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Evolution of the universe: From Astrophysics to Astrobiology Astrophysics and Astrobiology: Julian Chela-Flores A common search for our origins The Abdus Salam ICTP, Trieste, Italia and Instituto de Estudios Avanzados, Caracas, Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela The Origins: how, when and where it all started, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. Centro Linceo Interdisciplinare “Beniamino Segre”, Roma, 22 May 2006 SISSA Highlight Colloquium Julian Chela-Flores The Abdus Salam ICTP, Trieste, Italia and Instituto de Estudios Avanzados, Caracas, Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela Plan of the talk The Origins: the universe (how, when and where). The new science of astrobiology. The Origins: life in the universe (how, when and where). The search for an independent origin of life in the universe. Can a human-level of intelligence evolve in an exoplanet? Part I The Origins: 1. The universe How? When? Where? Not relevant in a Friedmann universe, given the geometric interpretation of classical General Relativity. Evolution of the universe: From Astrophysics to Astrobiology How did the universe start? Julian Chela-Flores The Abdus Salam ICTP, Trieste, Italia and Instituto de Estudios Avanzados, Caracas, Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela The Origins: how, when and where it all started, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. Centro Linceo Interdisciplinare “Beniamino Segre”, Roma, 22 May 2006 What is needed to understand how the universe started? 1. We are at a point where experiments must guide us as to how the universe started and what will be its ultimate destiny. We cannot make progress without these experiments. 2. The theories of the space sciences that need to be tested are: General Relativity and the Standard Model. The equations of General Relativity G +g What is needed to understand how the universe started? 1. We are at a point where experiments must guide us as to how the universe started and what will be its ultimate destiny. We cannot make progress without these experiments. 2. The theories of the space sciences that need to be tested are: General Relativity and the Standard Model. The equations of General Relativity G +g What is needed to understand how the universe started? 1. We are at a point where experiments must guide us as to how the universe started and what will be its ultimate destiny. We cannot make progress without these experiments. 2. The theories of the space sciences that need to be tested are: General Relativity and the Standard Model. The equations of General Relativity G +g A new source of insights into how the universe started: the Large Hadron Collider With the LHC we will be able to search for new forms of matter with energies up to 14 TeV. At some of the LHC detectors we will be able to test the validity of: Models of quantized General Relativity and The Standard Model. The contribution of space missions New experimental facilities such as LHC will help, but especially relevant are a few of many space missions to come: Planck CMBpol LISA The Planck and CMBpol missions (2007, >2014) These missions aim to: test gravitational waves produced after the Big Bang, by careful consideration of the ripples in the early universe. The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) LISA is jointly sponsored by ESA and NASA. LISA will test the Theory of General Relativity, probe the early Universe, and will search for gravitational waves. Evolution of the universe: From Astrophysics to Astrobiology When did the universe start? Julian Chela-Flores The Abdus Salam ICTP, Trieste, Italia and Instituto de Estudios Avanzados, Caracas, Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela The Origins: how, when and where it all started, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. Centro Linceo Interdisciplinare “Beniamino Segre”, Roma, 22 May 2006 The anthropic approach Explaining the values of the observables of the universe in terms of the possibility of favoring life is called ‘anthropic’. These arguments are analogous to those originally used by Sir Fred Hoyle in the synthesis of chemical elements in stars. The intelligibility of the accelerating universe If our universe is part of an ensemble of universes - a multiverse, each with different physical constants, it is conceivable that a fraction of them offer conditions favorable for life. We may assume that we are living in a universe in which the physical constants, favor the existence of life for a few billion years. New insights with the anthropic principle One example where these new insights are needed is in the discussion of: The density of dark matter The density of dark energy. WMAP: The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe has demonstrated that the universe is compatible with an age of 13.7 Gyrs. is composed of 73 percent dark energy, 23 percent cold dark matter, and only 4 percent atoms, and will expand forever. A detailed picture of the infant universe. Colors indicate "warmer" (red) and "cooler" (blue) spots. The white bars show the "polarization" direction of the oldest light. Part II The new science of astrobiology • It is a space science that emphasizes the life sciences. • It is a life science that emphasizes the space sciences. The main areas of interest are: The destiny of life in the universe. The distribution of life in the universe, In common with the space sciences The evolution of life in the universe. The origin of life in the universe, In common with the life sciences Lockmans Hole The Chandra X-Ray Observatory (NASA, 1999) produced an image ‘Lockman Hole’ that is almost free of absorption by neutral hydrogen gas). It shows hundreds of X-ray sources. High Resolution Stereo Camera of Mars Express Rafaello al Vaticano L’astrobiologia del futuro Destiny of life in the universe, related with the origin and destiny of the universe The first area of astrobiology Is the universe intelligible? Distribution of life in the universe The second area of astrobiology A red dwarf 9,000 light-years away An icy "super-Earth" (x13) and hypothetical moon Are there biosignature in the exoplanets? The search for biosignatures in exoplanets The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) will consist