Planet Formation and Panspermia

Branislav Vukotić obtained his MSc. and PhD from the University of Belgrade, Serbia. He researches the astrobiological history of the Milky Way using probabilistic cellular automata and N-body simulations. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Publications of the Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade and a vice-chair of the Management Board of the Astronomical Observatory in Belgrade.Joseph Seckbach earned his MSc. and PhD from the University of Chicago and did his postdoc at Caltech, Pasadena. CA. He is retired from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and spent periods in research at the USA: UCLA, Harvard, Baton-Rouge (LSU); in Germany (Tübingen and Munich as an exchange scholar). He has edited a series of books “Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology” and has over 40 edited volumes for various publishers as well as about 140 scientific articles. His interest is in astrobiology and iron in plants (phytoferritin). Richard Gordon is a theoretical biologist with a PhD in Chemical Physics from the University of Oregon, retired from the Department of Radiology, University of Manitoba in 2011. He is presently at the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab & Aquarium, Panacea, Florida and Adjunct Professor, C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth & Development, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit Michigan. His interest in exobiology (now astrobiology) dates from 1960s undergraduate work on organic matter in the Orgueil meteorite with Edward Anders. He has published critical reviews of panspermia and the history of claims of life in meteorites.

• Preface xiPart I: Philosophical Aspects of Panspermia 11 “On the Origin of Life” 3By Lord Kelvin (William Thomson)2 Why We Should Take Interstellar Panspermia Seriously 7Amedeo Balbi2.1 Introduction 72.2 The Case for Interstellar Panspermia 82.3 Theoretical Consequences of Interstellar Panspermia 112.4 Conclusions 14References 153 The Extended Continuity Thesis, Chronocentrism, and Directed Panspermia 19Milan M. Ćirković3.1 Introduction: The Continuity as a Pre-Requisite for Scientific Grounding of Astrobiology 203.2 Versions and Resistance 223.3 Cultural Evolution and Directed Panspermia 263.4 Conclusion and Prospects 34Acknowledgements 36References 374 Life in the Milky Way: The Panspermia Prospects 41Branislav Vukotić and Richard Gordon4.1 Introduction 414.2 Three Levels of Habitability and Panspermia 434.2.1 Stellar System Level 434.2.2 Galaxies: Cosmic Cradles of Life 454.2.3 Cosmological Level: Interactions of Galaxies 474.3 Conclusions 48Acknowledgements 49References 49Part II: Microorganisms and Panspermia 535 Planetary Protection: Too Late 55Margarita Safonova and C. Sivaram5.1 Introduction 565.2 What is Planetary Protection 565.3 Extent of Earth Biosphere 605.4 Extension to Other Planetary Bodies 625.4.1 Moon 625.4.2 Mars 645.4.3 Icy Moons 665.5 Backward Contamination 665.6 Interplanetary Exchange 685.7 Habitable Conditions for Interplanetary Micronauts 715.8 Conclusion 74Appendix A 77Appendix B 78Appendix C 78Acknowledgments 81References 826 Microbial Survival and Adaptation in Extreme Terrestrial Environments—The Case of the Dallol Geothermal Area in Ethiopia 93Cavalazzi Barbara and Filippidou Sevasti6.1 Introduction 946.2 Planetary Field Analog: The Case of the Dallol Geothermal Area 956.2.1 The Dallol Hot Springs 996.2.2 Dallol Geothermal Area Planetary Field Analogs 1046.3 Life in Extreme Environments 1056.4 Conclusion and Remarks on Panspermia 110Acknowledgment 111References 1117 Escape From Planet Earth: From Directed Panspermia to Terraformation 119Roy D. Sleator and Niall SmithAcknowledgements 123References 123Part III: Formation and Evolution of Planets: Material Exchange Prospects 