Origin, evolution and distribution of lifeOrigin, evolution and distribution of life in the Solar System: in the Solar System:

Constraints from space weatherConstraints from space weather

Space weather at other planetsSpace weather at other planets

Julian Chela-FloresJulian Chela-FloresThe Abdus Salam ICTP, Trieste, Italia andThe Abdus Salam ICTP, Trieste, Italia and

Instituto de Estudios Avanzados IDEA, Caracas, Instituto de Estudios Avanzados IDEA, Caracas, R.B. VenezuelaR.B. Venezuela

Smr 1749Smr 1749COST Action 724COST Action 724

Lecture 2: Lecture 2: Implications of Space Weather Implications of Space Weather

for the Search of Lifefor the Search of Life

Plan of the lecturePlan of the lecture Space radiation sources in our own solar system.Space radiation sources in our own solar system.

The Jovian system.The Jovian system.

A component of space weather from the Jovian A component of space weather from the Jovian system.system.

Space weather in other planets of other solar Space weather in other planets of other solar systems.systems.

Space Radiation Sources Space Radiation Sources in our own Solar Systemin our own Solar System

Part 1Part 1

Solar radiation in the Earth Solar radiation in the Earth middle and lower atmospheremiddle and lower atmosphere

WavelengtWavelengthh

(nm)(nm)AbbreviatioAbbreviatio

nn

Name Name and and

commentcommentss

EffectsEffectsHeight Height range range (km)(km)

Less than Less than 280280

UVCUVC arbitrary arbitrary division in division in

photobiologyphotobiology

cuts-off at cuts-off at 1.5 Gyr 1.5 Gyr

BPBP

20 - 4020 - 40

280 - 320280 - 320 UVBUVB arbitrary arbitrary division in division in

photobiologyphotobiology

dissociate dissociate OO33

20 - 4020 - 40

320 - 400320 - 400 UVAUVA arbitrary arbitrary division in division in

photobiologyphotobiology

induces a induces a decrease in decrease in

photosynthesis photosynthesis of of

cyanobacteriacyanobacteria

reaches the reaches the Earth’s Earth’s surfacesurface

The Earth : History of Solar The Earth : History of Solar RadiationRadiation

C.S. Cockell, Planetary and Space Sci. 48 (2000) 203-214.

Abundance of Abundance of stromatolites stromatolites in the fossil in the fossil

recordrecord

(time scale in Gyrs)(time scale in Gyrs)

4.64.6

PresentPresent

3.53.5

2.52.5

Fossils of ancient life on Fossils of ancient life on EarthEarth

Mars: History of Solar Mars: History of Solar RadiationRadiation

C.S. Cockell, Planetary and Space Sci. 48 (2000) 203-214.

Venus: History of Solar Venus: History of Solar RadiationRadiation

C.S. Cockell, Planetary and Space Sci. 48 (2000) 203-214.

The Genesis mission Launched in August of

2001 to capture samples from the Sun.

The samples of solar wind particles, collected on ultra-pure wafers of gold, sapphire, silicon and diamond, were returned for analysis.

A probe in a solar north-south A probe in a solar north-south polar orbitpolar orbit

The Ulysses dust The Ulysses dust detectordetector

Io’s volcanic surfaceIo’s volcanic surface(Galileo)(Galileo)

The Jovian systemThe Jovian system

International Journal of

Astrobiology (2006)

Part 2Part 2

The images of Voyayers and The images of Voyayers and GalileoGalileo

The Solar System Family

NASA, 1977-1989NASA, 1977-1989

The images of Voyayers and The images of Voyayers and GalileoGalileo

The Solar System Family

NASA, 1977-1989NASA, 1977-1989

The icy surface of EuropaThe icy surface of Europa

VoyagerVoyager GalileoGalileo

Udaeus-Minosintersection

Internal heat may provideInternal heat may provideecosystems driven by ecosystems driven by hydrothermal ventshydrothermal vents

(a ‘tidal effect’)

