Astrobiology: From the Origins of Life to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

454 Pages·2019·19.8 MB·English

by  Akihiko Yamagishi

Akihiko Yamagishi · Takeshi Kakegawa 
Tomohiro Usui Editors
Astrobiology
From the Origins of Life to the Search for
Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Astrobiology
Akihiko Yamagishi
Takeshi Kakegawa • Tomohiro Usui
Editors
Astrobiology
From the Origins of Life to the Search
for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Editors
Akihiko Yamagishi Takeshi Kakegawa
Department of Applied Life Sciences Graduate School of Science
Tokyo University of Pharmacy Tohoku University Geosciences
and Life Sciences Miyagi, Japan
Tokyo, Japan
Tomohiro Usui
Department of Solar System Sciences
Institute for Space and Astronautical
Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
ISBN 978-981-13-3638-6 ISBN 978-981-13-3639-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3639-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019930834
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Preface
Astrobiology is the multidisciplinary field spreading from astronomy, planetary sci-
ence, geology, biology, and sociology. Recent progress in these scientific fields,
including the findings of organic compounds on Mars and icy satellites and the
detection of more than 3500 exoplanets, has promoted us to consider the possible
presence of life in space. To explore the solar system, many exploration programs
are in schedule and more in consideration. Signature of life including the presence
of organic compounds and spectroscopic characteristics are targeted to be searched
in these celestial bodies.
Our exploration area is expanded toward outside the solar system. Telescopes
with high resolution, sensitivity, and contrast are scheduled or considered to be
constructed on the ground or in space. The exoplanets are targeted to search for the
signature of life such as of the oxygen, ozone, and photosynthetic pigments.
To conduct the efficient search for life in the universe, it is essential to have com-
prehensive knowledge on the life on Earth. Current studies on astronomy and plan-
etary science revealed that the Earth was positioned in a miracle place to be habitable
when the solar system started. The early Earth had suitable hydrosphere and atmo-
sphere to promote chemical evolution for origin of life. Afterward, the environments
of the Earth changed dynamically by meteorite impacts, plate tectonics, global vol-
canisms, change of brightness of sun, etc. Knowledge on the origin and evolution of
life with the close interaction with the change in Earth’s environments is crucial to
understand why we are here on the Earth.
To search for life, we also need to know what is life. We have to design the search
program with better knowledge on what is going to be searched, where to search,
and how to search. The key elements are organic compounds which enable the
emergence of life and thermodynamic nonequilibrium which sustains life. The con-
sequence of the emergence of life especially of photosynthesis that changed the
atmosphere can be the target of life search, too.
To search for another target, intelligent life, we also need to know how intelli-
gence emerges and to understand the evolution of human being. Search for extrater-
restrial intelligence (SETI) started more than a half century ago. From the first
attempt to search for intelligent life, the total capability of radio telescope has
v
vi Preface
elevated 1026-folds. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is the radio telescope sys-
tem consisting of thousands of radio telescopes with the total receiver size of
approximately one square kilometer. Construction of SKA has started at two sites,
one in Australia and the other in South Africa. SKA is going to be used to approach
significant scientific targets including the search for intelligent life. SKA has poten-
tial to find signs of intelligent life, though the area is still limited to the exoplanets
in the vicinity of our solar system.
This book is dedicated to show the comprehensive knowledge on these fields
with the sufficient coverage of most recent finding as well as the introduction to the
basic understanding of the vast field of astrobiology. This book will be useful not
only for students but also for the scientists who want to know the progresses in the
fields different from their own disciplines. This book will also give the reader with
sufficient introduction and show the way to the deeper knowledge of each field.
Tokyo, Japan Akihiko Yamagishi
Miyagi, Japan Takeshi Kakegawa
Kanagawa, Japan Tomohiro Usui
Contents
Part I I ntroduction to Astrobiology
