Sodium chloride on the surface of Europa

Spectral evidence for irradiated halite on Mars

The proposed chloride salt-bearing deposits on Mars have an enigmatic composition due to the absence of distinct spectral absorptions for the unique mineral at all wavelengths investigated. We report on analyses of remote visible-wavelength spectroscopic observations that exhibit properties indicative of the mineral halite (NaCl) when irradiated. Visible spectra of halite are generally featureless, but when irradiated by high-energy particles they develop readily-identifiable spectral alterations in the form of color centers. Consistent spectral characteristics observed in the reflectance data of the chloride salt-bearing deposits support the presence of radiation-formed color centers of halite on the surface of Mars. We observe a seasonal cycle of color center formation with higher irradiated halite values during winter months, with the colder temperatures interpreted as increasing the formation efficiency and stability. Irradiated halite identified on the surface of Mars suggests that the visible surface is being irradiated to the degree that defects are forming in alkali halide crystal structures.

Chapter 7: Assessing Habitability Beyond Earth

All known life on Earth inhabits environments that maintain conditions between certain extremes of temperature, chemical composition, energy availability, and so on (Chapter 6). Life may have emerged in similar environments elsewhere in the Solar System and beyond. The ongoing search for life elsewhere mainly focuses on those environments most likely to support life, now or in the past-that is, potentially habitable environments. Discussion of habitability is necessarily based on what we know about life on Earth, as it is our only example. This chapter gives an overview of the known and presumed requirements for life on Earth and discusses how these requirements can be used to assess the potential habitability of planetary bodies across the Solar System and beyond. We first consider the chemical requirements of life and potential feedback effects that the presence of life can have on habitable conditions, and then the planetary, stellar, and temporal requirements for habitability. We then review the state of knowledge on the potential habitability of bodies across the Solar System and exoplanets, with a particular focus on Mars, Venus, Europa, and Enceladus. While reviewing the case for the potential habitability of each body, we summarize the most prominent and impactful studies that have informed the perspective on where habitable environments are likely to be found.

Ab Initio Potential Energy Surface for NaCl-H2 with Correct Long-Range Behavior

We report a full dimensional ab initio potential energy surface for NaCl-H2 based on precise fitting of a large data set of CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ energies. A major goal of this fit is to describe the very long-range interaction accurately. This is done in this instance via the dipole-quadrupole interaction. The NaCl dipole and the H2 quadrupole are available through previous works over a large range of internuclear distances. We use these to obtain exact effect charges on each atom. Diffusion Monte Carlo calculations are done for the ground vibrational state using the new potential.

Water dynamics in eutectic solutions of sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate: implications for life in Europa's subsurface ocean and ice shell

Liquid water is essential for life as we know it and the coupling between water and biomolecular dynamics is crucial for life processes. Jupiter's moon Europa is a good candidate for searching for extraterrestrial life in our outer solar system, mainly because a liquid water salty ocean in contact with a rocky seafloor underlies its ice shell. Little, however, is known about the chemical composition of the subglacial ocean of Europa or the brine pockets within its ice shell and their impacts on water dynamics. Here, we employ 1H, 17O, 23Na and 35Cl NMR spectroscopy, especially NMR spin relaxation and diffusion methods, and investigate the mobility of water molecules and ions in eutectic solutions of magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride, two salts ubiquitously present on the surface of Europa, over a range of temperatures and pressures pertinent to Europa's subglacial ocean. The NMR data demonstrate the more pronounced effect of magnesium sulfate compared with sodium chloride on the mobility of water molecules. Even at its much lower eutectic temperature, the sodium chloride solution retains a relatively large level of water mobility. Our results highlight the higher potential of a sodium chloride-rich than magnesium sulfate-rich Europa's ocean to accommodate life and support life origination within the eutectic melts of Europa's ice shell.

Investigating Europa's Habitability with the Europa Clipper

The habitability of Europa is a property within a system, which is driven by a multitude of physical and chemical processes and is defined by many interdependent parameters, so that its full characterization requires collaborative investigation. To explore Europa as an integrated system to yield a complete picture of its habitability, the Europa Clipper mission has three primary science objectives: (1) characterize the ice shell and ocean including their heterogeneity, properties, and the nature of surface-ice-ocean exchange; (2) characterize Europa's composition including any non-ice materials on the surface and in the atmosphere, and any carbon-containing compounds; and (3) characterize Europa's geology including surface features and localities of high science interest. The mission will also address several cross-cutting science topics including the search for any current or recent activity in the form of thermal anomalies and plumes, performing geodetic and radiation measurements, and assessing high-resolution, co-located observations at select sites to provide reconnaissance for a potential future landed mission. Synthesizing the mission's science measurements, as well as incorporating remote observations by Earth-based observatories, the James Webb Space Telescope, and other space-based resources, to constrain Europa's habitability, is a complex task and is guided by the mission's Habitability Assessment Board (HAB).