Life can survive on Europa under ionizing radiationLife can survive on Europa under ionizing radiation

The HydrobotThe Hydrobot

gategate

meltermeltersubmersiblesubmersible

black smokerblack smoker

Horvath et al, 1997

The Europa icy surfaceThe Europa icy surface (Spectrometer data from near IR) (Spectrometer data from near IR)

and ‘patchy’and ‘patchy’

albedo per pixelalbedo per pixel

High resolutionHigh resolution albedo imagealbedo image

Distribution of Distribution of non-ice componentnon-ice component

4 km/pixel4 km/pixel McCord McCord et al,et al, Science 280 (1998), 1242Science 280 (1998), 1242

Where is the ‘S-belt’ region of highest Where is the ‘S-belt’ region of highest concentration of non-ice elements?concentration of non-ice elements?

Conamara

S-belt

Udaeus-Minosintersection

Pywill

Interstellar moleculesInterstellar molecules((Pascale Ehrenfreund & Steven B. Charnley, 2000)Pascale Ehrenfreund & Steven B. Charnley, 2000)

Non-water ice constituents Non-water ice constituents staining the staining the

icy and patchy surface of Europaicy and patchy surface of Europa

New New absorption absorption

featuresfeatures((m)m)

3.503.50 3.883.88 4.054.05 4.254.25 4.574.57

CandidateCandidateelementselements

HH22OO2 2 CC22 H H5 5 SHSHmercaptanmercaptan

SOSO22 COCO22 (CN)(CN)22

cyanogencyanogen

What are the conceivable sources of S-What are the conceivable sources of S-stains on the icy and patchy surface of stains on the icy and patchy surface of

EuropaEuropaExternal:External: Ions may be implanted from the Ions may be implanted from the

Jovian plasma, or alternatively the Jovian plasma, or alternatively the source issource is

Internal:Internal: Sulphur may be due to Sulphur may be due to

cryovolcanism, or we can ask:cryovolcanism, or we can ask:

Could the sulphur be Could the sulphur be biogenic?biogenic?

The Europa Microprobe The Europa Microprobe in-situin-situ Explorer Explorer (The EMPIE study)

One way to decide on the One way to decide on the sulphur source is to land on the sulphur source is to land on the icy surface of Europa.icy surface of Europa.

The lander will have a set of 4 The lander will have a set of 4 miniprobes (350 gm each). miniprobes (350 gm each).

Tirso Velasco and colleagues

The proposed lander on the icy surface of EuropaThe proposed lander on the icy surface of Europa

Expected penetration in ice is Expected penetration in ice is 72.5 cm.72.5 cm.

Mass constraint for the Mass constraint for the microprobes 1.7 kg.microprobes 1.7 kg.

Mass spectrometryMass spectrometryMS is the right tool. The MS is the right tool. The

image shows a light one built image shows a light one built for the Bepi-Colombo 2012 for the Bepi-Colombo 2012 mission to Mercury, although mission to Mercury, although the lander was later cancelled.the lander was later cancelled.

When living organisms When living organisms process sulphur they tend to process sulphur they tend to fractionate isotopes differently fractionate isotopes differently from geological processes.from geological processes.

Lander instrument(120 x 60 mm; 500 g)

A component of space weather A component of space weather from the Jovian systemfrom the Jovian system

Part 3Part 3

The deltaThe delta3434S-parameterS-parameter

CDM coincides with the average CDM coincides with the average terrestrial ratio of the isotopes terrestrial ratio of the isotopes 3232S S and and 3434S.S.

Canyon Diablo Meteorite (CDM) is one of the most Canyon Diablo Meteorite (CDM) is one of the most famous meteorites, a troilite (FeS), found in a crater, famous meteorites, a troilite (FeS), found in a crater, north of Phoenix, Arizona.north of Phoenix, Arizona.