of space telescopes. TPF, 2014 and 2020 Darwin will use three space telescopes (3 m in diameter) and a fourth spacecraft to serve as communications hub. TPF and Darwin will go beyond the three previous techniques for exoplanet hunting: wobbling stars, transits and microlensing. Darwin, 2015 Evolution of the universe: From Astrophysics to Astrobiology The last two aspects of astrobiology: Julian Chela-Flores The Abdus Salam ICTP, Trieste, Italia evolution and and Instituto the de Estudios Avanzados, of Caracas, origin life in the universe Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela The Origins: how, when and where it all started, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. Centro Linceo Interdisciplinare “Beniamino Segre”, Roma, 22 May 2006 International Journal of Astrobiology (in press) The evolution of life in the universe, universal darwinism: The third area of astrobiology The theory of evolution discusses the relative importance of: (i) contingency, (ii) gradual action of natural selection. The implications of human evolution in astrobiology will be discussed in Part V. Can the outcome of evolutionary processes be predictable? Independent of historical contingency, natural selection is powerful enough for organisms living in similar environments (in the universe) to be shaped to similar ends (De Duve). To a certain extent and in certain conditions, natural selection may be stronger than chance (Conway-Morris). The ubiquity of evolutionary convergence argues against the view that biological diversity on Earth is unique. Part III The Origins: 2. Life in the universe: (The fourth area of astrobiology) How? Where? When? How did life begin on Earth? Volcanic emission of gas ( ) Where did life begin on Earth? Fumarole ( ) When did life begin? The question is still undecided because of difficulties of interpretation of micropaleontology Part IV The search for an independent origin of life in the universe International Journal of Astrobiology (2006) The images of Voyayers and Galileo NASA, 1977-1989 Udaeus-Minos intersection Voyager Galileo The icy surface of Europa The Solar System Family Internal heat may provide ecosystems driven by hydrothermal vents (a ‘tidal effect’) A hydrobot gate submersible melter black smoker Horvath et al, 1997 The Europa icy and ‘patchy’ surface (Spectrometer data from near IR) albedo per pixel 4 km/pixel High resolution albedo image Distribution of non-ice component McCord et al, Science 280 (1998), 1242 Where is the ‘S-belt’ region of highest concentration of non-ice elements? Udaeus-Minos intersection S-belt Conamara Pywill Conceivable sources of sulphur stains on the icy and patchy surface of Europa External: Ions may be implanted from the Jovian plasma, or alternatively the source is Internal: Sulphur may be due to cryovolcanism, or we can ask: Could the biogenic? sulphur be The Europa Microprobe in-situ Explorer (The EMPIE study) One way to decide on the sulphur source is to land on the icy surface of Europa. The lander would have a set of 4 miniprobes (350 gm each). Expected penetration in ice is 72.5 cm. Mass constraint for the microprobes would be 1.7 kg. Tirso Velasco and colleagues Part V Can an exoplanet support a human-level of intelligence? International Journal of Astrobiology (2003) Microorganism physiology Calcium channels are involved in protozoan movements. In archaea (Haloferax volcanii), voltage-dependent and mechanosensitive ion channels are known. Paramecium (protozoa) Invertebrate physiology Cnidarians, such as medusa (a jellyfish) have a ring of tentacles with stinging cells called cnidocytes. The tentacles are made up of two layers of tissue that include muscle cells and nerves, which, allowed them to have been the first animals to show animated behavior. In the Adriatico (Grignano) jellyfish Aglantha action potentials (nerve nets) are known. Aglantha digitale (cnidarian) In sponges Ca- and Na-dependent channels are also known A sponge is an animal that can grow on a sand flat. It is made of a layer of cells that pump water through their wall, allowing them to capture microscopic plankton for food. Propagation of action potentials is a topic of research (Raimundo Villegas, IDEA, Caracas private communication, 2007) Tube sponge Cerebral ganglions receive inputs from sensory organs and deliver outputs to muscles, via nerve filaments. Notoplana acticola (flatworm; platyhelminths) The probability of a human level of intelligence arising in an independent evolutionary line The evolution of the simple nervous systems of invertebrates is information relevant to the study of the evolution of brain, as a correlate of intelligence. New discoveries about the spread of the early humans may add further constraints on what we can expect from other intelligences (Homo floresiensis?) The search of intelligent behavior The Drake equation assumes that evolution of intelligence, as known to us through human evolution, is a cosmic phenomenon. Evolutionary convergence in the universe militates in favor of intelligent behavior being independent of human evolution. Comparisons with other species may be fruitful. (Lori Marino has gone some way in this direction.) What if life started outside the Solar System? Brain evolution may offer hints of the probability that a human level of intelligence may arise in an independent evolutionary line. The SETI project is an observational tool currently available to bioastronomers. Part VI Discussion: the frontier between cosmological astrophysics and astrobiology A fleet of space missions will extend the frontier in a joint search for its common objectives. With an independent origin of life in our solar system the doors to progress will inevitably open. Beyond astrobiology: Relation between science and the humanities A philosophical question: What is the place of humans in the universe? Ongoing collaboration with the Spanish philosopher Roberto Aretxaga. A theological question (‘why’): Is there purpose for life in the universe? The anthropic principle has stimulated a dialogue at the frontier between science and the humanities (JCF in John Barrow et al, 2007 and Sci&Christian Belief 2005). Beyond astrobiology: Relation between science and the humanities All references to the previous research downloaded from the Academic Page: http://www.ictp.it/~chelaf can be