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Maity T, Saxena A. Challenges and innovations in food and water availability for a sustainable Mars colonization. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2024; 42:27-36. [PMID: 39067987 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2024.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, extensive research has been dedicated to Mars exploration and the potential for sustainable interplanetary human colonization. One of the significant challenges in ensuring the survival of life on Mars lies in the production of food as the Martian environment is highly inhospitable to agriculture, rendering it impractical to transport food from Earth. To improve the well-being and quality of life for future space travelers on Mars, it is crucial to develop innovative horticultural techniques and food processing technologies. The unique challenges posed by the Martian environment, such as the lack of oxygen, nutrient-deficient soil, thin atmosphere, low gravity, and cold, dry climate, necessitate the development of advanced farming strategies. This study explores existing knowledge and various technological innovations that can help overcome the constraints associated with food production and water extraction on Mars. The key lies in utilizing resources available on Mars through in-situ resource utilization. Water can be extracted from beneath the ice and from the Martian soil. Furthermore, hydroponics in controlled environment chambers, equipped with nutrient delivery systems and waste recovery mechanisms, have been investigated as a means of cultivating crops on Mars. The inefficiency of livestock production, which requires substantial amounts of water and land, highlights the need for alternative protein sources such as microbial protein, insects, and in-vitro meat. Moreover, the fields of synthetic biology and 3-D food printing hold immense potential in revolutionizing food production and making significant contributions to the sustainability of human life on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanushree Maity
- O/o Director General - Life Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organization, SSPL Campus, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, New Delhi 110054, India
| | - Alok Saxena
- Amity Institute of Food Technology, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, Noida 201313, India.
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2
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Chaffin MS, Cangi EM, Gregory BS, Yelle RV, Deighan J, Elliott RD, Gröller H. Venus water loss is dominated by HCO + dissociative recombination. Nature 2024; 629:307-310. [PMID: 38710931 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07261-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Despite its Earth-like size and source material1,2, Venus is extremely dry3,4, indicating near-total water loss to space by means of hydrogen outflow from an ancient, steam-dominated atmosphere5,6. Such hydrodynamic escape likely removed most of an initial Earth-like 3-km global equivalent layer (GEL) of water but cannot deplete the atmosphere to the observed 3-cm GEL because it shuts down below about 10-100 m GEL5,7. To complete Venus water loss, and to produce the observed bulk atmospheric enrichment in deuterium of about 120 times Earth8,9, nonthermal H escape mechanisms still operating today are required10,11. Early studies identified these as resonant charge exchange12-14, hot oxygen impact15,16 and ion outflow17,18, establishing a consensus view of H escape10,19 that has since received only minimal updates20. Here we show that this consensus omits the most important present-day H loss process, HCO+ dissociative recombination. This process nearly doubles the Venus H escape rate and, consequently, doubles the amount of present-day volcanic water outgassing and/or impactor infall required to maintain a steady-state atmospheric water abundance. These higher loss rates resolve long-standing difficulties in simultaneously explaining the measured abundance and isotope ratio of Venusian water21,22 and would enable faster desiccation in the wake of speculative late ocean scenarios23. Design limitations prevented past Venus missions from measuring both HCO+ and the escaping hydrogen produced by its recombination; future spacecraft measurements are imperative.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Chaffin
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - E M Cangi
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - B S Gregory
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - R V Yelle
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - J Deighan
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - R D Elliott
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - H Gröller
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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3
