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur, 06304 Nice, France
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Marco Delbo'
- Laboratoire Lagrange, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur, 06304 Nice, France
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | | | - Kevin J Walsh
- Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
| | - Alessandro Morbidelli
- Laboratoire Lagrange, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur, 06304 Nice, France
- Collège de France, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Sorbonne Université, 75014 Paris, France
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3
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Schaible MJ, Szeinbaum N, Bozdag GO, Chou L, Grefenstette N, Colón-Santos S, Rodriguez LE, Styczinski MJ, Thweatt JL, Todd ZR, Vázquez-Salazar A, Adams A, Araújo MN, Altair T, Borges S, Burton D, Campillo-Balderas JA, Cangi EM, Caro T, Catalano E, Chen K, Conlin PL, Cooper ZS, Fisher TM, Fos SM, Garcia A, Glaser DM, Harman CE, Hermis NY, Hooks M, Johnson-Finn K, Lehmer O, Hernández-Morales R, Hughson KHG, Jácome R, Jia TZ, Marlow JJ, McKaig J, Mierzejewski V, Muñoz-Velasco I, Nural C, Oliver GC, Penev PI, Raj CG, Roche TP, Sabuda MC, Schaible GA, Sevgen S, Sinhadc P, Steller LH, Stelmach K, Tarnas J, Tavares F, Trubl G, Vidaurri M, Vincent L, Weber JM, Weng MM, Wilpiszeki RL, Young A. Chapter 1: The Astrobiology Primer 3.0. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S4-S39. [PMID: 38498816 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The Astrobiology Primer 3.0 (ABP3.0) is a concise introduction to the field of astrobiology for students and others who are new to the field of astrobiology. It provides an entry into the broader materials in this supplementary issue of Astrobiology and an overview of the investigations and driving hypotheses that make up this interdisciplinary field. The content of this chapter was adapted from the other 10 articles in this supplementary issue and thus represents the contribution of all the authors who worked on these introductory articles. The content of this chapter is not exhaustive and represents the topics that the authors found to be the most important and compelling in a dynamic and changing field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah J Schaible
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nadia Szeinbaum
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - G Ozan Bozdag
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Luoth Chou
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA
| | - Natalie Grefenstette
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Stephanie Colón-Santos
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Laura E Rodriguez
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - M J Styczinski
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jennifer L Thweatt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zoe R Todd
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Alberto Vázquez-Salazar
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alyssa Adams
- Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - M N Araújo
- Biochemistry Department, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Thiago Altair
- Institute of Chemistry of São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
- Department of Chemistry, College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
| | | | - Dana Burton
- Department of Anthropology, George Washington University, Washington DC, USA
| | | | - Eryn M Cangi
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Tristan Caro
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Enrico Catalano
- Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, The BioRobotics Institute, Pisa, Italy
| | - Kimberly Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Peter L Conlin
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Z S Cooper
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Theresa M Fisher
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Santiago Mestre Fos
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amanda Garcia
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - D M Glaser
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Chester E Harman
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ninos Y Hermis
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Physics and Space Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - M Hooks
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - K Johnson-Finn
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Owen Lehmer
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ricardo Hernández-Morales
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Kynan H G Hughson
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Rodrigo Jácome
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Tony Z Jia
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jeffrey J Marlow
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jordan McKaig
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Veronica Mierzejewski
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Israel Muñoz-Velasco
- Departamento de Biología Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ceren Nural
- Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gina C Oliver
- Department of Geology, San Bernardino Valley College, San Bernardino, California, USA
| | - Petar I Penev
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Chinmayee Govinda Raj
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Tyler P Roche
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Mary C Sabuda
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Biotechnology Institute, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - George A Schaible
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Serhat Sevgen
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Pritvik Sinhadc
- BEYOND: Center For Fundamental Concepts in Science, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
- Dubai College, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Luke H Steller
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
| | - Kamil Stelmach
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - J Tarnas
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Frank Tavares
- Space Enabled Research Group, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gareth Trubl
