温暖的,缺水的岩石系外行星,表面有离子液体:一种被提议的行星可居住性类别
Rachana Agrawal1, Sara Seager1,2,3,4, Iaroslav Iakubivskyi1,5
1Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139.
概括
以前被认为是不可居住的温暖系外行星,可能使用离子液体支持生命. 这些液态盐可以在水不能存在的薄层大气中持续存在,扩大了对外星生命的搜索.
科学领域:
- 天体生物学 天体生物学
- 行星科学 行星科学
- 化学 化学 化学
背景情况:
- 已经发现了成千上万的系外行星,加剧了对可居住世界的搜索.
- 许多研究过的系外行星太热,无法容纳液态水,这是可居住的常见标准.
- 之前的研究并没有将离子液体视为外星生命的天然溶剂.
研究的目的:
- 研究离子液体作为温暖系外行星生命的溶剂的潜力.
- 为了确定离子液体是否可以从常见的行星物质中形成.
- 扩大可居住世界的定义,超越液态水的存在.
主要方法:
- 进行了实验室实验,以形成离子液体.
- 使用了行星材料,特别是硫酸和含的有机分子.
- 模拟了离子液体形成的条件 (温度和压力).
主要成果:
- 离子液体成功地由硫酸和有机分子形成,这些分子在行星天体上很常见.
- 离子液体的蒸汽压力微不足道,使其能够在温暖,薄的气氛中持续存在.
- 这些液盐可以稳定地溶解生物分子,使生物催化剂成为可能.
结论:
- 离子液体代表了以前被认为是不可居住的系外行星上生命的可信溶剂.
- 离子液体的形成条件在某些行星表面是可以实现的.
- 这项研究扩大了寻找外星生命的可居住环境的范围.
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