Sulphur bacteriaSulphur bacteria

Sulfate-reducing bacteriaSulfate-reducing bacteria

Unite H with S atoms from dissolved sulfate of Unite H with S atoms from dissolved sulfate of seawater to form hydrogen sulfide:seawater to form hydrogen sulfide:

4H4H22 + H + H22SOSO44 –» H –» H22S + 4HS + 4H22O + 39 O + 39 kilocalorieskilocalories

The HThe H22S then combines with Fe in sediments to S then combines with Fe in sediments to form grains of pyrite.form grains of pyrite.

Iron sulfide, FeS2

Partition of S isotopes between Partition of S isotopes between sedimentary sulfate and biogenic sedimentary sulfate and biogenic

pyritepyrite Dissolved sulfate on Dissolved sulfate on

evaporation forms evaporation forms sulfate minerals sulfate minerals (such as gypsum) (such as gypsum) depleted of depleted of 3232S by 20 S by 20 per mil.per mil.

The HThe H22S given off by S given off by the bacteria is the bacteria is enriched in enriched in 3232S by 20 S by 20 per milper mil..

Bacterial sulfur isotope Bacterial sulfur isotope fractionation in marine fractionation in marine

environmentsenvironments

The Apollo missionsThe Apollo missions

Sites of the sample-return Sites of the sample-return Apollo missionsApollo missions

Samples of the lunar material Samples of the lunar material returned by the Apollo missionsreturned by the Apollo missions

basalt troctolite

arnothosite

The deltaThe delta3434S-parameter in S-parameter in terrestrial, meteoritic and lunar terrestrial, meteoritic and lunar

materialmaterial

Terrestrial

Meteoritic

Lunar

-40From measurements in From measurements in basins off California:basins off California:insoluble sulfide, mostly insoluble sulfide, mostly pyritepyrite

Sulfate Sulfate coexisting with coexisting with

seawaterseawater

Space weather in other Space weather in other planets of other solarplanets of other solar

systemssystems

Part 4Part 4

A red dwarfA red dwarf9,000 light-years9,000 light-years

awayaway

An icy "super-Earth" (x13)An icy "super-Earth" (x13)and hypothetical moonand hypothetical moon

Are there biosignatures in the Are there biosignatures in the exoplanetsexoplanets??

The search for Earth-like The search for Earth-like exoplanetsexoplanets

The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) will The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) will consist of space telescopes.consist of space telescopes.

Darwin will use three space Darwin will use three space telescopes (3 m in diameter) and a telescopes (3 m in diameter) and a fourth spacecraft to serve as fourth spacecraft to serve as communications hub.communications hub.

TPF and Darwin will go beyond the three TPF and Darwin will go beyond the three previous techniques for exoplanet previous techniques for exoplanet hunting: wobbling stars, transits and hunting: wobbling stars, transits and microlensing (microlensing (when a dark mass passes when a dark mass passes in front of a background star, the light in front of a background star, the light from the star can be significantly from the star can be significantly magnified).magnified).

TPF, 2014 and 2020TPF, 2014 and 2020

Darwin, 2015Darwin, 2015

How, when and where did life start?How, when and where did life start?

Give us in the short term an independent origin of life on Europa, Mars, Titan, or Enceladus and the doors to progress will open.

DiscussionDiscussion

Brain evolution may offer hints of the probability that a Brain evolution may offer hints of the probability that a human level of intelligence may arise in an independent human level of intelligence may arise in an independent evolutionary line, provided the space weather conditions evolutionary line, provided the space weather conditions are favorable.are favorable.

The SETI project is an observational tool currently available The SETI project is an observational tool currently available to bioastronomers for searching for this aspect of evolution.to bioastronomers for searching for this aspect of evolution.

DiscussionDiscussion

The component of space weather generated by theThe component of space weather generated by theJovian magnetosphere is of interest for the understanding Jovian magnetosphere is of interest for the understanding of potential biosignatures on Europa.of potential biosignatures on Europa.

The close integration of space weather research with The close integration of space weather research with astrobiology is at a preliminary stage.astrobiology is at a preliminary stage.