Month: September 2022

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LIFE MOLECULES. “Organic synthesis occurring at the polar regions of the Moon, Mercury and other silicate bodies has also been proposed. There are studies of Galactic cosmic rays-induced synthesis of organic molecules in Titan's atmosphere, production of oxidants on Europa and the possibility of an aerial biosphere on Venus. The production of O2, H2O2 and other oxidants on Europa's surface by charged particles accelerated in the Jovian magnetic field has been estimated in an earlier study.” https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2016.0459 View in LinkedIn

VIOLENT EARLY EARTH. “It is believed that approximately 3.5–4 Gyr ago, when life originated on the Earth, the Sun was in a highly active phase. In this scenario, the Earth's surface was likely to be bombarded by a high flux of energetic solar particles and super coronal mass ejections. Enhanced flux of solar particles and variability in the Galactic cosmic rays flux can also enhance the rate of lightning, and provide energy to the prebiotic soup to synthesize amino acids and other organic compounds forming the building blocks of life.” https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2016.0459 View in LinkedIn

HI-ENERGY COSMIC PARTICLES. “If the solar particles are sufficiently energetic (more than 10 GeV), they can produce secondary particles capable of penetrating underground and in water, providing a small source of energy away from direct exposure to high flux of harmful UV radiation on the surface. Solar particles typically reach energies of hundreds of MeV during violent eruptions and in some cases greater than 10 GeV.” https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2016.0459 View in LinkedIn

SOLAR PARTICLES. “Typical solar proton events (SPEs) produce a fluence of about 10(9) protons cm−2 on Earth. Because the Sun was considerably more active in the past, it is highly likely that such eruptions might have occurred on the Sun more frequently. The higher energy component of these SPEs, just like Galactic cosmic rays, is capable of penetrating underground, and would have increased the flux of secondary particles in subsurface environments. A combination of particle flux along with water and nutrients might provide ideal conditions for life to originate and evolve until conditions on the surface become optimal.” https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2016.0459 View in LinkedIn

MARTIAN WATER CHEMISTRY. “There is growing evidence of pockets of near-surface water on Mars. The presence of indigenous nitrogen in sedimentary and aeolian deposits using the SAM instrument on-board the Curiosity rover was reported recently. Observations of hydrated salts, magnesium perchlorate, magnesium chlorate and sodium perchlorate on the Martian surface, were also recently announced.” https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2016.0459 View in LinkedIn

MARTIAN SURFACE. “Radiolysis-powered ecosystems can use these chemicals for metabolic processes. The possibility of methane, N2 and traces of O2 being by-products of such an ecosystem cannot be ruled out and could possibly explain the presence of methane that cannot yet be explained by standard physics and chemistry models.” https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2016.0459 View in LinkedIn

COSMIC RAY ENERGY SOURCE. “The discovery of Ca. D. audaxviator thriving 2.8 km below the Earth's surface powered by radiolysis opens up new possibilities of biological interaction with (ionizing) particle radiation. Galactic cosmic rays produce secondary particles that deposit energy in the subsurface environment. Conceivable mechanisms have been proposed through which the energy of Galactic cosmic rays-induced particles can be used to produce biologically useful products such as organics and utilize energy for radiolysis to power a potential subsurface ecosystem.” https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2016.0459 View in LinkedIn

DNA REPAIR. “Ionizing radiation causes damage, and just as in the case of Ca. D. audaxviator, a part of the energy deposited in subsurface environments can be used for repairing damage and the rest for chemical reactions and potential biological use.” https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2016.0459 View in LinkedIn

COSMIC ENERGY SOURCE. “Galactic cosmic rays are a steady source of ionizing radiation throughout the Galaxy and beyond. Their secondary component can deposit energy underground; muons especially can penetrate several kilometres underground. It has been shown that Galactic cosmic rays-induced radiolysis is a steady source of energy for subsurface environments and could potentially be a viable source of energy supporting such an ecosystem. Galactic cosmic rays-induced particles can directly interact with the medium with essential nutrients and synthesize basic chemicals vital for life to develop, analogous to the experiments with high-energy protons and ice mixtures.” https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsif.2016.0459 View in LinkedIn