A look at the role comets may have played in the origins and evolution of life, particularly in light of recent investigations of Halleys comet, new insights into organic synthesis in meteorites and comets, and new results of numerical simulations of cometary orbits and impacts on Earth. This is a comprehensive review of current research, accessible to graduate students and others new to the field. Each chapter was prepared by an expert in the field, and carefully revised by the editors for uniformity in style and presentation.
Auflage
Sprache
Verlagsort
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Für Beruf und Forschung
Illustrationen
15
30 s/w Tabellen, 15 s/w Abbildungen
47 figures
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-387-94650-4 (9780387946504)
DOI
10.1007/978-1-4757-2688-6
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Introduction: Comets and the Origin of Life.- 1 Comets and the Origin and Evolution of Life.- 2 The Origin of the Atmosphere and of the Oceans.- 3 Organic Chemistry in Comets From Remote and In Situ Observations.- 4 Polymers and Other Macromolecules in Comets.- 5 Numerical Models of Comet and Asteroid Impacts.- 6 Comets as a Source of Prebiotic Organic Molecules for the Early Earth.- 7 Impacts and the Early Evolution of Life.- 8 Cometary Impacts on the Biosphere.- 9 The Contemporary Hazard of Cometary Impacts.- 10 26Al and Liquid Water Environments in Comets.- 11 Life in Comets.- 12 Comets and Space Missions.