1258 Catalyzed Lithopanspermia Through Disk Capture of Biologically Active Interstellar Material 127Evgeni Grishin and Hagai B. Perets8.1 Introduction 1288.2 Capture of Interstellar Planetesimals 1298.2.1 Planetesimal Size Distribution 1298.2.2 Encounter Rates 1308.2.3 Capture Condition 1318.2.4 Capture Probability 1338.2.5 Total Number of Captured Planetesimals 1358.3 Catalyzed Lithopanspermia 1378.3.1 Types of Panspermia 1388.3.2 Fraction of Life-Bearing Rocks 1398.3.3 Delivery Rates 1408.4 Conclusion and Discussion 142Acknowledgements 143References 1449 Lithopanspermia at the Center of Spiral Galaxies 149Howard Chen9.1 Introduction 1509.2 The Kepler Transit Survey and the Distribution of Living Worlds 1529.3 XUV Hydrodynamic Escape and the Formation of Habitable Evaporated Cores 1539.3.1 Activity of Supermassive Black Holes 1549.3.2 Overabundance of HECs Driven by Quasar Illumination 1559.4 Frequency of Exchange in High Stellar Densities 1579.4.1 Ejection of Planetary Bodies on Intragalactic Scales 1589.4.2 Implications for Other Stellar Populations 1609.5 Detecting Panspermia 1629.6 Concluding Remarks 163References 16410 Wet Panspermia 171Jaroslav Jiřik and Richard Gordon10.1 Introduction 17210.2 Earth and Its Isotopic World: Geological and Environmental Implications 17210.3 Quest for the Primordial Water Worlds 17310.4 Looking for the Biotic Traces in Extraterrestrial Material 17610.5 Ices of the Moon and Proposal of Earth-Induced Wet Panspermia in the Solar System 17810.6 Implications for Other Planets of the Inner Solar System? 18210.7 Conclusions 185References 18611 There Were Plenty of Day/Night Cycles That Could Have Accelerated an Origin of Life on Earth, Without Requiring Panspermia 195Richard Gordon and George MikhailovskyAcknowledgement 202References 20212 Micrometeoroids as Carriers of Organics: Modeling of the Atmospheric Entry and Chemical Decomposition of Sub-Millimeter Grains 207G. Micca Longo and S. Longo12.1 Micrometeorites and the Search for Life 20812.2 White Soft Minerals 21012.2.1 Carbonates in Space 21112.2.2 Sulfates in Space 21312.3 Atmospheric Entry Model 21412.4 Results 21912.4.1 Atmospheric Entry of MgCO3 Micrometeoroids 22012.4.2 Atmospheric Entry of CaCO3 Micrometeoroids 22312.4.3 Atmospheric Entry of FeCO3 Micrometeoroids 22612.4.4 Atmospheric Entry of CaSO4 Micrometeoroids 22912.5 The Role of Primordial Atmospheres 23012.5.1 Isothermal Atmosphere Model 23312.5.2 Hydrogen Atmosphere 23712.5.3 Carbon Dioxide Atmosphere 23912.5.4 Methane Atmosphere 23912.6 Conclusions 241References 24313 Dynamical Evolution of Planetary Systems: Role of Planetesimals 251Vladimir Došović13.1 Introduction 25113.2 Planetesimal Formation and Evolution 25313.3 Transporting Mechanism in Later Stages of Planetary System Evolution 25513.4 Conclusion 261Acknowledgements 262References 262Part IV: Further Prospects 26714 A Survey of Solar System and Galactic Objects With Pristine Surfaces That Record History and Perhaps Panspermia, With a Plan for Exploration 269Branislav Vukotić and Richard Gordon14.1 Introduction 26914.1.1 Radiative Events 27014.1.2 Solar Flares 27114.1.2.1 Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursts 27214.1.2.2 Galactic Shocks 27214.1.2.3 Background Radiation From Galactic Sources 27314.1.3 Collisions 27314.1.4 Panspermia 27514.2 Recording Properties 27914.3 Pristine Potential of Solar System Bodies 28114.3.1 Comets, Asteroids and Dwarf Planets 28114.3.2 Mercury 28314.3.3 Moon 28314.3.4 Mars 28314.3.5 Main Asteroid Belt 28414.3.6 Jupiter and Saturn 28514.3.7 Uranus and Neptune 28614.3.8 Kuiper Belt 28614.3.9 Oort Cloud 28714.3.10 Meteorites 28714.3.11 Extra-Solar Bodies 28814.4 Prospects and Conclusions 288Acknowledgements 289References 28915 The Panspermia Publications of Sir Fred Hoyle 309Richard GordonAcknowledgements 316References 316Index 327