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Bell TJ, Crouzet N, Cubillos PE, Kreidberg L, Piette AAA, Roman MT, Barstow JK, Blecic J, Carone L, Coulombe LP, Ducrot E, Hammond M, Mendonça JM, Moses JI, Parmentier V, Stevenson KB, Teinturier L, Zhang M, Batalha NM, Bean JL, Benneke B, Charnay B, Chubb KL, Demory BO, Gao P, Lee EKH, López-Morales M, Morello G, Rauscher E, Sing DK, Tan X, Venot O, Wakeford HR, Aggarwal K, Ahrer EM, Alam MK, Baeyens R, Barrado D, Caceres C, Carter AL, Casewell SL, Challener RC, Crossfield IJM, Decin L, Désert JM, Dobbs-Dixon I, Dyrek A, Espinoza N, Feinstein AD, Gibson NP, Harrington J, Helling C, Hu R, Iro N, Kempton EMR, Kendrew S, Komacek TD, Krick J, Lagage PO, Leconte J, Lendl M, Lewis NT, Lothringer JD, Malsky I, Mancini L, Mansfield M, Mayne NJ, Evans-Soma TM, Molaverdikhani K, Nikolov NK, Nixon MC, Palle E, Petit dit de la Roche DJM, Piaulet C, Powell D, Rackham BV, Schneider AD, Steinrueck ME, Taylor J, Welbanks L, Yurchenko SN, Zhang X, Zieba S. Nightside clouds and disequilibrium chemistry on the hot Jupiter WASP-43b. NATURE ASTRONOMY 2024; 8:879-898. [PMID: 39049827 PMCID: PMC11263128 DOI: 10.1038/s41550-024-02230-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Hot Jupiters are among the best-studied exoplanets, but it is still poorly understood how their chemical composition and cloud properties vary with longitude. Theoretical models predict that clouds may condense on the nightside and that molecular abundances can be driven out of equilibrium by zonal winds. Here we report a phase-resolved emission spectrum of the hot Jupiter WASP-43b measured from 5 μm to 12 μm with the JWST's Mid-Infrared Instrument. The spectra reveal a large day-night temperature contrast (with average brightness temperatures of 1,524 ± 35 K and 863 ± 23 K, respectively) and evidence for water absorption at all orbital phases. Comparisons with three-dimensional atmospheric models show that both the phase-curve shape and emission spectra strongly suggest the presence of nightside clouds that become optically thick to thermal emission at pressures greater than ~100 mbar. The dayside is consistent with a cloudless atmosphere above the mid-infrared photosphere. Contrary to expectations from equilibrium chemistry but consistent with disequilibrium kinetics models, methane is not detected on the nightside (2σ upper limit of 1-6 ppm, depending on model assumptions). Our results provide strong evidence that the atmosphere of WASP-43b is shaped by disequilibrium processes and provide new insights into the properties of the planet's nightside clouds. However, the remaining discrepancies between our observations and our predictive atmospheric models emphasize the importance of further exploring the effects of clouds and disequilibrium chemistry in numerical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor J. Bell
- BAER Institute, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, CA USA
- Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA USA
| | - Nicolas Crouzet
- Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Patricio E. Cubillos
- INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Turin, Italy
- Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Anjali A. A. Piette
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington DC, USA
| | - Michael T. Roman
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez: Peñalolén, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Jasmina Blecic
- Department of Physics, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Center for Astro, Particle and Planetary Physics (CAP3), New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ludmila Carone
- Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria
| | - Louis-Philippe Coulombe
- Department of Physics and Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec Canada
| | - Elsa Ducrot
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Mark Hammond
- Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - João M. Mendonça
- DTU Space, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | | | - Vivien Parmentier
- Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS Laboratoire Lagrange, Nice, France
| | | | - Lucas Teinturier
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Meudon, France
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, IPSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Michael Zhang
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Natalie M. Batalha
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Jacob L. Bean
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Björn Benneke
- Department of Physics and Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec Canada
| | - Benjamin Charnay
- LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Meudon, France
| | - Katy L. Chubb
- Centre for Exoplanet Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Brice-Olivier Demory
- Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Space and Planetary Sciences, Institute of Physics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Gao
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington DC, USA
| | - Elspeth K. H. Lee
- Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Giuseppe Morello
- Instituto de Astrofsica de Canarias (IAC), Tenerife, Spain
- INAF- Palermo Astronomical Observatory, Piazza del Parlamento, Palermo, Italy
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Emily Rauscher
- Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - David K. Sing
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Xianyu Tan
- Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Olivia Venot
- Université Paris Cité and Univ Paris Est Creteil, CNRS, LISA, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Eva-Maria Ahrer
- Centre for Exoplanets and Habitability, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Munazza K. Alam
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington DC, USA
| | - Robin Baeyens
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David Barrado
- Departamento de Astrofsica, Centro de Astrobiologa (CAB, CSIC-INTA), ESAC campus, Madrid, Spain
| | - Claudio Caceres
- Instituto de Astrofisica, Facultad Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Centro de Astrofisica y Tecnologias Afines (CATA), Santiago, Chile
- Nucleo Milenio de Formacion Planetaria (NPF), Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Aarynn L. Carter
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Sarah L. Casewell
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | | | | | - Leen Decin
