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Project Reports

• Planetary Biology, Evolution and Intelligence

  Chris Chyba, Cynthia Phillips, Kevin Hand- The project has two components. The first, an overview of the astrobiological potential of various geological features on Europa, is proceeding well — we are continuing study of various proposed formation mechanisms for different features types such as ridges, bands, and chaotic terrain. The second, a search for current geological activity by comparing Galileo images taken on different orbits, is also in progress. We have performed a first-stage search of the Galileo Europa images to find overlapping images, and are currently working on an automated search method to make sure that we find all possible comparison images. We are also working on automated processing techniques.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2

• Examinations of the Microbial Diversity Found in Ice Cores

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2

• Biosignatures in Chemosynthetic and Photosynthetic Systems

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 4.1 5.1 5.2 6.1 7.1 7.2

• Subsurface Biospheres

  Members of our team at UNC Chapel Hill focus on molecular studies of deep subsurface communities

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 4.1 4.3 5.2 5.3 6.1 7.1 7.2

• The History of Evolution of the Martian Surface and Water on Mars

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 4.1

• Project 2. Extraterrestrial Materials: Origin and Evolution of Organic Matter and Water in the Solar System

  The abundant organic compounds in primitive meteorites and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) are thought to originate largely in the interstellar medium. However, this material may have been modified in the protoplanetary disk and has been modified to varying extents in the asteroidal parent bodies.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 2.1 3.1

• Geochemical Production of Methane on Mars

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 3.1 7.2

• Microbial and Biogeochemical Characterization of a Terrestrial Analogue Site for Mars.

  Vertical and horizontal excavations at the Lupin gold mine in northern Canada allow access to a 500-meter thick permafrost/rock environment overlying a methane-bearing brine/rock environment.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1

• Chemistry Models for Extrasolar Planets

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 6.1 7.1 7.2

• Relationship Between Hydrogeology and Microbiology at Active Springs

  This project examines relationship between hydrological and biological diversity within a mesophilic, sufide-rich spring system

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 2.1 5.2 7.2

• Biogeochemical Cycling and Resources on Mars

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 7.1

• Origins and Signatures of Biogenic and Abiogenic Hydrocarbons.

  Completed experimental results showed δ²H of H₂ can only be used as an indicator of in-situ water radiolysis for groundwater with relatively young ages and low temperatures.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 4.1 4.2 7.1 7.2

• Habitable Planets

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 4.1 4.3

• Recognition of Theoretical Environments on Mars

  The diverse iron and sulfate mineralogy, and its associated complex biology, at Rio Tinto is an analog for possible environments on Mars

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 7.1

• Darwinian Chemistry

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 4.1 4.2 4.3 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1

• Project 7. Astrobiotechnology

  With continued support from NASA astrobiology instrument development funding (through the Astrobiology Science and Technology Instrument Development, or ASTID, Program), as well as NAI funding, Steele and colleagues continued to develop biotechnology instrumentation for solar system exploration

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 4.2 5.3 6.2 7.1

• Project 1. From Molecular Clouds to Habitable Planetary Systems

  Chambers developed a new semi-analytic model for the oligarchic growth stage of planet formation.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 3.1 7.2

• From Stars to Genes: Addition to Extrasolar Planetary Systems

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 4.2 4.3 5.1 5.2

• Exploring Conditions for Habitability on Mars

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 2.1

• The Impact of Atmospheric Particles on Life

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 2.1 2.2 3.1 4.1 4.3 7.1

• Evaluation of Habitable Environments on Mars

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1

• Icelandic Subglacial Volcanic Habitats

  Successful field test of drill in June 2005. We expect drill to be fully operational for planned June 2006 expedition.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 5.3 6.2 7.1

• Plate Tectonics on the Terrestrial Planets

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 2.1

• Ice in Sublimation Environments

  Ice exists in sublimation environments on many planetary surfaces, including Mars, Antarctica, and possibly the polar regions of the Moon. Schorghofer and Edgett (2005) studied observations of seasonal ice at unusually low latitudes on Mars, where it exists on cold pole-facing slopes (Figure 1).

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1

• The Organic Volatile Composition of Comets: A Window on the Early Solar System

  Our long-range objective is to establish a taxonomy for comets based on chemistry, rather than orbital dynamics. The formation temperature of a given comet can be constrained by measures of the ortho-para ratios in H₂O and by the isotopic enhancements (e.g., in deuterium) in selected volatile species.

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 2.1 3.1 4.1 4.3

• Aqueous Alteration on Mars

  This project focuses on using our understanding of aqueous alteration from terrestrial laboratory experiments and field observations to try to place limits on the duration of aqueous alteration events on Mars. We are working on several aspects of this. We describe the most mature one here (to be submitted for publication in August, 2005).

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1

• Miniature Mass Spectrometer Development

  NAI support has contributed to the development of a center for mass spectrometer development at UH, with systems under development for chemical measurements using electron impact (for gases), electrospray (liquids), laser ablation resonance ionization (isotope and elemental abundance in solids), and secondary ionization (a standard for geochemical assays).

  ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 7.1