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA
| | - Monica Vidaurri
- Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Howard University, Washington DC, USA
| | - Lena Vincent
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Jessica M Weber
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | | | - Amber Young
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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4
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Schaible MJ, Todd ZR, Cangi EM, Harman CE, Hughson KHG, Stelmach K. Chapter 3: The Origins and Evolution of Planetary Systems. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:S57-S75. [PMID: 38498821 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
The materials that form the diverse chemicals and structures on Earth-from mountains to oceans and biological organisms-all originated in a universe dominated by hydrogen and helium. Over billions of years, the composition and structure of the galaxies and stars evolved, and the elements of life, CHONPS, were formed through nucleosynthesis in stellar cores. Climactic events such as supernovae and stellar collisions produced heavier elements and spread them throughout the cosmos, often to be incorporated into new, more metal-rich stars. Stars typically form in molecular clouds containing small amounts of dust through the collapse of a high-density core. The surrounding nebular material is then pulled into a protoplanetary disk, from which planets, moons, asteroids, and comets eventually accrete. During the accretion of planetary systems, turbulent mixing can expose matter to a variety of different thermal and radiative environments. Chemical and physical changes in planetary system materials occur before and throughout the process of accretion, though many factors such as distance from the star, impact history, and level of heating experienced combine to ultimately determine the final geophysical characteristics. In Earth's planetary system, called the Solar System, after the orbits of the planets had settled into their current configuration, large impacts became rare, and the composition of and relative positions of objects became largely fixed. Further evolution of the respective chemical and physical environments of the planets-geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere-then became dependent on their local geochemistry, their atmospheric interactions with solar radiation, and smaller asteroid impacts. On Earth, the presence of land, air, and water, along with an abundance of important geophysical and geochemical phenomena, led to a habitable planet where conditions were right for life to thrive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah J Schaible
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Zoe R Todd
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Eryn M Cangi
- Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | | | - Kynan H G Hughson
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kamil Stelmach
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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5
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Flahaut J, van der Bogert CH, Crawford IA, Vincent-Bonnieu S. Scientific perspectives on lunar exploration in Europe. NPJ Microgravity 2023; 9:50. [PMID: 37355663 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00298-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The Moon is a geological history book, preserving information about the history of the Solar System, including the formation and early evolution of the terrestrial planets and their bombardment histories, as well as providing insight into other fundamental Solar System processes. These topics form the basis for science "of the Moon", but the lunar surface is also a platform for science "on the Moon" and "from the Moon"-including astronomical observations, fundamental physics, and life science investigations. Recently, the Moon has become a destination for technology research and development-in particular for developing in situ resources, human exploration, and habitation, and for its potential use as a waypoint for the human exploration of Mars. This paper, based on recommendations originally proposed in a White Paper for ESA's SciSpacE strategy, outlines key lunar science questions that may be addressed by future space exploration missions and makes recommendations for the next decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Flahaut
- CRPG, CNRS-UMR7358/Université de Lorraine, 54500, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
| | | | - Ian A Crawford
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck College London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, UK
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6
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Long T, Qian Y, Norman MD, Miljkovic K, Crow C, Head JW, Che X, Tartèse R, Zellner N, Yu X, Xie S, Whitehouse M, Joy KH, Neal CR, Snape JF, Zhou G, Liu S, Yang C, Yang Z, Wang C, Xiao L, Liu D, Nemchin A. Constraining the formation and transport of lunar impact glasses using the ages and chemical compositions of Chang'e-5 glass beads. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq2542. [PMID: 36170359 PMCID: PMC9519047 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq2542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Impact glasses found in lunar soils provide a possible window into the impact history of the inner solar system. However, their use for precise reconstruction of this history is limited by an incomplete understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for their origin and distribution and possible relationships to local and regional geology. Here, we report U-Pb isotopic dates and chemical compositions of impact glasses from the Chang'e-5 soil and quantitative models of impact melt formation and ejection that account for the compositions of these glasses. The predominantly local provenance indicated by their compositions, which constrains transport distances to <~150 kilometers, and the age-frequency distribution are consistent with formation mainly in impact craters 1 to 5 kilometers in diameter. Based on geological mapping and impact cratering theory, we tentatively identify specific craters on the basaltic unit sampled by Chang'e-5 that may have produced these glasses and compare their ages with the impact record of the asteroid belt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Long
