1
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Murray J, Jagoutz O. Olivine alteration and the loss of Mars' early atmospheric carbon. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadm8443. [PMID: 39321300 PMCID: PMC11423889 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm8443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
The early Martian atmosphere had 0.25 to 4 bar of CO2 but thinned rapidly around 3.5 billion years ago. The fate of that carbon remains poorly constrained. The hydrothermal alteration of ultramafic rocks, rich in Fe(II) and Mg, forms both abiotic methane, serpentine, and high-surface-area smectite clays. Given the abundance of ultramafic rocks and smectite in the Martian upper crust and the growing evidence of organic carbon in Martian sedimentary rocks, we quantify the effects of ultramafic alteration on the carbon cycle of early Mars. We calculate the capacity of Noachian-age clays to store organic carbon. Up to 1.7 bar of CO2 can plausibly be adsorbed on clay surfaces. Coupling abiotic methanogenesis with best estimates of Mars' δ13C history predicts a reservoir of 0.6 to 1.3 bar of CO2 equivalent. Such a reservoir could be used as an energy source for long-term missions. Our results further illustrate the control of water-rock reactions on the atmospheric evolution of planets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Murray
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Oliver Jagoutz
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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2
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Steichen V, Leblanc F, Berthelier JJ, Hong NT, Lee S, Gilbert P. A carbon nanotube based ion source for planetary space mass spectrometry. THE REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS 2024; 95:023303. [PMID: 38391286 DOI: 10.1063/5.0179530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Ion sources are used in mass and energy spectrometry to ionize the neutral particles entering the instrument. The most classical technique used in planetary exploration is hot filaments emitting electrons with few tens of eV and impacting the neutral particles. The main limitations of such emitters are power consumption and outgassing due to heating of their local environment. Here, we built, tested, and demonstrated the advantages of using carbon nanotubes to replace hot filaments. Such emitters are based on a cold approach, use a limited amount of power, and achieve essentially the same efficiency as the hot filament-based source of ionization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Nguyen Tuan Hong
- Centre for High Technology Development, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
| | - Soonil Lee
- Department of Physics, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, South Korea
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3
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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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4
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Wellbrock A, Jones GH, Dresing N, Coates AJ, Simon Wedlund C, Nilsson H, Sanchez‐Cano B, Palmerio E, Turc L, Myllys M, Henri P, Goetz C, Witasse O, Nordheim TA, Mandt K. Observations of a Solar Energetic Particle Event From Inside and Outside the Coma of Comet 67P. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2022; 127:e2022JA030398. [PMID: 37032655 PMCID: PMC10077910 DOI: 10.1029/2022ja030398] [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: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
We analyze observations of a solar energetic particle (SEP) event at Rosetta's target comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during 6-10 March 2015. The comet was 2.15 AU from the Sun, with the Rosetta spacecraft approximately 70 km from the nucleus placing it deep inside the comet's coma and allowing us to study its response. The Eastern flank of an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) also encountered Rosetta on 6 and 7 March. Rosetta Plasma Consortium data indicate increases in ionization rates, and cometary water group pickup ions exceeding 1 keV. Increased charge exchange reactions between solar wind ions and cometary neutrals also indicate increased upstream neutral populations consistent with enhanced SEP induced surface activity. In addition, the most intense parts of the event coincide with observations interpreted as an infant cometary bow shock, indicating that the SEPs may have enhanced the formation and/or intensified the observations. These solar transient events may also have pushed the cometopause closer to the nucleus. We track and discuss characteristics of the SEP event using remote observations by SOHO, WIND, and GOES at the Sun, in situ measurements at Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory Ahead, Mars and Rosetta, and ENLIL modeling. Based on its relatively prolonged duration, gradual and anisotropic nature, and broad angular spread in the heliosphere, we determine the main particle acceleration source to be a distant ICME which emerged from the Sun on 6 March 2015 and was detected locally in the Martian ionosphere but was never encountered by 67P directly. The ICME's shock produced SEPs for several days which traveled to the in situ observation sites via magnetic field line connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Wellbrock
- Mullard Space Science LaboratoryUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- The Centre for Planetary Science at UCL/BirkbeckLondonUK
| | - G. H. Jones
- Mullard Space Science LaboratoryUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- The Centre for Planetary Science at UCL/BirkbeckLondonUK
| | - N. Dresing
- Department of Physics and AstronomyTurku Collegium for Science, Medicine and TechnologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - A. J. Coates
