Ionizing radiation and life

Ionizing radiation is a ubiquitous feature of the Cosmos, from exogenous cosmic rays (CR) to the intrinsic mineral radioactivity of a habitable world, and its influences on the emergence and persistence of life are wide-ranging and profound. Much attention has already been focused on the deleterious effects of ionizing radiation on organisms and the complex molecules of life, but ionizing radiation also performs many crucial functions in the generation of habitable planetary environments and the origins of life. This review surveys the role of CR and mineral radioactivity in star formation, generation of biogenic elements, and the synthesis of organic molecules and driving of prebiotic chemistry. Another major theme is the multiple layers of shielding of planetary surfaces from the flux of cosmic radiation and the various effects on a biosphere of violent but rare astrophysical events such as supernovae and gamma-ray bursts. The influences of CR can also be duplicitous, such as limiting the survival of surface life on Mars while potentially supporting a subsurface biosphere in the ocean of Europa. This review highlights the common thread that ionizing radiation forms between the disparate component disciplines of astrobiology.     

Ozone concentrations and ultraviolet fluxes on Earth-like planets around other stars

Coupled radiative-convective/photochemical modeling was performed for Earth-like planets orbiting different types of stars (the Sun as a G2V, an F2V, and a K2V star). O(2) concentrations between 1 and 10(-5) times the present atmospheric level (PAL) were simulated. The results were used to calculate visible/near-IR and thermal-IR spectra, along with surface UV fluxes and relative dose rates for erythema and DNA damage. For the spectral resolution and sensitivity currently planned for the first generation of terrestrial planet detection and characterization missions, we find that O(2) should be observable remotely in the visible for atmospheres containing at least 10(-2) PAL of O(2). O(3) should be visible in the thermal-IR for atmospheres containing at least 10(-3) PAL of O(2). CH(4) is not expected to be observable in 1 PAL O(2) atmospheres like that of modern Earth, but it might be observable at thermal-IR wavelengths in "mid-Proterozoic-type" atmospheres containing approximately 10(-1) PAL of O(2). Thus, the simultaneous detection of both O(3) and CH(4) - considered to be a reliable indication of life - is within the realm of possibility. High-O(2) planets orbiting K2V and F2V stars are both better protected from surface UV radiation than is modern Earth. For the F2V case the high intrinsic UV luminosity of the star is more than offset by the much thicker ozone layer. At O(2) levels below approximately 10(-2) PAL, planets around all three types of stars are subject to high surface UV fluxes, with the F2V planet exhibiting the most biologically dangerous radiation environment. Thus, while advanced life is theoretically possible on high-O(2) planets around F stars, it is not obvious that it would evolve as it did on Earth.     

Amphibian nitrate stress as an additional terrestrial threat from astrophysical ionizing radiation events?

Abstract Various astrophysical events have been suggested as sources of ionizing radiation that, by way of destruction of the ozone layer and the subsequent increase in UVB and deposition of nitrate, could pose a threat to life on Earth. We have investigated whether the nitrate deposition that follows an ionizing event is sufficient to cause an additional stress beyond that of the heightened UVB previously considered. Our results show that, subsequent to the most intense ionization event likely to have occurred in the last billion years, the increase in nitrate concentration in bodies of water would not be sufficient to cause serious additional stress on amphibian populations and may actually provide some benefit by acting as fertilizer.     

Superluminous supernovae: no threat from eta Carinae

Recently, Supernova 2006gy was noted as the most luminous ever recorded, with a total radiated energy of approximately 10(44) Joules. It was proposed that the progenitor may have been a massive evolved star similar to eta Carinae, which resides in our own Galaxy at a distance of about 2.3 kpc. eta Carinae appears ready to detonate. Although it is too distant to pose a serious threat as a normal supernova, and given that its rotation axis is unlikely to produce a gamma-ray burst oriented toward Earth, eta Carinae is about 30,000 times nearer than 2006gy, and we re-evaluate it as a potential superluminous supernova. We have found that, given the large ratio of emission in the optical to the X-ray, atmospheric effects are negligible. Ionization of the atmosphere and concomitant ozone depletion are unlikely to be important. Any cosmic ray effects should be spread out over approximately 10(4) y and similarly unlikely to produce any serious perturbation to the biosphere. We also discuss a new possible effect of supernovae-e-ndocrine disruption induced by blue light near the peak of the optical spectrum. This is a possibility for nearby supernovae at distances too large to be considered "dangerous" for other reasons. However, due to reddening and extinction by the interstellar medium, eta Carinae is unlikely to trigger such effects to any significant degree.     