- Institute of Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean-Michel Désert
- Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ian Dobbs-Dixon
- Department of Physics, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Achrène Dyrek
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Néstor Espinoza
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Adina D. Feinstein
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
- Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO USA
| | | | - Joseph Harrington
- Planetary Sciences Group, Department of Physics and Florida Space Institute, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL USA
| | | | - Renyu Hu
- Astrophysics Section, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
| | - Nicolas Iro
- Institute of Planetary Research—Extrasolar Planets And Atmospheres, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Sarah Kendrew
- European Space Agency, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD USA
| | | | - Jessica Krick
- California Institute of Technology, IPAC, Pasadena, CA USA
| | - Pierre-Olivier Lagage
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jérémy Leconte
- Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Bordeaux, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France
| | - Monika Lendl
- Département d’Astronomie, Université de Genève, Sauverny, Switzerland
| | - Neil T. Lewis
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Isaac Malsky
- Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Luigi Mancini
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Physics, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Nathan J. Mayne
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Thomas M. Evans-Soma
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
- School of Information and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW Australia
| | - Karan Molaverdikhani
- Universitäts-Sternwarte, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Exzellenzcluster Origins, Garching, Germany
| | | | - Matthew C. Nixon
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD USA
| | - Enric Palle
- Instituto de Astrofsica de Canarias (IAC), Tenerife, Spain
| | | | - Caroline Piaulet
- Department of Physics and Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec Canada
| | - Diana Powell
- Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Benjamin V. Rackham
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
- Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - Aaron D. Schneider
- Institute of Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Centre for ExoLife Sciences, Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Jake Taylor
- Department of Physics and Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec Canada
- Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Luis Welbanks
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
| | | | - Xi Zhang
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Sebastian Zieba
- Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, Germany
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4
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Liu J, Yang J, Ding F, Chen G, Hu Y. Hydrologic cycle weakening in hothouse climates. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eado2515. [PMID: 38657064 PMCID: PMC11042734 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado2515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
The hydrologic cycle has wide impacts on the ocean salinity and circulation, carbon and nitrogen cycles, and the ecosystem. Under anthropogenic global warming, previous studies showed that the intensification of the hydrologic cycle is a robust feature. Whether this trend persists in hothouse climates, however, is unknown. Here, we show in climate models that mean precipitation first increases with rising surface temperature, but the precipitation trend reverses when the surface is hotter than ~320 to 330 kelvin. This nonmonotonic phenomenon is robust to the cause of warming, convection scheme, ocean dynamics, atmospheric mass, planetary rotation, gravity, and stellar spectrum. The weakening occurs because of the existence of an upper limitation of outgoing longwave emission and the continuously increasing shortwave absorption by H2O and is consistent with atmospheric dynamics featuring the strong increase of atmospheric stratification and marked reduction of convective mass flux. These results have wide implications for the climate evolutions of Earth, Venus, and potentially habitable exoplanets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiachen Liu
- Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jun Yang
- Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Feng Ding
- Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yongyun Hu
- Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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5
