Astrobiology

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

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.

• Habitat
• astrobiology
• bioastronomy
• biology
• complexity
• environment
• evolution
• exobiology
• extraterrestrial intelligence
• origin of life
• the origin

"[...] 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)

• Institut für Luft-und Raumfahrtmedizin, Köln, Germany

  Gerda Horneck, Christa Baumstark-Khan

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