- Mullard Space Science LaboratoryUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- The Centre for Planetary Science at UCL/BirkbeckLondonUK
| | - C. Simon Wedlund
- Space Science InstituteAustrian Academy of SciencesViennaAustria
| | - H. Nilsson
- Swedish Institute of Space PhysicsKirunaSweden
- Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space EngineeringLuleå University of TechnologyKirunaSweden
| | - B. Sanchez‐Cano
- School of Physics and AstronomyPlanetary Science GroupUniversity of LeicesterLeicesterUK
| | | | - L. Turc
- Department of PhysicsUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - M. Myllys
- LPC2ECNRSUniversité d'OrléansOSUCCNESOrléansFrance
| | - P. Henri
- LPC2ECNRSUniversité d'OrléansOSUCCNESOrléansFrance
- Laboratoire LagrangeObservatoire de la Côte d'AzurUniversité Côte d'AzurCNRSNiceFrance
| | - C. Goetz
- ESTECEuropean Space AgencyNoordwijkThe Netherlands
| | - O. Witasse
- ESTECEuropean Space AgencyNoordwijkThe Netherlands
| | - T. A. Nordheim
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - K. Mandt
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics LaboratoryLaurelMDUSA
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5
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Garnier P, Jacquey C, Gendre X, Génot V, Mazelle C, Fang X, Gruesbeck JR, Sánchez‐Cano B, Halekas JS. The Drivers of the Martian Bow Shock Location: A Statistical Analysis of Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN and Mars Express Observations. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2022; 127:e2021JA030147. [PMID: 35865127 PMCID: PMC9287072 DOI: 10.1029/2021ja030147] [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: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Martian interaction with the solar wind leads to the formation of a bow shock upstream of the planet. The shock dynamics appear complex, due to the combined influence of external and internal drivers. The extreme ultraviolet fluxes and magnetosonic Mach number are known major drivers of the shock location, while the influence of other possible drivers is less constrained or unknown such as crustal magnetic fields, solar wind dynamic pressure, or the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) intensity, and orientation. In this study, we compare the influence of the main drivers of the Martian shock location, based on several methods and published datasets from Mars Express (MEX) and Mars Atmosphere Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) missions. We include here the influence of the crustal fields, extreme ultraviolet fluxes, solar wind dynamic pressure, as well as (for MAVEN, thanks to magnetic field measurements) magnetosonic Mach number and Interplanetary Magnetic Field parameters (intensity and orientation angles). The bias due to the cross-correlations among the possible drivers is investigated with a partial correlations analysis. Several model selection methods (Akaike Information Criterion and Least Absolute Shrinkage Selection Operator regression) are also used to rank the relative importance of the physical parameters. We conclude that the major drivers of the shock location are extreme ultraviolet fluxes and magnetosonic Mach number, while crustal fields and solar wind dynamic pressure are secondary drivers at a similar level. The IMF orientation also plays a significant role, with larger distances for perpendicular shocks rather than parallel shocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Garnier
- IRAPUniversité de ToulouseCNESCNRSUPSToulouseFrance
| | - C. Jacquey
- IRAPUniversité de ToulouseCNESCNRSUPSToulouseFrance
| | - X. Gendre
- ISAE‐SUPAEROUniversité de ToulouseToulouseFrance
| | - V. Génot
- IRAPUniversité de ToulouseCNESCNRSUPSToulouseFrance
| | - C. Mazelle
- IRAPUniversité de ToulouseCNESCNRSUPSToulouseFrance
| | - X. Fang
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics University of ColoradoBoulderCOUSA
| | - J. R. Gruesbeck
- Department of AstronomyUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMDUSA
- NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbeltMDUSA
| | - B. Sánchez‐Cano
- School of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of LeicesterLeicesterUK
| | - J. S. Halekas
- Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of IowaIowaIAUSA
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6
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Distribution of water phase near the poles of the Moon from gravity aspects. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4501. [PMID: 35296705 PMCID: PMC8927600 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08305-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Our Moon periodically moves through the magnetic tail of the Earth that contains terrestrial ions of hydrogen and oxygen. A possible density contrast might have been discovered that could be consistent with the presence of water phase of potential terrestrial origin. Using novel gravity aspects (descriptors) derived from harmonic potential coefficients of gravity field of the Moon, we discovered gravity strike angle anomalies that point to water phase locations in the polar regions of the Moon. Our analysis suggests that impact cratering processes were responsible for specific pore space network that were subsequently filled with the water phase filling volumes of permafrost in the lunar subsurface. In this work, we suggest the accumulation of up to ~ 3000 km3 of terrestrial water phase (Earth’s atmospheric escape) now filling the pore spaced regolith, portion of which is distributed along impact zones of the polar regions of the Moon. These unique locations serve as potential resource utilization sites for future landing exploration and habitats (e.g., NASA Artemis Plan objectives).