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Kotsyurbenko OR, Kompanichenko VN, Brouchkov AV, Khrunyk YY, Karlov SP, Sorokin VV, Skladnev DA. Different Scenarios for the Origin and the Subsequent Succession of a Hypothetical Microbial Community in the Cloud Layer of Venus. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:423-441. [PMID: 38563825 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0117] [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: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The possible existence of a microbial community in the venusian clouds is one of the most intriguing hypotheses in modern astrobiology. Such a community must be characterized by a high survivability potential under severe environmental conditions, the most extreme of which are very low pH levels and water activity. Considering different scenarios for the origin of life and geological history of our planet, a few of these scenarios are discussed in the context of the origin of hypothetical microbial life within the venusian cloud layer. The existence of liquid water on the surface of ancient Venus is one of the key outstanding questions influencing this possibility. We link the inherent attributes of microbial life as we know it that favor the persistence of life in such an environment and review the possible scenarios of life's origin and its evolution under a strong greenhouse effect and loss of water on Venus. We also propose a roadmap and describe a novel methodological approach for astrobiological research in the framework of future missions to Venus with the intent to reveal whether life exists today on the planet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg R Kotsyurbenko
- Higher School of Ecology, Yugra State University, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
- Network of Researchers on the Chemical Evolution of Life, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Vladimir N Kompanichenko
- Network of Researchers on the Chemical Evolution of Life, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Institute for Complex Analysis of Regional Problems RAS, Birobidzhan, Russia
| | | | - Yuliya Y Khrunyk
- Department of Heat Treatment and Physics of Metal, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Sergey P Karlov
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Moscow Polytechnic University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir V Sorokin
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry A Skladnev
- Network of Researchers on the Chemical Evolution of Life, Leeds, United Kingdom
- Research Center of Biotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Moscow, Russia
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6
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Seager MD, Seager S, Bains W, Petkowski JJ. Stability of 20 Biogenic Amino Acids in Concentrated Sulfuric Acid: Implications for the Habitability of Venus' Clouds. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:386-396. [PMID: 38498680 PMCID: PMC11035925 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Scientists have long speculated about the potential habitability of Venus, not at the 700K surface, but in the cloud layers located at 48-60 km altitudes, where temperatures match those found on Earth's surface. However, the prevailing belief has been that Venus' clouds cannot support life due to the cloud chemical composition of concentrated sulfuric acid-a highly aggressive solvent. In this work, we study 20 biogenic amino acids at the range of Venus' cloud sulfuric acid concentrations (81% and 98% w/w, the rest water) and temperatures. We find 19 of the biogenic amino acids we tested are either unreactive (13 in 98% w/w and 12 in 81% w/w) or chemically modified in the side chain only, after 4 weeks. Our major finding, therefore, is that the amino acid backbone remains intact in concentrated sulfuric acid. These findings significantly broaden the range of biologically relevant molecules that could be components of a biochemistry based on a concentrated sulfuric acid solvent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell D. Seager
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
- Nanoplanet Consulting, Concord, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sara Seager
- Nanoplanet Consulting, Concord, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - William Bains
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- School of Physics & Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
- Rufus Scientific, Royston, United Kingdom
| | - Janusz J. Petkowski
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland
- JJ Scientific, Warsaw, Poland
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7
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Selsis F, Leconte J, Turbet M, Chaverot G, Bolmont É. A cool runaway greenhouse without surface magma ocean. Nature 2023; 620:287-291. [PMID: 37558846 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06258-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Water vapour atmospheres with content equivalent to the Earth's oceans, resulting from impacts1 or a high insolation2,3, were found to yield a surface magma ocean4,5. This was, however, a consequence of assuming a fully convective structure2-11. Here, we report using a consistent climate model that pure steam atmospheres are commonly shaped by radiative layers, making their thermal structure strongly dependent on the stellar spectrum and internal heat flow. The surface is cooler when an adiabatic profile is not imposed; melting Earth's crust requires an insolation several times higher than today, which will not happen during the main sequence of the Sun. Venus's surface can solidify before the steam atmosphere escapes, which is the opposite of previous works4,5. Around the reddest stars (Teff < 3,000 K), surface magma oceans cannot form by stellar forcing alone, whatever the water content. These findings affect observable signatures of steam atmospheres and exoplanet mass-radius relationships, drastically changing current constraints on the water content of TRAPPIST-1 planets. Unlike adiabatic structures, radiative-convective profiles are sensitive to opacities. New measurements of poorly constrained high-pressure opacities, in particular far from the H2O absorption bands, are thus necessary to refine models of steam atmospheres, which are important stages in terrestrial planet evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franck Selsis
- Laboratoire d'astrophysique de Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Pessac, France.
