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Astrobiology

The Quest for the Conditions of Life

  • Book
  • © 2002

Overview

Editors:
  1. Gerda Horneck

    1. Institut für Luft-und Raumfahrtmedizin, Köln, Germany

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    You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

  2. Christa Baumstark-Khan

    1. Institut für Luft-und Raumfahrtmedizin, Köln, Germany

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    You can also search for this editor in PubMed   Google Scholar

  • Addresses the specific need for a readable book on this very interdisciplinary and new topic at research level

  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents (25 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-XV
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  2. Introduction

    1. Introduction

      • Baruch S. Blumberg
      Pages 1-4

  3. Organic Material in Space and Habitable Zones

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 5-5
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    2. From Molecular Clouds to the Origin of Life

      • Pascale Ehrenfreund, Karl M. Menten
      Pages 7-23

    3. The Diversity of Extrasolar Planets Around Solar Type Stars

      • Stéphane Udry, Michel Mayor
      Pages 25-46

    4. Habitable Zones in Extrasolar Planetary Systems

      • Siegfried Franck, Werner von Bloh, Christine Bounama, Matthias Steffen, Detlef Schönberner, Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber
      Pages 47-56

    5. Viable Transfer of Microorganisms in the Solar System and Beyond

      • Gerda Homeck, Curt Mileikowsky, H. Jay Melosh, John W. Wilson, Francis A. Cucinotta, Brett Gladman
      Pages 57-76

  4. Water and Life

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 77-77
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    2. Water, the Spring of Life

      • André Brack
      Pages 79-88

    3. Geomorphological Record of Water-Related Erosion on Mars

      • Ralf Jaumann, Ernst Hauber, Julia Lanz, Harald Hoffmann, Gerhard Neukum
      Pages 89-109

    4. Europa’s Crust and Ocean: How Tides Create a Potentially Habitable Physical Setting

      • Richard Greenberg, B. Randall Tufts, Paul Geissler, Gregory V. Hoppa
      Pages 111-124

    5. Permafrost Model of Extraterrestrial Habitat

      • David A. Gilichinsky
      Pages 125-142

    6. Microbial Life in Terrestrial Permafrost: Methanogenesis and Nitrification in Gelisols as Potentials for Exobiological Process

      • Dirk Wagner, Eva Spieck, Eberhard Bock, Eva-Maria Pfeiffer
      Pages 143-159

    7. Life in Cold Lakes

      • Erko Stackebrandt, Evelyne Brambilla
      Pages 161-168

    8. Hyperthermophilic Microorganisms

      • Karl O. Stetter
      Pages 169-184

    9. Halophilic Microorganisms

      • Hans Jörg Kunte, H. G. Trüper, Helga Stan-Lotter
      Pages 185-200

  5. Electromagnetic Fields, Radiation and Life

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 201-201
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    2. Martian Atmospheric Evolution: Implications of an Ancient Intrinsic Magnetic Field

      • Helmut Lammer, Willibald Stumptner, Gregorio J. Molina-Cuberos
      Pages 203-217

    3. The Ultraviolet Radiation Environment of Earth and Mars: Past and Present

      • Charles S. Cockell
      Pages 219-232

    4. Ultraviolet Radiation in Planetary Atmospheres and Biological Implications

      • Petra Rettberg, Lynn J. Rothschild
      Pages 233-243
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Keywords

About this book

How did life originate in the universe? How did it all start after the creation of matter and the formation of elements in the stars? What are the pathways from the first organic molecules in space to the evolution of complex life forms on Earth and perhaps elsewhere? And how will it all end? The Universe itself sets the stage for the very interdisciplinary field of astrobiology that attempts to answer such questions, the central one being: What is the (cosmic) recipe for life? Currently there are only very few known elements in this vast mosaic. This book bridges a gap in the literature by bringing together leading specialists from different backgrounds who lecture on their fields, with close relevance to astrobiology, providing tutorial accounts that lead all the way to the forefront of research. The book will thus be useful for students, lecturers and reseachers alike.

Reviews

"[...] written for people with a strong background in science. I nonetheless found it a joy to read and I would strongly recommend it to those who wish to know the latest in the scientific search for ET." (Neil English, Astronomy Now, Aug. 2003)

"[...] Astrobiology challenges science in unique ways, in particular the well-known problem of identifying life when we only have one prototype to work from, and I am sure that newcomers to this field and established workers will both find this book very rewarding." (International Journal of Astrobiology, 2002)

"It is a real pleasure to come across a volume like Astrobiology." (Biologist, 2002)

Editors and Affiliations

  • Institut für Luft-und Raumfahrtmedizin, Köln, Germany

    Gerda Horneck, Christa Baumstark-Khan

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