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7
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Sánchez-Cano B, Lester M, Andrews DJ, Opgenoorth H, Lillis R, Leblanc F, Fowler CM, Fang X, Vaisberg O, Mayyasi M, Holmberg M, Guo J, Hamrin M, Mazelle C, Peter K, Pätzold M, Stergiopoulou K, Goetz C, Ermakov VN, Shuvalov S, Wild JA, Blelly PL, Mendillo M, Bertucci C, Cartacci M, Orosei R, Chu F, Kopf AJ, Girazian Z, Roman MT. Mars' plasma system. Scientific potential of coordinated multipoint missions: "The next generation". EXPERIMENTAL ASTRONOMY 2021; 54:641-676. [PMID: 36915625 PMCID: PMC9998566 DOI: 10.1007/s10686-021-09790-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this White Paper, submitted to ESA's Voyage 2050 call, is to get a more holistic knowledge of the dynamics of the Martian plasma system, from its surface up to the undisturbed solar wind outside of the induced magnetosphere. This can only be achieved with coordinated multi-point observations with high temporal resolution as they have the scientific potential to track the whole dynamics of the system (from small to large scales), and they constitute the next generation of the exploration of Mars analogous to what happened at Earth a few decades ago. This White Paper discusses the key science questions that are still open at Mars and how they could be addressed with coordinated multipoint missions. The main science questions are: (i) How does solar wind driving impact the dynamics of the magnetosphere and ionosphere? (ii) What is the structure and nature of the tail of Mars' magnetosphere at all scales? (iii) How does the lower atmosphere couple to the upper atmosphere? (iv) Why should we have a permanent in-situ Space Weather monitor at Mars? Each science question is devoted to a specific plasma region, and includes several specific scientific objectives to study in the coming decades. In addition, two mission concepts are also proposed based on coordinated multi-point science from a constellation of orbiting and ground-based platforms, which focus on understanding and solving the current science gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark Lester
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | | | - Hermann Opgenoorth
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Robert Lillis
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - François Leblanc
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | | | - Xiaohua Fang
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder, CO Boulder, USA
| | - Oleg Vaisberg
- Space Research Institute of Russian academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - Mika Holmberg
- European Space Research and Technology Center, European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | - Jingnan Guo
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Hefei, People’s Republic of China
| | | | - Christian Mazelle
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Toulouse, France
| | - Kerstin Peter
- Department of Planetary Research, Rhenish Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Pätzold
- Department of Planetary Research, Rhenish Institute for Environmental Research at the University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Charlotte Goetz
- European Space Research and Technology Center, European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | | | - Sergei Shuvalov
- Space Research Institute of Russian academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - James A. Wild
- Physics Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | | | | | - Cesar Bertucci
- Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Roberto Orosei
- Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Istituto di Radioastronomia, Bologna, Italy
| | - Feng Chu
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA USA
| | - Andrew J. Kopf
- Astronomical Applications Department, United States Naval Observatory, Washington, DC USA
| | - Zachary Girazian
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA USA
| | - Michael T. Roman
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
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8
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Early Mars may have boasted a large ocean and cool climate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:31558-31560. [DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022986117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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9
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Longo A, Damer B. Factoring Origin of Life Hypotheses into the Search for Life in the Solar System and Beyond. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:E52. [PMID: 32349245 PMCID: PMC7281141 DOI: 10.3390/life10050052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Two widely-cited alternative hypotheses propose geological localities and biochemical mechanisms for life's origins. The first states that chemical energy available in submarine hydrothermal vents supported the formation of organic compounds and initiated primitive metabolic pathways which became incorporated in the earliest cells; the second proposes that protocells self-assembled from exogenous and geothermally-delivered monomers in freshwater hot springs. These alternative hypotheses are relevant to the fossil record of early life on Earth, and can be factored into the search for life elsewhere in the Solar System. This review summarizes the evidence supporting and challenging these hypotheses, and considers their implications for the search for life on various habitable worlds. It will discuss the relative probability that life could have emerged in environments on early Mars, on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and also the degree to which prebiotic chemistry could have advanced on Titan. These environments will be compared to ancient and modern terrestrial analogs to assess their habitability and biopreservation potential. Origins of life approaches can guide the biosignature detection strategies of the next generation of planetary science missions, which could in turn advance one or both of the leading alternative abiogenesis hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Longo
