生命起源的时间和可能性来源于撞击后的高降解大气层
Nicholas F Wogan1, David C Catling2, Kevin J Zahnle1
1Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA.
Astrobiology
|September 30, 2024
概括
早期的地球冲击产生了生命必需的分子,但随后的灭菌冲击构成了威胁. 这项研究表明,生命存在.
科学领域:
- 行星科学 行星科学
- 天体生物学 天体生物学
- 地质化学 地质化学
背景情况:
- 早期地球经历了巨大的冲击.
- 这些影响可能会产生减少大气层,这对于前生物化学是必不可少的.
- 随后的大规模撞击可能会使地球无菌,阻碍生命的持续存在.
研究的目的:
- 确定早期地球上撞击驱动生物构成 (生命起源) 的时间.
- 评估各种冲击场景下生命起源的可能性.
- 探索对系外行星生命的影响.
主要方法:
- 对地球撞击历史的统计分析.
- 建模减少大气层所需的最小撞击质量.
- 冲击事件的随机模拟及其对生物构造的影响.
主要成果:
- 撞击驱动生物构成的中位时间估计在约43.5亿年前 (Ga).
- 由于随机影响,生物构成存在广泛的不确定性范围 (4.453.9 Ga).
- 在乐观的场景中,生命的起源在~90%的场景中是有利的,在悲观的场景中是~20%.
结论:
- 冲击驱动的降温大气对于生命的起源至关重要.
- 早期的哈第纪时期似乎有利于冲击驱动生物构造.
- 这些发现表明,生命可能在具有早期撞击历史的岩石系外行星上很常见.
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