2005 Annual Science Report
Astrobiology Roadmap Objective 7.2 Reports Reporting | JUL 2004 – JUN 2005
Roadmap Objective 7.2—Biosignatures to be sought in nearby planetary systems
Project Reports
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Genome Evolution and Innovation
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.3 3.4 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.2 -
Climate Model for Extrasolar Terrestrial Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 7.2 -
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 -
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 -
Chemistry Models for Extrasolar Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 2.1 2.2 3.1 6.1 7.1 7.2 -
Molecular Survey of Microbial Diversity in Hypersaline Ecosystems
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.4 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.2 -
Iron and Sulfur-Based Biospheres and Their Biosignatures
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2 -
Transcriptomes of Permafrost Bacteria
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.3 7.2 -
Geochemical Production of Methane on Mars
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 3.1 7.2 -
Delivery of Organic Materials to Planets
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 7.2 -
Database of Stellar Spectra to Support Extrasolar Planet Modeling
M. Cohen has developed complete far-UV to far-IR spectra of a variety of potential host stars from solar analogs to M-dwarfs in their quiescent phase (non-flaring).
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 7.2 -
Prebiotic Organics From Space
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 3.1 3.4 4.3 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 -
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 -
The Evolution of Intelligence Under Environmental Change
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.2 6.2 7.2 -
Database of Molecular Spectroscopy to Support Extrasolar Planet Modeling
The database of molecular spectroscopic parameters at http://vpl.ipac.caltech.edu/spectra/ contains a compilation of calculated and experimental linelists combined with a collection of empirical absorption cross-sections for specific molecules of interest to the VPL
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 7.2 -
Searching for Ancestral Biosignatures
Our major objective and one of the objectives of the Astrobiology roadmap is “Biosignatures to be sought in Solar System materials search for signs of life in the Solar System and beyond”. We are developing techniques which can be used for direct in situ measurements on future missions.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 7.1 7.2 -
Radiolysis as a Source of Chemical Energy for Microbial Metabolism in the Deep Subsurface
Radiolysis of water can accelerate water/rock interaction through production of radicals (e.g., hydrogen, hydroperoxyl, hydroxyl), ions (e.g., superoxide, protons, hydroxide), and reactive molecules (e.g., hydrogen, hydrogen peroxide, oxygen)
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.3 4.1 4.2 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.1 7.2 -
Model Synthesis and Architecture
The Virtual Planetary Laboratory interface and integration team has developed the proto-type VPL Online Community Tool.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 7.2 -
Project 6. Molecular and Isotopic Biosignatures
Steele and Postdoctoral Fellow Marc Fries used the new WiTec Raman imaging system to begin the examination of in situ carbon formation in a variety of samples, including Precambrian rocks and samples from a Mars analog site in Svalbard
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.1 4.1 4.2 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2 -
Characterization of Terrestrial Planets From Disk-Averaged Spectra: Earths Around Other Stars
Continuing work completed in previous years on Earth-like planets around F, G and K stars, this year we submitted a paper to Astrobiology that describes a coupled photochemical-climate model for Earth-like planets around M stars.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2 -
The Abiotic Planetary Model: The Upper and Lower Boundary Condition on the Atmosphere
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 1.2 3.1 4.1 7.2 -
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 -
Ecosystem to Biosphere Modeling
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.1 5.3 6.1 7.2 -
The Astrophysical Environment and Planetary Habitability
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 4.3 6.2 7.2 -
Characterization of Terrestrial Planets From Disk-Averaged Spectra: Spatially and Spectrally Resolved Planetary Models
The first generation of NASA and ESA space-based observatories to characterize extrasolar terrestrial planets will only be able to obtain disk-averaged spectra. This year, we completed a 3-D model of the Earth’s environment, complete with clouds, and used it to simulate its disk-averaged spectrum and lightcurves (Tinetti et al., 2005).
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2 -
The Virtual Planetary Laboratory – The Life Modules
Coupled model of the anaerobic, early Archean biosphere, prior to the origin of oxygenic photosynthesis (Kharecha, Kasting, and Siefert). This model includes organisms that metabolize using H2, H2S, and Fe++ as reductants. A primary goal was to estimate the production rate of methane.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.1 7.2 -
First-Stage Biofilm Formation Under Extreme Conditions in Ice
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.1 5.3 6.1 6.2 7.2 -
Detectability of Planets and Biosignatures: Implications for TPF-C/TPF-I and LifeFinder
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.2 7.2 -
Subseafloor Basement (Basalt) Biosphere Studies
This project involves studies of the deep subseafloor basement biosphere. We are utilizing Ocean Drilling Program borehole (CORK) observatories to access the fluids that circulate through the ocean basin wide environment, where temperatures (2-100°C) and chemistry are conducive to a very broad range of aerobic and anaerobic and heterotrophic and chemolithotrophic metabolisms and survival strategies.
ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 5.3 6.1 7.1 7.2