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Yuqi Qian
- Planetary Science Institute, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Marc D. Norman
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Katarina Miljkovic
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
| | - Carolyn Crow
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - James W. Head
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Xiaochao Che
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Romain Tartèse
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Nicolle Zellner
- Department of Physics, Albion College, Albion, MI 49224, USA
| | - Xuefeng Yu
- Shandong Institute of Geological Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250013, China
| | - Shiwen Xie
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Martin Whitehouse
- Department of Geosciences, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katherine H. Joy
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Clive R. Neal
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA
| | - Joshua F. Snape
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Guisheng Zhou
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Shoujie Liu
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Chun Yang
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Zhiqing Yang
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Long Xiao
- Planetary Science Institute, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Dunyi Liu
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
- Shandong Institute of Geological Sciences, Jinan, Shandong 250013, China
| | - Alexander Nemchin
- Beijing SHRIMP Center, Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia
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7
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Early Solar System instability triggered by dispersal of the gaseous disk. Nature 2022; 604:643-646. [PMID: 35478235 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04535-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The Solar System's orbital structure is thought to have been sculpted by an episode of dynamical instability among the giant planets1-4. However, the instability trigger and timing have not been clearly established5-9. Hydrodynamical modelling has shown that while the Sun's gaseous protoplanetary disk was present the giant planets migrated into a compact orbital configuration in a chain of resonances2,10. Here we use dynamical simulations to show that the giant planets' instability was probably triggered by the dispersal of the gaseous disk. As the disk evaporated from the inside out, its inner edge swept successively across and dynamically perturbed each planet's orbit in turn. The associated orbital shift caused a dynamical compression of the exterior part of the system, ultimately triggering instability. The final orbits of our simulated systems match those of the Solar System for a viable range of astrophysical parameters. The giant planet instability therefore took place as the gaseous disk dissipated, constrained by astronomical observations to be a few to ten million years after the birth of the Solar System11. Terrestrial planet formation would not complete until after such an early giant planet instability12,13; the growing terrestrial planets may even have been sculpted by its perturbations, explaining the small mass of Mars relative to Earth14.
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8
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Vincent L, Colón-Santos S, Cleaves HJ, Baum DA, Maurer SE. The Prebiotic Kitchen: A Guide to Composing Prebiotic Soup Recipes to Test Origins of Life Hypotheses. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11111221. [PMID: 34833097 PMCID: PMC8618940 DOI: 10.3390/life11111221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
“Prebiotic soup” often features in discussions of origins of life research, both as a theoretical concept when discussing abiological pathways to modern biochemical building blocks and, more recently, as a feedstock in prebiotic chemistry experiments focused on discovering emergent, systems-level processes such as polymerization, encapsulation, and evolution. However, until now, little systematic analysis has gone into the design of well-justified prebiotic mixtures, which are needed to facilitate experimental replicability and comparison among researchers. This paper explores principles that should be considered in choosing chemical mixtures for prebiotic chemistry experiments by reviewing the natural environmental conditions that might have created such mixtures and then suggests reasonable guidelines for designing recipes. We discuss both “assembled” mixtures, which are made by mixing reagent grade chemicals, and “synthesized” mixtures, which are generated directly from diversity-generating primary prebiotic syntheses. We discuss different practical concerns including how to navigate the tremendous uncertainty in the chemistry of the early Earth and how to balance the desire for using prebiotically realistic mixtures with experimental tractability and replicability. Examples of two assembled mixtures, one based on materials likely delivered by carbonaceous meteorites and one based on spark discharge synthesis, are presented to illustrate these challenges. We explore alternative procedures for making synthesized mixtures using recursive chemical reaction systems whose outputs attempt to mimic atmospheric and geochemical synthesis. Other experimental conditions such as pH and ionic strength are also considered. We argue that developing a handful of standardized prebiotic recipes may facilitate coordination among researchers and enable the identification of the most promising mechanisms by which complex prebiotic mixtures were “tamed” during the origin of life to give rise to key living processes such as self-propagation, information processing, and adaptive evolution. We end by advocating for the development of a public prebiotic chemistry database containing experimental methods (including soup recipes), results, and analytical pipelines for analyzing complex prebiotic mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Vincent
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA; (L.V.); (S.C.-S.)
