Transcript Evolution of the universe

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
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