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546, USA
- Department of Geology, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Bruce Damer
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA or
- Digital Space Research, Boulder Creek, CA 95006, USA
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10
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11
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Atmospheric escape from the TRAPPIST-1 planets and implications for habitability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 115:260-265. [PMID: 29284746 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1708010115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of an atmosphere over sufficiently long timescales is widely perceived as one of the most prominent criteria associated with planetary surface habitability. We address the crucial question of whether the seven Earth-sized planets transiting the recently discovered ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 are capable of retaining their atmospheres. To this effect, we carry out numerical simulations to characterize the stellar wind of TRAPPIST-1 and the atmospheric ion escape rates for all of the seven planets. We also estimate the escape rates analytically and demonstrate that they are in good agreement with the numerical results. We conclude that the outer planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system are capable of retaining their atmospheres over billion-year timescales. The consequences arising from our results are also explored in the context of abiogenesis, biodiversity, and searches for future exoplanets. In light of the many unknowns and assumptions involved, we recommend that these conclusions must be interpreted with due caution.
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12
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Kilpua E, Koskinen HEJ, Pulkkinen TI. Coronal mass ejections and their sheath regions in interplanetary space. LIVING REVIEWS IN SOLAR PHYSICS 2017; 14:5. [PMID: 31997985 PMCID: PMC6956910 DOI: 10.1007/s41116-017-0009-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) are large-scale heliospheric transients that originate from the Sun. When an ICME is sufficiently faster than the preceding solar wind, a shock wave develops ahead of the ICME. The turbulent region between the shock and the ICME is called the sheath region. ICMEs and their sheaths and shocks are all interesting structures from the fundamental plasma physics viewpoint. They are also key drivers of space weather disturbances in the heliosphere and planetary environments. ICME-driven shock waves can accelerate charged particles to high energies. Sheaths and ICMEs drive practically all intense geospace storms at the Earth, and they can also affect dramatically the planetary radiation environments and atmospheres. This review focuses on the current understanding of observational signatures and properties of ICMEs and the associated sheath regions based on five decades of studies. In addition, we discuss modelling of ICMEs and many fundamental outstanding questions on their origin, evolution and effects, largely due to the limitations of single spacecraft observations of these macro-scale structures. We also present current understanding of space weather consequences of these large-scale solar wind structures, including effects at the other Solar System planets and exoplanets. We specially emphasize the different origin, properties and consequences of the sheaths and ICMEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia Kilpua
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hannu E. J. Koskinen
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Espoo, Finland
| | - Tuija I. Pulkkinen
- Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
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13
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14
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Abstract
Much attention has been given in the literature to the effects of astrophysical events on human and land-based life. However, little has been discussed on the resilience of life itself. Here we instead explore the statistics of events that completely sterilise an Earth-like planet with planet radii in the range 0.5-1.5R ⊕ and temperatures of ∼300 K, eradicating all forms of life. We consider the relative likelihood of complete global sterilisation events from three astrophysical sources - supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, large asteroid impacts, and passing-by stars. To assess such probabilities we consider what cataclysmic event could lead to the annihilation of not just human life, but also extremophiles, through the boiling of all water in Earth's oceans. Surprisingly we find that although human life is somewhat fragile to nearby events, the resilience of Ecdysozoa such as Milnesium tardigradum renders global sterilisation an unlikely event.