| | - Stephanie Colón-Santos
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA; (L.V.); (S.C.-S.)
| | - H. James Cleaves
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, The Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA;
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
- Blue Marble Space Institute for Science, Seattle, WA 97154, USA
| | - David A. Baum
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA; (L.V.); (S.C.-S.)
- Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Correspondence: (D.A.B.); (S.E.M.)
| | - Sarah E. Maurer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT 06050, USA
- Correspondence: (D.A.B.); (S.E.M.)
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9
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Worsham EA, Kleine T. Late accretionary history of Earth and Moon preserved in lunar impactites. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabh2837. [PMID: 34714676 PMCID: PMC8555905 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh2837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Late accretion describes the final addition of Earth’s mass following Moon formation and includes a period of Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB), which occurred either as a short-lived cataclysm triggered by a late giant planet orbital instability or a declining bombardment during late accretion. Using genetically characteristic ruthenium and molybdenum isotope compositions of lunar impact–derived rocks, we show that the impactors during the LHB and the entire period of late accretion were the same type of bodies and that they originated in the terrestrial planet region. Because a cataclysmic LHB would have, in part, resulted in compositionally distinct projectiles, we conclude that the LHB reflects the tail end of accretion. This implies that the giant planet orbital instability occurred during the main phase of planet formation. Last, because of their inner solar system origin, late-accreted bodies cannot be the primary source of Earth’s water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A. Worsham
- Institut für Planetologie, University of Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Str. 10, Münster 48149, Germany
| | - Thorsten Kleine
- Institut für Planetologie, University of Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Str. 10, Münster 48149, Germany
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10
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Russell MJ. The "Water Problem"( sic), the Illusory Pond and Life's Submarine Emergence-A Review. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:429. [PMID: 34068713 PMCID: PMC8151828 DOI: 10.3390/life11050429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The assumption that there was a "water problem" at the emergence of life-that the Hadean Ocean was simply too wet and salty for life to have emerged in it-is here subjected to geological and experimental reality checks. The "warm little pond" that would take the place of the submarine alkaline vent theory (AVT), as recently extolled in the journal Nature, flies in the face of decades of geological, microbiological and evolutionary research and reasoning. To the present author, the evidence refuting the warm little pond scheme is overwhelming given the facts that (i) the early Earth was a water world, (ii) its all-enveloping ocean was never less than 4 km deep, (iii) there were no figurative "Icelands" or "Hawaiis", nor even an "Ontong Java" then because (iv) the solidifying magma ocean beneath was still too mushy to support such salient loadings on the oceanic crust. In place of the supposed warm little pond, we offer a well-protected mineral mound precipitated at a submarine alkaline vent as life's womb: in place of lipid membranes, we suggest peptides; we replace poisonous cyanide with ammonium and hydrazine; instead of deleterious radiation we have the appropriate life-giving redox and pH disequilibria; and in place of messy chemistry we offer the potential for life's emergence from the simplest of geochemically available molecules and ions focused at a submarine alkaline vent in the Hadean-specifically within the nano-confined flexible and redox active interlayer walls of the mixed-valent double layer oxyhydroxide mineral, fougerite/green rust comprising much of that mound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Russell
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Torino, via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Turin, Italy
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Zellner NEB, McCaffrey VP, Butler JHE. Cometary Glycolaldehyde as a Source of pre-RNA Molecules. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:1377-1388. [PMID: 32985898 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Over 200 molecules have been detected in multiple extraterrestrial environments, including glycolaldehyde (C2(H2O)2, GLA), a two-carbon sugar precursor that has been detected in regions of the interstellar medium. Its recent in situ detection on the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and through remote observations in the comae of others provides tantalizing evidence that it is common on most (if not all) comets. Impact experiments conducted at the Experimental Impact Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center have shown that samples of GLA and GLA mixed with montmorillonite clays can survive impact delivery in the pressure range of 4.5 to 25 GPa. Extrapolated to amounts of GLA observed on individual comets and assuming a monotonic impact rate in the first billion years of Solar System history, these experimental results show that up to 1023 kg of cometary GLA could have survived impact delivery, with substantial amounts of threose, erythrose, glycolic acid, and ethylene glycol also produced or delivered. Importantly, independent of the profile of the impact flux in the early Solar System, comet delivery of GLA would have provided (and may continue to provide) a reservoir of starting material for the formose reaction (to form ribose) and the Strecker reaction (to form amino acids). Thus, comets may have been important delivery vehicles for starting molecules necessary for life as we know it.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jayden H E Butler