1 What Is Astrobiology? ............................................................................ 3
Akihiko Yamagishi
Part II P hysics and Chemistry from Space to Life
2 Prebiotic Complex Organic Molecules in Space .................................. 11
Masatoshi Ohishi
3 Chemical Interactions Among Organics, Water, and Minerals
in the Early Solar System ....................................................................... 23
Hikaru Yabuta
4 Prebiotic Synthesis of Bioorganic Compounds by Simulation
Experiments ............................................................................................. 43
Kensei Kobayashi
5 RNA Synthesis Before the Origin of Life .............................................. 63
Yoshihiro Furukawa
Part III History of Life Reveiled from Bilology
6 RNA World .............................................................................................. 77
Shotaro Ayukawa, Toshihiko Enomoto, and Daisuke Kiga
7 The Common Ancestor of All Modern Life .......................................... 91
Satoshi Akanuma
8 Eukaryotes Appearing ............................................................................ 105
Shin-ichi Yokobori and Ryutaro Furukawa
9 Color of Photosynthetic Systems: Importance of Atmospheric
Spectral Segregation Between Direct and Diffuse Radiation .............. 123
Atsushi Kume
vii
viii Contents
10 Evolution of Photosynthetic System ...................................................... 137
Satoshi Hanada
11 Cosmolinguistics: Necessary Components for the Emergence
of a Language-Like Communication System in a Habitable
Planet ........................................................................................................ 153
Kazuo Okanoya
12 Evolution of Intelligence on the Earth .................................................. 167
Mariko Hiraiwa-Hasegawa
Part IV H istory of the Earth Reveiled from Geology
13 Formation of Planetary Systems ............................................................ 179
Shigeru Ida
14 Evolution of Early Atmosphere ............................................................. 197
Hidenori Genda
15 Biogenic and Abiogenic Graphite in Minerals and Rocks
of the Early Earth ................................................................................... 209
Takeshi Kakegawa
16 Cellular Microfossils and Possible Microfossils in the Paleo-
and Mesoarchean .................................................................................... 229
Kenichiro Sugitani
17 Great Oxidation Event and Snowball Earth ........................................ 261
Eiichi Tajika and Mariko Harada
18 End-Paleozoic Mass Extinction: Hierarchy of Causes and a New
Cosmoclimatological Perspective for the Largest Crisis ..................... 273
Yukio Isozaki
19 Mass Extinction at the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) Boundary ...... 303
Teruyuki Maruoka
Part V Search for Life in Solar System and Extra Solar System
20 Limits of Terrestrial Life and Biosphere ............................................... 323
Ken Takai
21 What Geology and Mineralogy Tell Us About Water on Mars ........... 345
Tomohiro Usui
22 Atmosphere of Mars ............................................................................... 353
Hiromu Nakagawa
23 The Search for Life on Mars .................................................................. 367
Yoshitaka Yoshimura
Contents ix
24 Active Surface and Interior of Europa as a Potential Deep
Habitat ..................................................................................................... 383
Jun Kimura
25 Enceladus: Evidence and Unsolved Questions for an Ice-Covered
Habitable World ...................................................................................... 399
Yasuhito Sekine, Takazo Shibuya, and Shunichi Kamata
26 Astrobiology on Titan: Geophysics to Organic Chemistry ................. 409
Hiroshi Imanaka
27 Panspermia Hypothesis: History of a Hypothesis and a Review
of the Past, Present, and Future Planned Missions to Test This
Hypothesis ................................................................................................ 419
Yuko Kawaguchi
28 Extrasolar Planetary Systems ................................................................ 429
Motohide Tamura
29 How to Search for Possible Bio-signatures on Earth-Like Planets:
Beyond a Pale Blue Dot .......................................................................... 441
Yasushi Suto
30 SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) ................................... 451
Hisashi Hirabayashi
31 Possible Cultural Impact of Extraterrestrial Life, if It Were
to Be Found .............................................................................................. 461
Junichi Watanabe
Part I
Introduction to Astrobiology