| | - Jérémy Leconte
- Laboratoire d'astrophysique de Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Pessac, France
| | - Martin Turbet
- Laboratoire d'astrophysique de Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Pessac, France
- Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique/IPSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, École Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, École Polytechnique, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Chaverot
- Observatoire Astronomique de l'Université de Genève, Versoix, Switzerland
| | - Émeline Bolmont
- Observatoire Astronomique de l'Université de Genève, Versoix, Switzerland
- Center for Life in the Universe, Faculty of Science, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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8
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Peterson MS, Benneke B, Collins K, Piaulet C, Crossfield IJM, Ali-Dib M, Christiansen JL, Gagné J, Faherty J, Kite E, Dressing C, Charbonneau D, Murgas F, Cointepas M, Almenara JM, Bonfils X, Kane S, Werner MW, Gorjian V, Roy PA, Shporer A, Pozuelos FJ, Socia QJ, Cloutier R, Dietrich J, Irwin J, Weiss L, Waalkes W, Berta-Thomson Z, Evans T, Apai D, Parviainen H, Pallé E, Narita N, Howard AW, Dragomir D, Barkaoui K, Gillon M, Jehin E, Ducrot E, Benkhaldoun Z, Fukui A, Mori M, Nishiumi T, Kawauchi K, Ricker G, Latham DW, Winn JN, Seager S, Isaacson H, Bixel A, Gibbs A, Jenkins JM, Smith JC, Chavez JP, Rackham BV, Henning T, Gabor P, Chen WP, Espinoza N, Jensen ELN, Collins KI, Schwarz RP, Conti DM, Wang G, Kielkopf JF, Mao S, Horne K, Sefako R, Quinn SN, Moldovan D, Fausnaugh M, Fűűrész G, Barclay T. A temperate Earth-sized planet with tidal heating transiting an M6 star. Nature 2023; 617:701-705. [PMID: 37198481 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-05934-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Temperate Earth-sized exoplanets around late-M dwarfs offer a rare opportunity to explore under which conditions planets can develop hospitable climate conditions. The small stellar radius amplifies the atmospheric transit signature, making even compact secondary atmospheres dominated by N2 or CO2 amenable to characterization with existing instrumentation1. Yet, despite large planet search efforts2, detection of low-temperature Earth-sized planets around late-M dwarfs has remained rare and the TRAPPIST-1 system, a resonance chain of rocky planets with seemingly identical compositions, has not yet shown any evidence of volatiles in the system3. Here we report the discovery of a temperate Earth-sized planet orbiting the cool M6 dwarf LP 791-18. The newly discovered planet, LP 791-18d, has a radius of 1.03 ± 0.04 R⊕ and an equilibrium temperature of 300-400 K, with the permanent night side plausibly allowing for water condensation. LP 791-18d is part of a coplanar system4 and provides a so-far unique opportunity to investigate a temperate exo-Earth in a system with a sub-Neptune that retained its gas or volatile envelope. On the basis of observations of transit timing variations, we find a mass of 7.1 ± 0.7 M⊕ for the sub-Neptune LP 791-18c and a mass of [Formula: see text] for the exo-Earth LP 791-18d. The gravitational interaction with the sub-Neptune prevents the complete circularization of LP 791-18d's orbit, resulting in continued tidal heating of LP 791-18d's interior and probably strong volcanic activity at the surface5,6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merrin S Peterson
- Department of Physics and Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Björn Benneke
- Department of Physics and Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Karen Collins
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Caroline Piaulet
- Department of Physics and Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ian J M Crossfield
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Mohamad Ali-Dib
- Department of Physics and Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Center for Astro, Particle and Planetary Physics (CAP3), New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Jonathan Gagné
- Planetarium of Rio Tinto Alcan and Institute for Research on Exoplanets, University of Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Edwin Kite
- Department of the Geological Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Courtney Dressing
- Department of Astronomy, University of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - David Charbonneau
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Felipe Murgas
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain
| | - Marion Cointepas
- Institute of Planetology and Astrophysics of Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Xavier Bonfils
- Institute of Planetology and Astrophysics of Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - Stephen Kane
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Michael W Werner
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Varoujan Gorjian
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Pierre-Alexis Roy
- Department of Physics and Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Avi Shporer
- Department of Physics and Kavli Institute of Astronomy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Francisco J Pozuelos
- Institute of Astrophysics of Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomía s, Granada, Spain
- Astrobiology Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Ryan Cloutier
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Ontario, Hamilton, Canada
| | | | - Jonathan Irwin
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - William Waalkes
- Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Zach Berta-Thomson
- Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Thomas Evans
- Department of Physics and Kavli Institute of Astronomy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Apai
- Steward Observatory, Tucson, AZ, USA
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - Enric Pallé
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain
| | - Norio Narita
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain
- Komaba Institute for Science, The University of Tokyo Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Astrobiology Center, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Andrew W Howard
- Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Diana Dragomir
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Khalid Barkaoui
- Astrobiology Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Oukaimeden Observatory, High Energy Physics and Astrophysics Laboratory, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Michaël Gillon
- Astrobiology Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Emmanuel Jehin
- Space Sciences, Technologies and Astrophysics Research (STAR), Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Elsa Ducrot