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15
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Ma Y, Russell C, Nagy A, Toth G. Understanding the Solar Wind–Mars Interaction with Global Magnetohydrodynamic Modeling. Comput Sci Eng 2017. [DOI: 10.1109/mcse.2017.3151238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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16
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Andrews DJ, Barabash S, Edberg NJT, Gurnett DA, Hall BES, Holmström M, Lester M, Morgan DD, Opgenoorth HJ, Ramstad R, Sanchez-Cano B, Way M, Witasse O. Plasma observations during the Mars atmospheric "plume" event of March-April 2012. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2016; 121:3139-3154. [PMID: 29552437 PMCID: PMC5854877 DOI: 10.1002/2015ja022023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We present initial analysis and conclusions from plasma observations made during the reported "Mars plume event" of March - April 2012. During this period, multiple independent amateur observers detected a localized, high-altitude "plume" over the Martian dawn terminator [Sanchez-Lavega et al., Nature, 2015, doi:10.1038/nature14162], the cause of which remains to be explained. The estimated brightness of the plume exceeds that expected for auroral emissions, and its projected altitude greatly exceeds that at which clouds are expected to form. We report on in-situ measurements of ionospheric plasma density and solar wind parameters throughout this interval made by Mars Express, obtained over the same surface region, but at the opposing terminator. Measurements in the ionosphere at the corresponding location frequently show a disturbed structure, though this is not atypical for such regions with intense crustal magnetic fields. We tentatively conclude that the formation and/or transport of this plume to the altitudes where it was observed could be due in part to the result of a large interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) encountering the Martian system. Interestingly, we note that the only similar plume detection in May 1997 may also have been associated with a large ICME impact at Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J Andrews
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics (Uppsala), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - S Barabash
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics (Kiruna), Kiruna, Sweden
| | - N J T Edberg
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics (Uppsala), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - D A Gurnett
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - B E S Hall
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - M Holmström
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics (Kiruna), Kiruna, Sweden
| | - M Lester
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - D D Morgan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - H J Opgenoorth
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics (Uppsala), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - R Ramstad
- Swedish Institute of Space Physics (Kiruna), Kiruna, Sweden
| | - B Sanchez-Cano
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - M Way
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 2880 Broadway, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, SE-751 20, Uppsala, Sweden
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Schneider NM, Deighan JI, Jain SK, Stiepen A, Stewart AIF, Larson D, Mitchell DL, Mazelle C, Lee CO, Lillis RJ, Evans JS, Brain D, Stevens MH, McClintock WE, Chaffin MS, Crismani M, Holsclaw GM, Lefevre F, Lo DY, Clarke JT, Montmessin F, Jakosky BM. Discovery of diffuse aurora on Mars. Science 2015; 350:aad0313. [PMID: 26542577 DOI: 10.1126/science.aad0313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. M. Schneider
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - J. I. Deighan
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - S. K. Jain
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - A. Stiepen
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - A. I. F. Stewart
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - D. Larson
- Space Sciences Lab, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - D. L. Mitchell
- Space Sciences Lab, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - C. Mazelle
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), CNRS, Toulouse, France
- University Paul Sabatier, IRAP, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - C. O. Lee
- Space Sciences Lab, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - R. J. Lillis
- Space Sciences Lab, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - J. S. Evans
- Computational Physics, Inc, Springfield, VA 22151, USA
| | - D. Brain
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - M. H. Stevens
- Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA
| | - W. E. McClintock
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - M. S. Chaffin
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - M. Crismani
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - G. M. Holsclaw
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - F. Lefevre
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, Guyancourt, France
| | - D. Y. Lo
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - J. T. Clarke
- Center for Space Physics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - F. Montmessin
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - B. M. Jakosky
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
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