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The Search for Life in the Solar System

The Search for Life in the Solar System. HNRS 228 w/Geller 27 February 2003. What’s Up. Review Requirements for Life Searching for Life in Our Solar System Exploring the Solar System remotely from Earth or spacecraft, landers on surface, human exploration

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The Search for Life in the Solar System

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  1. The Search for Life in the Solar System HNRS 228 w/Geller 27 February 2003

  2. What’s Up • Review Requirements for Life • Searching for Life in Our Solar System • Exploring the Solar System • remotely from Earth or spacecraft, landers on surface, human exploration • Biological Tour of the Solar System

  3. Environment for Life? • Source of elements to build cells • Source of energy • Medium for transporting molecules

  4. H2O and CO2 Phase Diagrams (IMPORTANT environmental consideration)

  5. Exploring the Solar System • Observations from Earth • ground or orbit based • Robotic spacecraft • flybys, orbitals • landers • Human exploration

  6. Planet Generalization • Terrestrial planets are closer to sun • Mercury • Venus • Earth • Mars • Jovian planets furthest from sun • Jupiter • Saturn • Uranus • Neptune

  7. Planetary Summary

  8. Some Conclusions • Planets formed at same time as sun • Planetary and satellite/ring systems are similar to remnants of dusty disks such as that seen about stars being born (e.g. T Tauri stars) • Planet composition dependent upon where it formed in solar system

  9. Nebular Condensation Model • Most remnant heat from collapse retained near center • After sun ignites, remaining dust reaches an equilibrium temperature • Different densities of the planets are explained by condensation temperatures • Nebular dust temperature increases to center of nebula

  10. Nebular Condensation Physics • Energy absorbed per unit area from sun = energy emitted as thermal radiator • Solar Flux = Lum (Sun) / 4 x distance2 • Flux emitted = constant x T4 [Stefan-Boltzmann] • Concluding from above yields • T = constant / distance0.5

  11. Nebular Condensation Chemistry

  12. Nebular Condensation Summary • Solid Particles collide, stick together, sink toward center • Terrestrials -> rocky • Jovians -> rocky core + ices + light gases • Coolest, most massive collect H and He • More collisions -> heating and differentiating of interior • Remnants flushed by solar wind • Evolution of atmospheres

  13. Biological Tour of the Solar System • Consider problems posed for life on each of the following • Moon • Mercury • Venus • (Mars will be discussed in Chapter 7) • Jovian Planets • Other Moons • Asteroid, comets and other debris

  14. Some References • The Search for Life (especially in the solar system) • http://www.scibridge.sdsu.edu/coursemats/introsci/Solarsys/lecture.html • http://www.resa.net/nasa/ocean_hydrothermal.htm • http://www.nationalacademies.org/ssb/lifeoriginsmenu.htm • http://www.phy.syr.edu/courses/modules/SETI/where.html • Books • Life on Other Worlds (Dick) • Cradle of Life (Schopf) • Life Everywhere (Darling) • Life on Other Worlds and How to Find It (Clark)

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