- Department of Physics, Albion College, Albion, Michigan, USA
- Department of Physics, California State University - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Anderson FS, Crow C, Levine J, Whitaker TJ. Pb-Pb Dating of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Samples Using Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry. EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE (HOBOKEN, N.J.) 2020; 7:e2020EA001177. [PMID: 33283022 PMCID: PMC7685141 DOI: 10.1029/2020ea001177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We are developing an in situ, rock-dating spectrometer for spaceflight called the Chemistry, Organics, and Dating EXperiment (CODEX). CODEX will measure Rb-Sr compositions and determine ages of samples on the Moon or Mars and can be augmented to obtain Pb-Pb ages. Coupling Rb-Sr and Pb-Pb measurements broadens the suite of samples that can be dated and could provide tests of concordance. Here we assess whether geochronologically meaningful Pb-Pb data could be measured in situ by tuning the prototype CODEX to acquire Pb-Pb data from a suite of well-characterized specimens from the Earth, Moon, and Mars. For Keuhl Lake Zircon 91500 our 207Pb/206Pb age of 1,090 ± 40 Ma is indistinguishable from the accepted age. In each of the Martian meteorites we studied, we could not resolve more than a single component of Pb and could not uniquely determine ages; nevertheless, our isotopic measurements were consistent with most previous analyses. On the other hand, we uniquely determined ages for three lunar meteorites. Our age for MIL 05035 is 3,550 ± 170 Ma, within 2σ of published ages for this specimen, in spite of it having <1 ppm Pb. LAP 02205 was contaminated by terrestrial Pb, but by filtering our data to exclude the most contaminated spots, we obtained an age of 3,010 ± 70 Ma, coincident with published values. Finally, our age for NWA 032 is nearly 1,000 Ma older than its age determined from other isotopic systems and is supported by additional Pb measurements made after chemical leaching.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carolyn Crow
- Department of Geological SciencesUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Jonathan Levine
- Department of Physics and AstronomyColgate UniversityHamiltonNYUSA
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Osinski G, Cockell C, Pontefract A, Sapers H. The Role of Meteorite Impacts in the Origin of Life. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:1121-1149. [PMID: 32876492 PMCID: PMC7499892 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The conditions, timing, and setting for the origin of life on Earth and whether life exists elsewhere in our solar system and beyond represent some of the most fundamental scientific questions of our time. Although the bombardment of planets and satellites by asteroids and comets has long been viewed as a destructive process that would have presented a barrier to the emergence of life and frustrated or extinguished life, we provide a comprehensive synthesis of data and observations on the beneficial role of impacts in a wide range of prebiotic and biological processes. In the context of previously proposed environments for the origin of life on Earth, we discuss how meteorite impacts can generate both subaerial and submarine hydrothermal vents, abundant hydrothermal-sedimentary settings, and impact analogues for volcanic pumice rafts and splash pools. Impact events can also deliver and/or generate many of the necessary chemical ingredients for life and catalytic substrates such as clays as well. The role that impact cratering plays in fracturing planetary crusts and its effects on deep subsurface habitats for life are also discussed. In summary, we propose that meteorite impact events are a fundamental geobiological process in planetary evolution that played an important role in the origin of life on Earth. We conclude with the recommendation that impact craters should be considered prime sites in the search for evidence of past life on Mars. Furthermore, unlike other geological processes such as volcanism or plate tectonics, impact cratering is ubiquitous on planetary bodies throughout the Universe and is independent of size, composition, and distance from the host star. Impact events thus provide a mechanism with the potential to generate habitable planets, moons, and asteroids throughout the Solar System and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- G.R. Osinski
- Institute for Earth and Space Exploration, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
- Address correspondence to: Dr. Gordon Osinski, Department of Earth Sciences, 1151 Richmond Street, University of Western Ontario, London ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - C.S. Cockell
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A. Pontefract
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - H.M. Sapers
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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14
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Peretó J. Crystals and the debates on the nature, recognition and origin of life: Comment on "Mineral self-organization on a lifeless planet" by J.M. García-Ruiz et al. Phys Life Rev 2020; 34-35:86-88. [PMID: 32423762 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juli Peretó
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology I(2)SysBio (University of Valencia-CSIC), 46980 Paterna, Spain; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain.
