Planetary Astrobiology

✍ Scribed by Victoria Meadows, Giada Arney, Britney Schmidt, David J. Des Marais (eds.)

• Publisher: University of Arizona Press
• Year: 2020
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 593
• Series: The University of Arizona Space Science Series
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Are we alone in the universe? How did life arise on our planet? How do we search for life beyond Earth? These profound questions excite and intrigue broad cross sections of science and society. Answering these questions is the province of the emerging, strongly interdisciplinary field of astrobiology. Life is inextricably tied to the formation, chemistry, and evolution of its host world, and multidisciplinary studies of solar system worlds can provide key insights into processes that govern planetary habitability, informing the search for life in our solar system and beyond. Planetary Astrobiology brings together current knowledge across astronomy, biology, geology, physics, chemistry, and related fields, and considers the synergies between studies of solar systems and exoplanets to identify the path needed to advance the exploration of these profound questions.

Planetary Astrobiology represents the combined efforts of more than seventy-five international experts consolidated into twenty chapters and provides an accessible, interdisciplinary gateway for new students and seasoned researchers who wish to learn more about this expanding field. Readers are brought to the frontiers of knowledge in astrobiology via results from the exploration of our own solar system and exoplanetary systems. The overarching goal of Planetary Astrobiology is to enhance and broaden the development of an interdisciplinary approach across the astrobiology, planetary science, and exoplanet communities, enabling a new era of comparative planetology that encompasses conditions and processes for the emergence, evolution, and detection of life.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents
List of Contributing Authors
Scientific Organizing Committee and Acknowledgment of Reviewers
Introductory Statement
Preface
Part 1. Earth — Lessons Learned from an Inhabited Terrestrial Planet
Creation of a Habitable Planet-K. J. Zahnle and R. W. Carlson
Life’s Requirements, Habitability, and Biological Potential-T. M. Hoehler, W. Bains, A. Davila, M. N. Parenteau, and A. Pohorille
The Environmental Roots of the Origin of Life-J. A. Baross, R. E. Anderson, and E. E. Stüeken
Life as a Planetary Process-E. E. Stüeken, G. P. Fournier, and A. E. Eyster
Detecting Life on Earth and the Limits of Analogy-S. S. Johnson, H. V. Graham, D. J. Des Marais, and R. M. Hazen
Part 2. Astrobiology in Our Solar System
Planetary Astrobiology: Early Mars-E. S. Amador and B. L. Ehlmann
The Biological Potential of Present-Day Mars-A. Davila, M. A. Kahre, R. Quinn, and D. J. Des Marais
The Astrobiology of Europa and the Jovian System-B. E. Schmidt
Enceladus-M. L. Cable, M. Neveu, H.-W. Hsu, and T. M. Hoehler
The Astrobiology of Titan-J. I. Lunine, M. L. Cable, S. M. Hörst, and M. Rahm
Planetary Protection in Planetary Exploration Missions-J. D. Rummel
Part 3. The Solar Ssystem — Exoplanet Synergy
Solar System Formation in the Context of Extrasolar Planets-S. N. Raymond, A. Izidoro, and A. Morbidelli
Origin of Earth’s Water: Sources and Constraints-K. Meech and S. N. Raymond
Venus as an Analog for Hot Earths-G. N. Arney and S. Kane
Earth as an Exoplanet-T. D. Robinson and C. T. Reinhard
Part 4. Synthesis
The Inner Solar System’s Habitability Through Time-A. D. Del Genio, D. Brain, L. Noack, and L. Schaefer
Characterizing Exoplanet Habitability-R. K. Kopparapu, E. T. Wolf, and V. S. Meadows
Probabilistic Frameworks for Life Detection-S. I. Walker, L. Cronin, A. Drew, S. Domagal-Goldman, T. Fisher, M. Line, and C. Millsaps
Unifying Themes and Future Work in Planetary Astrobiology-V. S. Meadows, G. N. Arney, D. J. Des Marais, and B. E. Schmidt
Index
Color Section