- Astrobiology Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Zouhair Benkhaldoun
- Oukaimeden Observatory, High Energy Physics and Astrophysics Laboratory, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Akihiko Fukui
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain
- Komaba Institute for Science, The University of Tokyo Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mayuko Mori
- Department of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyoku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taku Nishiumi
- Astrobiology Center, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Astronomical Science, The Graduated University for Advanced Studies, Sokendai, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Multi-Disciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kiyoe Kawauchi
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain
- Department of Multi-Disciplinary Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - George Ricker
- Department of Physics and Kavli Institute of Astronomy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David W Latham
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joshua N Winn
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Sara Seager
- Department of Physics and Kavli Institute of Astronomy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Howard Isaacson
- Department of Astronomy, University of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Aidan Gibbs
- Department of Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Benjamin V Rackham
- Department of Physics and Kavli Institute of Astronomy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Paul Gabor
- Vatican Observatory Research Group, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Wen-Ping Chen
- Graduate Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | | | - Eric L N Jensen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, USA
| | | | - Richard P Schwarz
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dennis M Conti
- American Association of Variable Star Observers, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Gavin Wang
- Tsinghua International School, Beijing, China
| | - John F Kielkopf
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Shude Mao
- National Astronomical Observatories of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Keith Horne
- SUPA Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, Fife, UK
| | | | - Samuel N Quinn
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard and Smithsonian, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Michael Fausnaugh
- Department of Physics and Kavli Institute of Astronomy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Gábor Fűűrész
- Department of Physics and Kavli Institute of Astronomy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Thomas Barclay
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
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9
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Way MJ, Ostberg C, Foley BJ, Gillmann C, Höning D, Lammer H, O’Rourke J, Persson M, Plesa AC, Salvador A, Scherf M, Weller M. Synergies Between Venus & Exoplanetary Observations: Venus and Its Extrasolar Siblings. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2023; 219:13. [PMID: 36785654 PMCID: PMC9911515 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-023-00953-3] [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: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Here we examine how our knowledge of present day Venus can inform terrestrial exoplanetary science and how exoplanetary science can inform our study of Venus. In a superficial way the contrasts in knowledge appear stark. We have been looking at Venus for millennia and studying it via telescopic observations for centuries. Spacecraft observations began with Mariner 2 in 1962 when we confirmed that Venus was a hothouse planet, rather than the tropical paradise science fiction pictured. As long as our level of exploration and understanding of Venus remains far below that of Mars, major questions will endure. On the other hand, exoplanetary science has grown leaps and bounds since the discovery of Pegasus 51b in 1995, not too long after the golden years of Venus spacecraft missions came to an end with the Magellan Mission in 1994. Multi-million to billion dollar/euro exoplanet focused spacecraft missions such as JWST, and its successors will be flown in the coming decades. At the same time, excitement about Venus exploration is blooming again with a number of confirmed and proposed missions in the coming decades from India, Russia, Japan, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Here we review what is known and what we may discover tomorrow in complementary studies of Venus and its exoplanetary cousins.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. J. Way
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025 USA
- Theoretical Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Colby Ostberg
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 USA
| | - Bradford J. Foley
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA USA
| | - Cedric Gillmann
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005 USA
| | - Dennis Höning
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Helmut Lammer
- Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Schmiedlstr. 6, 8042 Graz, Austria
| | - Joseph O’Rourke
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ USA
| | - Moa Persson
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paul Sabatier – Toulouse III, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Arnaud Salvador
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University, Box 6010, Flagstaff, AZ 86011 USA
- Habitability, Atmospheres, and Biosignatures Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ USA
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ USA
| | - Manuel Scherf
- Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Schmiedlstr. 6, 8042 Graz, Austria
- Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Institute for Geodesy, Technical University, Graz, Austria
| | - Matthew Weller
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay Area Blvd., Houston, TX 77058 USA
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10
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Abstract
Finding evidence of extraterrestrial life would be one of the most profound scientific discoveries ever made, advancing humanity into a new epoch of cosmic awareness. The Venus Life Finder (VLF) missions feature a series of three direct atmospheric probes designed to assess the habitability of the Venusian clouds and search for signs of life and life itself. The VLF missions are an astrobiology-focused set of missions, and the first two out of three can be launched quickly and at a relatively low cost. The mission concepts come out of an 18-month study by an MIT-led worldwide consortium.