The effect of a strong stellar flare on the atmospheric chemistry of an earth-like planet orbiting an M dwarf

Main sequence M stars pose an interesting problem for astrobiology: their abundance in our galaxy makes them likely targets in the hunt for habitable planets, but their strong chromospheric activity produces high-energy radiation and charged particles that may be detrimental to life. We studied the impact of the 1985 April 12 flare from the M dwarf AD Leonis (AD Leo), simulating the effects from both UV radiation and protons on the atmospheric chemistry of a hypothetical, Earth-like planet located within its habitable zone. Based on observations of solar proton events and the Neupert effect, we estimated a proton flux associated with the flare of 5.9?×?10? protons cm?2 sr?1 s?1 for particles with energies >10?MeV. Then we calculated the abundance of nitrogen oxides produced by the flare by scaling the production of these compounds during a large solar proton event called the Carrington event. The simulations were performed with a 1-D photochemical model coupled to a 1-D radiative/convective model. Our results indicate that the UV radiation emitted during the flare does not produce a significant change in the ozone column depth of the planet. When the action of protons is included, the ozone depletion reaches a maximum of 94% two years after the flare for a planet with no magnetic field. At the peak of the flare, the calculated UV fluxes that reach the surface, in the wavelength ranges that are damaging for life, exceed those received on Earth during less than 100?s. Therefore, flares may not present a direct hazard for life on the surface of an orbiting habitable planet. Given that AD Leo is one of the most magnetically active M dwarfs known, this conclusion should apply to planets around other M dwarfs with lower levels of chromospheric activity.     

A Search for Possible Mesolensing of Cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts: II. Double and Triple Bursts in the BATSE Catalog

The paper is devoted to searching for a possible phenomenon of the gravitational lensing of cosmic gamma-ray bursts on celestial bodies of a globular cluster type (mesolensing). If this phenomenon takes place, gamma-ray bursts should have light curves with two or three similar components whose spectra are identical. These components are separated in time by a few seconds. Using a statistical method developed for comparing the components, we have found in the BATSE catalog 11 candidates of gamma-ray bursts with mesolensing for the entire time of operation of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (1991–2000). Two of these 11 gamma-ray bursts have light curves with three components. The possibility of gravitational mesolensing of these gamma-ray bursts on the King's type bodies is investigated.     

Short increases of the fluxes of electrons with energies > 0.08 MeV at low-latitude (<Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis> < 2) regions of near-Earth space

We present the characteristics of short (duration less than 1 min) increases of the counting rate of electrons with energies >0.08 MeV observed in low-latitude (L < 2.0) regions of near-Earth space in the course of the GRIF experiment on the Spektr module of the Mir orbital station. The measurements were carried out using a set of instruments including X-ray and gamma-ray spectrometers, as well as detectors of electrons, protons, and nuclei with large and small geometrical factors, which allowed one to detect the fluxes of charged particles both in the region of the Earth’s radiation belts and in regions close to the geomagnetic equator. As a result of more than 1.5 years of observation, it is demonstrated that short increases in the intensity of electrons of subrelativistic energies are detected not only in the regions of the near-Earth space known as “precipitation zones” (1.7 < L < 2.5), but in high-latitude regions (up to the geomagnetic equator, L < 1.1) as well. Two types of increases of the electron counting rate are found: either fairly regular increases repeating on successive orbits or increases local in time. The latter type of increases can be caused by a short enhancement of electron flux on a given drift shell. The results of our measurements have shown that the duration of the detected increases in intensity can be rather short, as little as 20–30 s. Therefore, in the case of large amplitudes, such increases of the counting rate of electrons can imitate astrophysical events of the type of cosmic gamma-ray bursts in the detectors of hard X-ray and gamma radiation.     

Hectometer radio bursts and energetic electrons during solar flares according to observations onboard the Interball-1 satellite

Radio bursts in the frequency range 100–1500 kHz and fluxes of energetic electrons with energies of 20–450 keV recorded onboard the Interball-1 satellite during prominent chromospheric flares on the Sun are studied. The time of propagation of the electrons to the Earth is estimated using the method of comparison of the moments of the beginning of radio emission generation during the explosive phase of the flare and the arrival of the accelerated electrons to the Earth.     

中段弹道目标的温度场与红外辐射特性计算

红外辐射特性是预警系统探测识别弹道中段目标的重要特征之一。通过计算飞行时目标与太阳、地球的相对位置,确定目标的受外辐射照射状态。利用有限容积法计算锥形目标的三维温度场,采用双向反射分布函数（BRDF）计算目标表面对太阳、地球辐射的反射特性,并结合自身红外辐射,得到了不同类型中段目标红外辐射特性变化情况和空间分布情况。最后,分析了外部辐射环境和目标材料特性对目标红外辐射特性的影响,为中段预警探测提供了参考。     

Experiment on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vernov</Emphasis> satellite: Transient energetic processes in the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetosphere. Part I: Description of the experiment

The program of physical studies on the Vernov satellite launched on July 8, 2014 into a polar (640 × 830 km) solar-synchronous orbit with an inclination of 98.4° is presented. We described the complex of scientific equipment on this satellite in detail, including multidirectional gamma-ray detectors, electron spectrometers, red and ultra-violet detectors, and wave probes. The experiment on the Vernov satellite is mainly aimed at a comprehensive study of the processes of generation of transient phenomena in the optical and gamma-ray ranges in the Earth’s atmosphere (such as high-altitude breakdown on runaway relativistic electrons), the study of the action on the atmosphere of electrons precipitated from the radiation belts, and low- and high-frequency electromagnetic waves of both space and atmospheric origin.     