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15
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Benner SA, Bell EA, Biondi E, Brasser R, Carell T, Kim H, Mojzsis SJ, Omran A, Pasek MA, Trail D. When Did Life Likely Emerge on Earth in an RNA‐First Process? CHEMSYSTEMSCHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/syst.201900035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven A. Benner
- Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution Alachua FL USA
- Firebird Biomolecular Sciences LLC Alachua FL USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Bell
- Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space SciencesUniversity of California Los Angeles USA
| | - Elisa Biondi
- Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution Alachua FL USA
| | - Ramon Brasser
- Earth Life Science InstituteTokyo Institute of Technology Tokyo Japan
| | - Thomas Carell
- Fakultät für Chemie und PharmazieLudwig-Maximilians-Universität München Germany
| | | | - Stephen J. Mojzsis
- Department of Geological SciencesUniversity of Colorado Boulder CO USA
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences Budapest Hungary
| | - Arthur Omran
- School of GeosciencesUniversity of South Florida Tampa, FL USA
| | | | - Dustin Trail
- Department of Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Rochester Rochester NY USA
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16
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Catling DC, Zahnle KJ. The Archean atmosphere. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaax1420. [PMID: 32133393 PMCID: PMC7043912 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax1420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The atmosphere of the Archean eon-one-third of Earth's history-is important for understanding the evolution of our planet and Earth-like exoplanets. New geological proxies combined with models constrain atmospheric composition. They imply surface O2 levels <10-6 times present, N2 levels that were similar to today or possibly a few times lower, and CO2 and CH4 levels ranging ~10 to 2500 and 102 to 104 times modern amounts, respectively. The greenhouse gas concentrations were sufficient to offset a fainter Sun. Climate moderation by the carbon cycle suggests average surface temperatures between 0° and 40°C, consistent with occasional glaciations. Isotopic mass fractionation of atmospheric xenon through the Archean until atmospheric oxygenation is best explained by drag of xenon ions by hydrogen escaping rapidly into space. These data imply that substantial loss of hydrogen oxidized the Earth. Despite these advances, detailed understanding of the coevolving solid Earth, biosphere, and atmosphere remains elusive, however.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C. Catling
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences and cross-campus Astrobiology Program, Box 351310, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kevin J. Zahnle
- Space Sciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, MS 245-3, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
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18
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Abstract
The analysis of lunar samples returned to Earth by the Apollo and Luna missions changed our view of the processes involved in planet formation. The data obtained on lunar samples brought to light the importance during planet growth of highly energetic collisions that lead to global-scale melting. This violent birth determines the initial structure and long-term evolution of planets. Once past its formative era, the lunar surface has served as a recorder of more than 4 billion years of interaction with the space environment. The chronologic record of lunar cratering determined from the returned samples underpins age estimates for planetary surfaces throughout the inner Solar System and provides evidence of the dynamic nature of the Solar System during the planet-forming era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard W Carlson
- Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA
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19