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11
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Jordan S, Shorttle O, Rimmer PB. Proposed energy-metabolisms cannot explain the atmospheric chemistry of Venus. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3274. [PMID: 35701394 PMCID: PMC9198073 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30804-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Life in the clouds of Venus, if present in sufficiently high abundance, must be affecting the atmospheric chemistry. It has been proposed that abundant Venusian life could obtain energy from its environment using three possible sulfur energy-metabolisms. These metabolisms raise the possibility of Venus’s enigmatic cloud-layer SO2-depletion being caused by life. We here couple each proposed energy-metabolism to a photochemical-kinetics code and self-consistently predict the composition of Venus’s atmosphere under the scenario that life produces the observed SO2-depletion. Using this photo-bio-chemical kinetics code, we show that all three metabolisms can produce SO2-depletions, but do so by violating other observational constraints on Venus’s atmospheric chemistry. We calculate the maximum possible biomass density of sulfur-metabolising life in the clouds, before violating observational constraints, to be ~10−5 − 10−3 mg m−3. The methods employed are equally applicable to aerial biospheres on Venus-like exoplanets, planets that are optimally poised for atmospheric characterisation in the near future. The metabolisms proposed for hypothetical life in the clouds of Venus cannot explain the planet’s atmospheric chemistry and thus a limit can be placed on the maximum allowed biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Jordan
- Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Oliver Shorttle
- Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul B Rimmer
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
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12
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The ORIGIN Space Instrument for Detecting Biosignatures and Habitability Indicators on a Venus Life Finder Mission. AEROSPACE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/aerospace9060312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent and past observations of chemical and physical peculiarities in the atmosphere of Venus have renewed speculations about the existence of life in its clouds. To find signs of Venusian life, a dedicated astrobiological space exploration mission is required, and for this reason the Venus Life Finder mission is currently being prepared. A Venus Life Finder mission will require dedicated and specialized instruments to hunt for biosignatures and habitability indicators. In this contribution, we present the ORIGIN space instrument, a laser desorption/laser ablation ionization mass spectrometer. This instrument is designed to detect large, non-volatile molecules, specifically biomolecules such as amino acids and lipids. At the same time, it can also be used in ablation mode for elemental composition analysis. Recent studies with this space prototype instrument of amino acids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, lipids, salts, metals, sulphur isotopes, and microbial elemental composition are discussed in the context of studies of biosignatures and habitability indicators in Venus’s atmosphere. The implementation of the ORIGIN instrument into a Venus Life Finder mission is discussed, emphasizing the low weight and low power consumption of the instrument. An instrument design and sample handling system are presented that make optimal use of the capabilities of this instrument. ORIGIN is a highly versatile instrument with proven capabilities to investigate and potentially resolve many of the outstanding questions about the atmosphere of Venus and the presence of life in its clouds.
