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Aguzzi J, Cuadros J, Dartnell L, Costa C, Violino S, Canfora L, Danovaro R, Robinson NJ, Giovannelli D, Flögel S, Stefanni S, Chatzievangelou D, Marini S, Picardi G, Foing B. Marine Science Can Contribute to the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:676. [PMID: 38929660 PMCID: PMC11205085 DOI: 10.3390/life14060676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Life on our planet likely evolved in the ocean, and thus exo-oceans are key habitats to search for extraterrestrial life. We conducted a data-driven bibliographic survey on the astrobiology literature to identify emerging research trends with marine science for future synergies in the exploration for extraterrestrial life in exo-oceans. Based on search queries, we identified 2592 published items since 1963. The current literature falls into three major groups of terms focusing on (1) the search for life on Mars, (2) astrobiology within our Solar System with reference to icy moons and their exo-oceans, and (3) astronomical and biological parameters for planetary habitability. We also identified that the most prominent research keywords form three key-groups focusing on (1) using terrestrial environments as proxies for Martian environments, centred on extremophiles and biosignatures, (2) habitable zones outside of "Goldilocks" orbital ranges, centred on ice planets, and (3) the atmosphere, magnetic field, and geology in relation to planets' habitable conditions, centred on water-based oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Aguzzi
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)—CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (N.J.R.); (D.C.); (G.P.)
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (S.S.); (S.M.)
| | - Javier Cuadros
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5D, UK;
| | - Lewis Dartnell
- School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish St, London W1W 6UW, UK;
| | - Corrado Costa
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi Dell’Economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy; (C.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Simona Violino
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi Dell’Economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy; (C.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Loredana Canfora
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente, 00182 Roma, Italy;
| | - Roberto Danovaro
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marcs (UNIVPM), 60131 Ancona, Italy;
| | - Nathan Jack Robinson
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)—CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (N.J.R.); (D.C.); (G.P.)
| | - Donato Giovannelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy;
- National Research Council—Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies (CNR-IRBIM), 60125 Ancona, Italy
- Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Marine Chemistry, Geochemistry Department—Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Falmouth, MA 02543, USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
| | - Sascha Flögel
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, 24106 Kiel, Germany;
| | - Sergio Stefanni
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (S.S.); (S.M.)
| | | | - Simone Marini
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (S.S.); (S.M.)
- Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISMAR), 19032 La Spezia, Italy
| | - Giacomo Picardi
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)—CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (N.J.R.); (D.C.); (G.P.)
| | - Bernard Foing
- Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081-1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
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Monteiro-Carvalho AB, Sigaud L, Montenegro EC. O_{2}^{+} Production Coming from CO_{2} Single-Event Electron Impact. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2024; 132:153002. [PMID: 38683003 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.132.153002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
In CO_{2}-rich atmospheres that are always exposed to ionizing radiation (e.g., Venus and Mars), every fragmentation process can significantly impact the inventory of moieties present in these environments. Nevertheless, the production of O_{2}^{+} ions as a direct result of CO_{2} fragmentation has never been quantified so far. Since molecular oxygen is considered as a potential trace of living organisms, nonbiotic pathways for its production must be known. In this work, O_{2}^{+} coming from CO_{2} fragmentation by electron impact is unambiguously identified and measured in absolute scale.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - L Sigaud
- Instituto de Física-Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, 24210-346, Brazil
| | - E C Montenegro
- Instituto de Física-Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-972, Brazil
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Rösch D, Xu Y, Guo H, Hu X, Osborn DL. SO 2 Photodissociation at 193 nm Directly Forms S( 3P) + O 2( 3Σ g-): Implications for the Archean Atmosphere on Earth. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:3084-3091. [PMID: 36950956 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c00077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
It is well-documented that photodissociation of SO2 at λ = 193 nm produces O(3Pj) + SO X(3Σ-). We provide experimental evidence of a new product channel from one-photon absorption producing S(3Pj) + O2 X(3Σg-) in 2-4% yield. We probe the reactant and all products with time-resolved photoelectron photoion coincidence spectroscopy. High-level ab initio calculations suggest that the new product channel can only occur on the ground-state potential energy surface through internal conversion from the excited state, followed by isomerization to a transient SOO intermediate. Classical trajectories on the ground-state potential energy surface with random initial conditions qualitatively reproduce the experimental yields. This unexpected photodissociation pathway may help reconcile discrepancies in sulfur mass-independent fractionation mechanisms in Earth's geologic history, which shape our understanding of the Archean atmosphere and the Great Oxygenation Event in Earth's evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Rösch
- Combustion Research Facility, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California 94551, United States
| | - Yifei Xu
- Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Hua Guo
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, University of New Mexico,Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Xixi Hu
- Kuang Yaming Honors School, Institute for Brain Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - David L Osborn
- Combustion Research Facility, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California 94551, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, California 95616, United States