Biosignatures of early earths

A major goal of NASA's Origins Program is to find habitable planets around other stars and determine which might harbor life. Determining whether or not an extrasolar planet harbors life requires an understanding of what spectral features (i.e., biosignatures) might result from life's presence. Consideration of potential biosignatures has tended to focus on spectral features of gases in Earth's modern atmosphere, particularly ozone, the photolytic product of biogenically produced molecular oxygen. But life existed on Earth for about 1(1/2) billion years before the buildup of atmospheric oxygen. Inferred characteristics of Earth's earliest biosphere and studies of modern microbial ecosystems that share some of those characteristics suggest that organosulfur compounds, particularly methanethiol (CH(3)SH, the sulfur analog of methanol), may have been biogenic products on early Earth. Similar production could take place on extrasolar Earth-like planets whose biota share functional chemical characteristics with Earth life. Since methanethiol and related organosulfur compounds (as well as carbon dioxide) absorb at wavelengths near or overlapping the 9.6-microm band of ozone, there is potential ambiguity in interpreting a feature around this wavelength in an extrasolar planet spectrum.     

太阳电池对平流层飞艇热特性的影响分析

研究太阳电池对平流层飞艇驻空阶段热特性的影响。建立了太阳电池热模型、平流层飞艇热分析模型，包括热平衡方程、太阳直射辐射、天空散射辐射、地面反射辐射、大气长波辐射、地球长波辐射、蒙皮长波辐射、对流换热等；采用多节点模型，对平流层飞艇在驻空期间太阳电池、蒙皮与艇内氦气温度变化过程进行了数值模拟，得到了温度昼夜变化规律；分析了太阳电池（含隔热结构）的等效面积热阻、转换效率、铺装面积对平流层飞艇热特性的影响，得到了其温度昼夜变化规律。本文为平流层飞艇热性能分析和热控系统设计提供依据。     

Reassessing the possibility of life on venus: proposal for an astrobiology mission

With their similar size, chemical composition, and distance from the Sun, Venus and Earth may have shared a similar early history. Though surface conditions on Venus are now too extreme for life as we know it, it likely had abundant water and favorable conditions for life when the Sun was fainter early in the Solar System. Given the persistence of life under stabilizing selection in static environments, it is possible that life could exist in restricted environmental niches, where it may have retreated after conditions on the surface became untenable. High-pressure subsurface habitats with water in the supercritical liquid state could be a potential refugium, as could be the zone of dense cloud cover where thermoacidophilic life might have retreated. Technology based on the Stardust Mission to collect comet particles could readily be adapted for a pass through the appropriate cloud layer for sample collection and return to Earth.     

Impacts and evolution: future prospects

The discipline of astrobiology includes the dynamics of biological evolution. One of the major ways that the cosmos influences life is through the catastrophic environmental disruptions caused when comets and asteroids collide with a planet. We now recognize that such impacts have caused mass extinctions and played a major role in determining the evolution of life on Earth. The time-averaged impact flux as a function of projectile energy can be derived from lunar cratering statistics as well as the current population of near Earth asteroids (NEAs). Effects of impacts of various energies can be modeled, using data from historic impacts [such as the Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) impactor 65 million years ago] and the observed 1994 bombardment of Jupiter by fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. It is of particular interest to find from such models that the terrestrial environment is highly vulnerable to perturbation from impacts, so that even such a small event as the KT impact (by a projectile 10-15 km in diameter) can lead to a mass extinction. Similar considerations allow us to model the effects of still smaller (and much more likely) impacts, down to the size of the asteroid that exploded over Tunguska in 1908 (energy approximately 10 megatons). Combining the impact flux with estimates of environmental and ecological effects reveals that the greatest contemporary hazard is associated with impactors near 1 million megatons in energy (approximately 2 km in diameter for an asteroid). The current impact hazard is significant relative to other natural hazards, and arguments can be developed to illuminate a variety of public policy issues. The first priority in any plan for defense against impactors is to survey the population of Earth-crossing NEAs and project their orbits forward in time. This is the purpose of the Spaceguard Survey, which has already found more than half of the NEAs >1 km in diameter. If there is an NEA on a collision course with Earth, it can be discovered and the impact predicted with decades or more of warning. It is then possible to consider how to deflect or disrupt the NEA. Unlike other natural hazards, the impact risk can be largely eliminated, given sufficient advanced knowledge to take action against the threatening projectile.     