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13
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Corrao G, Franchi M, Rea F, Cereda D, Barone A, Borriello CR, Della Valle PG, Ercolanoni M, Fortino I, Jara J, Leoni O, Mazziotta F, Pierini E, Preziosi G, Tirani M, Galli M, Bertolaso G, Pavesi G, Bortolan F. Protective action of natural and induced immunization against the occurrence of delta or alpha variants of SARS-CoV-2 infection: a test-negative case-control study. BMC Med 2022; 20:52. [PMID: 35130877 PMCID: PMC8821854 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-022-02262-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has led to the emergence of several new variants, and few data are available on the impact of vaccination on SARS-CoV-2 variants. We aimed to assess the association between natural (previous infection) and induced (partial or complete vaccination) exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and the onset of new infection supported by the delta variant, and of comparing it with that supported by alpha. METHODS We performed a test-negative case-control study, by linking population-based registries of confirmed diagnoses of infection with SARS-CoV-2, vaccinations against Covid-19 and healthcare utilization databases of the Italian Lombardy Region. Four hundred ninety-six persons who between 27 December 2020 and 16 July 2021 had an infection by the delta variant were 1:1 matched with citizens affected by alphavariant and 1:10 matched with persons who had a negative molecular test, according to gender, age and date of molecular ascertainment. We used a conditional logistic regression for estimating relative risk reduction of either variants associated with natural and/or induced immunization and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS Previous infection was associated with 91% (95% CI 85% to 95%) reduced relative risk of reinfection, without evidence of significant differences between delta and alpha cases (p=0.547). Significant lower vaccinal protection against delta than alpha variant infection was observed with reduced relative risk associated with partial vaccination respectively of 29% (7% to 45%), and 62% (48% to 71%) (p=0.001), and with complete vaccination respectively of 75% (66% to 82%) and 90% (85% to 94%) (p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS Lower protection towards infections caused by the delta variant with respect to alpha variant was noticed, even after the completion of the vaccination cycle. This finding would support efforts to maximize both vaccine uptake with two doses and fulfilment with individual protection measures, especially as the delta variant is rampant worldwide presently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Corrao
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy. .,Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
| | - Matteo Franchi
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Rea
- National Centre for Healthcare Research and Pharmacoepidemiology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Unit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Danilo Cereda
- Directorate General for Health, Lombardy Region, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Ida Fortino
- Directorate General for Health, Lombardy Region, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Olivia Leoni
- Directorate General for Health, Lombardy Region, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Marcello Tirani
- Directorate General for Health, Lombardy Region, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Galli
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Luigi Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Guido Bertolaso
- Chief of the Regional staff for the management of the vaccination campaign, Lombardy Region, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Pavesi
- Directorate General for Health, Lombardy Region, Milan, Italy
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14
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Production of ammonia makes Venusian clouds habitable and explains observed cloud-level chemical anomalies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2110889118. [PMID: 34930842 PMCID: PMC8719887 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110889118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This research provides a transformative hypothesis for the chemistry of the atmospheric cloud layers of Venus while reconciling decades-long atmosphere anomalies. Our model predicts that the clouds are not entirely made of sulfuric acid, but are partially composed of ammonium salt slurries, which may be the result of biological production of ammonia in cloud droplets. As a result, the clouds are no more acidic than some extreme terrestrial environments that harbor life. Life could be making its own environment on Venus. The model’s predictions for the abundance of gases in Venus’ atmosphere match observation better than any previous model, and are readily testable. The atmosphere of Venus remains mysterious, with many outstanding chemical connundra. These include the unexpected presence of ∼10 ppm O2 in the cloud layers, an unknown composition of large particles in the lower cloud layers, and hard to explain measured vertical abundance profiles of SO2 and H2O. We propose a hypothesis for the chemistry in the clouds that largely addresses all of the above anomalies. We include ammonia (NH3), a key component that has been tentatively detected both by the Venera 8 and Pioneer Venus probes. NH3 dissolves in some of the sulfuric acid cloud droplets, effectively neutralizing the acid and trapping dissolved SO2 as ammonium sulfite salts. This trapping of SO2 in the clouds, together with the release of SO2 below the clouds as the droplets settle out to higher temperatures, explains the vertical SO2 abundance anomaly. A consequence of the presence of NH3 is that some Venus cloud droplets must be semisolid ammonium salt slurries, with a pH of ∼1, which matches Earth acidophile environments, rather than concentrated sulfuric acid. The source of NH3 is unknown but could involve biological production; if so, then the most energy-efficient NH3-producing reaction also creates O2, explaining the detection of O2 in the cloud layers. Our model therefore predicts that the clouds are more habitable than previously thought, and may be inhabited. Unlike prior atmospheric models, ours does not require forced chemical constraints to match the data. Our hypothesis, guided by existing observations, can be tested by new Venus in situ measurements.
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15
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Venus might never have been habitable. Nature 2021; 598:259-260. [PMID: 34645993 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-021-02720-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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