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History of the Terminal Cataclysm Paradigm: Epistemology of a Planetary Bombardment That Never (?) Happened. GEOSCIENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences9070285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study examines the history of the paradigm concerning a lunar (or solar-systemwide)terminal cataclysm (also called “Late Heavy Bombardment” or LHB), a putative, brief spikein impacts at ~3.9 Ga ago, preceded by low impact rates. We examine origin of the ideas, why theywere accepted, and why the ideas are currently being seriously revised, if not abandoned. Thepaper is divided into the following sections:1. Overview of paradigm.2. Pre-Apollo views (1949-1969).3. Initial suggestions of cataclysm (ca. 1974).4. Ironies.5. Alternative suggestions, megaregolith evolution (1970s).6. Impact melt rocks “establish” cataclysm (1990).7. Imbrium redux (ca. 1998).8. Impact melt clasts (early 2000s).9. Dating of front-side lunar basins?10. Dynamical models “explain” the cataclysm (c. 2000s).11. Asteroids as a test case.12. Impact melts predating 4.0 Ga ago (ca. 2008-present.).13. Biological issues.14. Growing doubts (ca. 1994-2014).15. Evolving Dynamical Models (ca. 2001-present).16. Connections to lunar origin.17. Dismantling the paradigm (2015-2018).18. “Megaregolith Evolution Model” for explaining the data.19. Conclusions and new directions for future work.The author hopes that this open-access discussion may prove useful for classroom discussionsof how science moves forward through self-correction of hypotheses.
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Quarles B, Kaib N. Instabilities in the Early Solar System due to a Self-gravitating Disk. THE ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL 2019; 157:67. [PMID: 31534266 PMCID: PMC6750231 DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/aafa71] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Modern studies of the early solar system routinely invoke the possibility of an orbital instability among the giant planets triggered by gravitational interactions between the planets and a massive exterior disk of planetesimals. Previous works have suggested that this instability can be substantially delayed (~100s Myr) after the formation of the giant planets. Bodies in the disk are typically treated in a semi-active manner, wherein their gravitational force on the planets is included, but interactions between the planetesimals are ignored. We perform N-body numerical simulations using GENGA, which makes use of GPUs to allow for the inclusion of all gravitational interactions between bodies. Although our simulated Kuiper belt particles are more massive than the probable masses of real primordial Kuiper belt objects, our simulations indicate that the self-stirring of the primordial Kuiper belt is very important to the dynamics of the giant planet instability. We find that interactions between planetesimals dynamically heat the disk and typically prevent the outer solar system instability from being delayed by more than a few tens of million years after giant planet formation. Longer delays occur in a small fraction of systems that have at least 3.5 AU gaps between the planets and planetesimal disk. Our final planetary configurations match the solar system at a rate consistent with other previous works in most regards. Pre-instability heating of the disk typically yields final Jovian eccentricities comparable to the modern solar system value, which has been a difficult constraint to match in past works.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Quarles
- HL Dodge Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - N Kaib
- HL Dodge Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
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21
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Westall F, Hickman-Lewis K, Hinman N, Gautret P, Campbell KA, Bréhéret JG, Foucher F, Hubert A, Sorieul S, Dass AV, Kee TP, Georgelin T, Brack A. A Hydrothermal-Sedimentary Context for the Origin of Life. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:259-293. [PMID: 29489386 PMCID: PMC5867533 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Critical to the origin of life are the ingredients of life, of course, but also the physical and chemical conditions in which prebiotic chemical reactions can take place. These factors place constraints on the types of Hadean environment in which life could have emerged. Many locations, ranging from hydrothermal vents and pumice rafts, through volcanic-hosted splash pools to continental springs and rivers, have been proposed for the emergence of life on Earth, each with respective advantages and certain disadvantages. However, there is another, hitherto unrecognized environment that, on the Hadean Earth (4.5-4.0 Ga), would have been more important than any other in terms of spatial and temporal scale: the sedimentary layer between oceanic crust and seawater. Using as an example sediments from the 3.5-3.33 Ga Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa, analogous at least on a local scale to those of the Hadean eon, we document constant permeation of the porous, carbonaceous, and reactive sedimentary layer by hydrothermal fluids emanating from the crust. This partially UV-protected, subaqueous sedimentary environment, characterized by physical and chemical gradients, represented a widespread system of miniature chemical reactors in which the production and complexification of prebiotic molecules could have led to the origin of life. Key Words: Origin of life-Hadean environment-Mineral surface reactions-Hydrothermal fluids-Archean volcanic sediments. Astrobiology 18, 259-293.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Westall