The BDRG and SHOK instruments for studying gamma-ray burst prompt emission onboard the Lomonosov spacecraft

One of the goals of the Lomonosov satellite designed by scientists of Moscow State University is to study the prompt emission of cosmic gamma-ray bursts. This paper describes the gamma-ray burst monitor in the gamma-ray range (the BDRG instrument) and the wide-field optical cameras (the SHOK instrument) for detecting both the gamma-ray burst prompt emission and its precursors.     

Reflection Model as Applied for the Analysis of Enhancements of Solar Cosmic Rays at Different Heliocentric Distances: An Example of the Event Observed in June 1991 onboard GRANAT and ULYSSES Spacecraft

In this paper we consider a large-scale enhancement of the intensity of solar protons (E = 1–20 MeV) observed in June 1991 for 26 days at different points of interplanetary space, onboard ULYSSES (in the time period under consideration it was located at a heliocentric distance of 3 AU, at an angular distance of 70° to the East of the Sun–Earth line and 3° to the South of the ecliptic plane) and GRANAT (which was orbiting around the Earth spending most of its flight time outside the Earth's magnetosphere). An approximation is made of the complex time profile of the enhancement of the solar cosmic ray (SCR) intensity on the basis of the reflection model of their propagation in the heliosphere. It has been established that, in this event, the transport of SCR particles in the interplanetary space was mainly carried out in the traps made up by the fronts of radially moving flare disturbances. The parameters of these fronts obtained when modeling this enhancement of SCR allow one to estimate the characteristic dimensions of the regions of effective capture of SCR. Comparison of the results of approximations obtained for the data from GRANAT and ULYSSES spacecraft demonstrated an increase in the regions of capture of SCR when the radial distance from the Sun increases.     

Peculiarities of long-wave radio bursts from solar flares preceding strong geomagnetic storms

Radio bursts in the frequency range of 100–1500 kHz, recorded in 1997–2000 on the INTERBALL-1 satellite during the solar flares preceding the strong geomagnetic storms with D _st < ?100 nT, are analyzed in this paper. The observed long-wave III-type radio bursts of solar origin at frequencies of 1460 and 780 kHz were characterized by large values of the flux S _f = 10^?15 ?10^?17 W/m² Hz and duration longer than 10 min. The rapid frequency drift of a modulated radio burst continued up to a frequency of 250 kHz, which testified that the exciting agent (a beam of energetic electrons) propagated from the Sun to the Earth. All such flares were characterized by the appearance of halo coronal mass ejections, observed by the LASCO/SOHO, and by the presence of a southward B_z-component of the IMF, measured on the ACE and WIND spacecraft. In addition, shortly after radio bursts, the INTERBALL-1 satellite has recorded the fluxes of energetic electrons with E > 40 keV.     

Experiment on the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vernov</Emphasis> satellite: Transient energetic processes in the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetosphere. Part II. First results

We present the first experimental results on the observation of optical transients, gamma-ray bursts, relativistic electrons, and electromagnetic waves obtained during the experiment with the RELEC complex of scientific equipment on the Vernov satellite.     

A method for determination of gamma-ray direction in space

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are short and most intense bursts of gamma-rays that come from random direction in space. Their origins are still unknown and they originate likely from cosmological distances, probably after birth of a new black hole or death of a giant star. In this work, Geant simulations of a detector array aiming identification of gamma-ray directions in space were performed and a method was used for this identification. The array consists of three quadratic NaI(Tl) scintillators which are facing different directions. The method is based on the difference of the counts registered in these three detectors. This form of the array which can scan three dimensions in space is crucial to pinpoint origin of the GRBs. The array would also be applicable in various fields where identifications of the gamma-ray directions are necessary.     

NEOs as stepping stones to Mars and main-belt asteroids

Human interplanetary missions are constrained by the problem of astronaut exposure to galactic cosmic radiation. This paper surveys the existing on-line near-Earth object (NEO) data base in an effort to identify NEOs that cross both Earth's ad Mars’ orbits and could be used as cosmic ray shields by interplanetary voyagers. The search concentrated on low-inclination Mars-crossing NEOs that approach Earth, Mars, and main-belt asteroids in the 2020–2100 time frame. Both outbound and return transfers were searched for. Several candidates for Earth–Mars, Mars–Earth, and Earth–Vesta transfers have been found from the very incomplete August 2008 data base. Other aspects of this interplanetary transfer option are considered.