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Chen L, Wang E, Zhao W, Gong M, Shan X, Chen X. Fragmentation of SO 2 q+ (q = 2-4) induced by 1 keV electron collision. J Chem Phys 2023; 158:054301. [PMID: 36754782 DOI: 10.1063/5.0134007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We report an investigation on the fragmentation dynamics of SO2 q+ (q = 2-4) induced by 1 keV electron collision utilizing an ion momentum imaging spectrometer. Six complete Coulomb explosion channels were observed using the time-of-flight correlation map. The kinetic energy release distributions for these channels were obtained and compared with those available in the literature. The fragmentation mechanisms of the three-body dissociation channels were analyzed by the Dalitz plots and Newton diagrams. Both concerted breakup and sequential fragmentation pathways were identified in the channel SO2 3+ → O+ + O+ + S+, whereas only the concerted breakup mechanism was confirmed for the channels SO2 4+ → O+ + O+ + S2+ and SO2 4+ → O2+ + O+ + S+. Using the Coulomb explosion model, we determined the molecular geometry from the concerted fragmentation channels, and the obtained bond lengths and angles from the higher kinetic energy release peaks are close to that of the neutral SO2 obtained by high-level quantum chemical calculation. The present results indicate that the electron impact experiment is a potential tool for the Coulomb explosion imaging of small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Enliang Wang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Wenchao Zhao
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Maomao Gong
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Xu Shan
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Xiangjun Chen
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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Mifsud DV, Herczku P, Rácz R, Rahul KK, Kovács STS, Juhász Z, Sulik B, Biri S, McCullough RW, Kaňuchová Z, Ioppolo S, Hailey PA, Mason NJ. Energetic electron irradiations of amorphous and crystalline sulphur-bearing astrochemical ices. Front Chem 2022; 10:1003163. [PMID: 36226122 PMCID: PMC9549411 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.1003163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Laboratory experiments have confirmed that the radiolytic decay rate of astrochemical ice analogues is dependent upon the solid phase of the target ice, with some crystalline molecular ices being more radio-resistant than their amorphous counterparts. The degree of radio-resistance exhibited by crystalline ice phases is dependent upon the nature, strength, and extent of the intermolecular interactions that characterise their solid structure. For example, it has been shown that crystalline CH3OH decays at a significantly slower rate when irradiated by 2 keV electrons at 20 K than does the amorphous phase due to the stabilising effect imparted by the presence of an extensive array of strong hydrogen bonds. These results have important consequences for the astrochemistry of interstellar ices and outer Solar System bodies, as they imply that the chemical products arising from the irradiation of amorphous ices (which may include prebiotic molecules relevant to biology) should be more abundant than those arising from similar irradiations of crystalline phases. In this present study, we have extended our work on this subject by performing comparative energetic electron irradiations of the amorphous and crystalline phases of the sulphur-bearing molecules H2S and SO2 at 20 K. We have found evidence for phase-dependent chemistry in both these species, with the radiation-induced exponential decay of amorphous H2S being more rapid than that of the crystalline phase, similar to the effect that has been previously observed for CH3OH. For SO2, two fluence regimes are apparent: a low-fluence regime in which the crystalline ice exhibits a rapid exponential decay while the amorphous ice possibly resists decay, and a high-fluence regime in which both phases undergo slow exponential-like decays. We have discussed our results in the contexts of interstellar and Solar System ice astrochemistry and the formation of sulphur allotropes and residues in these settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duncan V. Mifsud
- Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), Debrecen, Hungary
- *Correspondence: Duncan V. Mifsud, ; Péter Herczku, ; Nigel J. Mason,
| | - Péter Herczku
- Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), Debrecen, Hungary
- *Correspondence: Duncan V. Mifsud, ; Péter Herczku, ; Nigel J. Mason,
| | - Richárd Rácz
- Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), Debrecen, Hungary
| | - K. K. Rahul
- Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | - Zoltán Juhász
- Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Béla Sulik
- Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Sándor Biri
- Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Robert W. McCullough
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Zuzana Kaňuchová
- Astronomical Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Tatranská Lomnica, Slovakia
| | - Sergio Ioppolo
- School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Perry A. Hailey
- Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Nigel J. Mason
- Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
- Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), Debrecen, Hungary
- *Correspondence: Duncan V. Mifsud, ; Péter Herczku, ; Nigel J. Mason,
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Bhatt P, Maiyelvaganan KR, Prakash M, Palaudoux J, Safvan CP, Hochlaf M. Fragmentation dynamics of CH 3Cl q+ ( q = 2,3): theory and experiment. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:27619-27630. [DOI: 10.1039/d2cp02194c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
We use advanced theoretical treatments and energetic ion collision induced fragmentation to investigate the unimolecular decomposition dynamics of CH3Clq+ (q = 2,3) ions, where both obvious bond breaking and bond rearrangement products are observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Bhatt
- Inter University Accelerator Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi – 110067, India
| | - K. R. Maiyelvaganan
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur-603203, Chennai, TN, India
| | - M. Prakash
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, SRM Nagar, Kattankulathur-603203, Chennai, TN, India
| | - J. Palaudoux
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Laboratoire de Chimie Physique – Matière et Rayonnement, LCP-MR, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - C. P. Safvan
- Inter University Accelerator Centre, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi – 110067, India
| | - M. Hochlaf
- Université Gustave Eiffel, COSYS/IMSE, 5 Bd Descartes 77454, Champs sur Marne, France
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