- 1 CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire , Orléans, France
| | - K Hickman-Lewis
- 1 CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire , Orléans, France
- 2 Dipartmento di Scienze biologiche, geologiche e ambientale, Università di Bologna , Bologna, Italy
| | - N Hinman
- 3 Geosciences, University of Montana , Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - P Gautret
- 4 University of Orléans , ISTO, UMR 7327, Orléans, France, and CNRS, ISTO, UMR 7327, Orléans, France, and BRGM, ISTO, UMR 7327, Orléans, France
| | - K A Campbell
- 5 School of Environment, The University of Auckland , Auckland, New Zealand
| | - J G Bréhéret
- 6 GéoHydrosytèmes Continentaux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université François-Rabelais de Tours , Tours, France
| | - F Foucher
- 1 CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire , Orléans, France
| | - A Hubert
- 1 CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire , Orléans, France
| | - S Sorieul
- 7 University of Bordeaux , CNRS, IN2P3, CENBG, UMR5797, Gradignan, France
| | - A V Dass
- 1 CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire , Orléans, France
| | - T P Kee
- 8 School of Chemistry, University of Leeds , Leeds, UK
| | - T Georgelin
- 1 CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire , Orléans, France
- 9 Sorbonne Universités , UPMC Paris 06, CNRS UMR 7197, Laboratoire de Réactivité de Surface, Paris, France
| | - A Brack
- 1 CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire , Orléans, France
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Pearce BKD, Tupper AS, Pudritz RE, Higgs PG. Constraining the Time Interval for the Origin of Life on Earth. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:343-364. [PMID: 29570409 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Estimates of the time at which life arose on Earth make use of two types of evidence. First, astrophysical and geophysical studies provide a timescale for the formation of Earth and the Moon, for large impact events on early Earth, and for the cooling of the early magma ocean. From this evidence, we can deduce a habitability boundary, which is the earliest point at which Earth became habitable. Second, biosignatures in geological samples, including microfossils, stromatolites, and chemical isotope ratios, provide evidence for when life was actually present. From these observations we can deduce a biosignature boundary, which is the earliest point at which there is clear evidence that life existed. Studies with molecular phylogenetics and records of the changing level of oxygen in the atmosphere give additional information that helps to determine the biosignature boundary. Here, we review the data from a wide range of disciplines to summarize current information on the timings of these two boundaries. The habitability boundary could be as early as 4.5 Ga, the earliest possible estimate of the time at which Earth had a stable crust and hydrosphere, or as late as 3.9 Ga, the end of the period of heavy meteorite bombardment. The lack of consensus on whether there was a late heavy meteorite bombardment that was significant enough to prevent life is the largest uncertainty in estimating the time of the habitability boundary. The biosignature boundary is more closely constrained. Evidence from carbon isotope ratios and stromatolite fossils both point to a time close to 3.7 Ga. Life must have emerged in the interval between these two boundaries. The time taken for life to appear could, therefore, be within 200 Myr or as long as 800 Myr. Key Words: Origin of life-Astrobiology-Habitability-Biosignatures-Geochemistry-Early Earth. Astrobiology 18, 343-364.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben K D Pearce
- Origins Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University , Hamilton, Canada
| | - Andrew S Tupper
- Origins Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University , Hamilton, Canada
| | - Ralph E Pudritz
- Origins Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University , Hamilton, Canada
| | - Paul G Higgs
- Origins Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University , Hamilton, Canada
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