Planets and Life - The Emerging Science of Astrobiology

Vient de paraitre : Planets & Life : The Emerging Science of Astrobiology

Woodruff Sullivan & John Baross (eds.). Cambridge Univ. Pr. (2007)

Twenty-eight chapters (650 pp) by experts on all aspects of astrobiology ; designed for advanced undergraduates and postgraduate students in the sciences, as well as professionals who want to learn the basics outside their own field ; also appropriate as a textbook for astrobiology courses.

Prologue ; Part I. History : 1. History of astrobiological ideas W. T. Sullivan and D. Carney ; 2. From exobiology to astrobiology S. J. Dick ; Part II. The Physical Stage : 3. Formation of Earth-like habitable planets D. E. Brownlee and M. Kress ; 4. Planetary atmospheres and life D. Catling and J. F. Kasting ; Part III. The Origin of Life on Earth : 5. Does ‘life’ have a definition ? C.E. Cleland and C. F. Chyba ; 6. Origin of life : crucial issues R. Shapiro ; 7. Origin of proteins and nucleic acids A. Ricardo and S. A. Benner ; 8. The roots of metabolism G.D. Cody and J. H. Scott ; 9. Origin of cellular life D. W. Deamer ; Part IV. Life on Earth : 10. Evolution : a defining feature of life J. A. Baross ; 11. Evolution of metabolism and early microbial communities J. A. Leigh, D. A. Stahl and J. T. Staley ; 12. The earliest records of life on Earth R. Buick ; 13. The origin and diversification of eukaryotes M. L. Sogin, D. J. Patterson and A. McArthur ; 14. Limits of carbon life on Earth and elsewhere J. A. Baross, J. Huber and M. Schrenk ; 15. Life in ice J. W. Deming and H. Eicken ; 16. The evolution and diversification of life S. Awramik and K. J. McNamara ; 17. Mass extinctions P. D. Ward ; Part V. Potentially Habitable Worlds : 18. Mars B. M. Jakosky, F. Westall and A. Brack ; 19. Europa C. F. Chyba and C. B. Phillips ; 20. Titan J. I. Lunine and B. Rizk ; 21. Extrasolar planets P. Butler ; Part VI. Searching for Extraterrestrial Life : 22. How to search for life on other worlds C. P. McKay ; 23. Instruments and strategies for detecting extraterrestrial life P. G. Conrad ; 24. Societial and ethical concerns M. S. Race ; 25. Planetary protection J. D. Rummel ; 26. Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence J. C. Tarter ; 27. Alien biochemistries P. D. Ward and S. A. Benner ; Part VII. Future of the Field : 28. Disciplinary and educational opportunities L. Wells, J. Armstrong and J. Huber ; Epilogue C. F. Chyba ; Appendixes : A. Units and usages ; B. Planetary properties ; C. The geological time scale S. Awramik and K. J. McNamara ; D. Astrobiological destinations on planet Earth J. Harnmeijer ; E. Micro*scope web tool D. J. Patterson and M. L. Sogin ; Index.

For more information