The distribution of CO2 on Europa indicates an internal source of carbon

Jupiter's moon Europa has a subsurface ocean, the chemistry of which is largely unknown. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has previously been detected on the surface of Europa, but it was not possible to determine whether it originated from subsurface ocean chemistry, was delivered by impacts, or was produced on the surface by radiation processing of impact-delivered material. We mapped the distribution of CO2 on Europa using observations obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We found a concentration of CO2 within Tara Regio, a recently resurfaced terrain. This indicates that the CO2 is derived from an internal carbon source. We propose that the CO2 formed in the internal ocean, although we cannot rule out formation on the surface through radiolytic conversion of ocean-derived organics or carbonates.

Endogenous CO2 ice mixture on the surface of Europa and no detection of plume activity

Jupiter's moon Europa has a subsurface ocean beneath an icy crust. Conditions within the ocean are unknown, and it is unclear whether it is connected to the surface. We observed Europa with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to search for active release of material by probing its surface and atmosphere. A search for plumes yielded no detection of water, carbon monoxide, methanol, ethane, or methane fluorescence emissions. Four spectral features of carbon dioxide (CO2) ice were detected; their spectral shapes and distribution across Europa's surface indicate that the CO2 is mixed with other compounds and concentrated in Tara Regio. The 13CO2 absorption is consistent with an isotopic ratio of 12C/13C = 83 ± 19. We interpret these observations as indicating that carbon is sourced from within Europa.

A Review on Hypothesized Metabolic Pathways on Europa and Enceladus: Space-Flight Detection Considerations

Enceladus and Europa, icy moons of Saturn and Jupiter, respectively, are believed to be habitable with liquid water oceans and therefore are of interest for future life detection missions and mission concepts. With the limited data from missions to these moons, many studies have sought to better constrain these conditions. With these constraints, researchers have, based on modeling and experimental studies, hypothesized a number of possible metabolisms that could exist on Europa and Enceladus if these worlds host life. The most often hypothesized metabolisms are methanogenesis for Enceladus and methane oxidation/sulfate reduction on Europa. Here, we outline, review, and compare the best estimated conditions of each moon's ocean. We then discuss the hypothetical metabolisms that have been suggested to be present on these moons, based on laboratory studies and Earth analogs. We also detail different detection methods that could be used to detect these hypothetical metabolic reactions and make recommendations for future research and considerations for future missions.

Influence of pH and salts on DMF-DMA derivatization for future Space Applications

For gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses performed in situ, pH and salts (e.g., chlorides, sulfates) may enhance or inhibit the detection of targeted molecules of interest for astrobiology (e.g. amino acids, fatty acids, nucleobases). Obviously, salts influence the ionic strength of the solutions, the pH value, and the salting effect. But the presence of salts may also produce complexes or mask ions in the sample (masking effect on hydroxide ion, ammonia, etc.). For future space missions, wet chemistry will be conducted before GC-MS analyses to detect the full organic content of a sample. The defined organic targets for space GC-MS instrument requirements are generally strongly polar or refractory organic compounds, such as amino acids playing a role in the protein production and metabolism regulations for life on Earth, nucleobases essential for DNA and RNA formation and mutation, and fatty acids that composed most of the eukaryote and prokaryote membranes on Earth and resist to environmental stress long enough to still be observed on Mars or ocean worlds in geological well-preserved records. The wet-chemistry chemical treatment consists of reacting an organic reagent with the sample to extract and volatilize polar or refractory organic molecules (i.e. dimethylformamide dimethyl acetal (DMF-DMA) in this study). DMF-DMA derivatizes functional groups with labile H in organics, without modifying their chiral conformation. The influence of pH and salt concentration of extraterrestrial materials on the DMF-DMA derivatization remains understudied. In this research, we studied the influence of different salts and pHs on the derivatization of organic molecules of astrobiological interest with DMF-DMA, such as amino acids, carboxylic acids, and nucleobases. Results show that salts and pH influence the derivatization yield, and that their effect depend on the nature of the organics and the salts studied. Second, monovalent salts lead to a higher or similar organic recovery compared to divalent salts regardless of pH below 8. However, a pH above 8 inhibits the DMF-DMA derivatization influencing the carboxylic acid function to become an anionic group without labile H. Overall, considering the negative effect of the salts on the detection of organic molecules, future space missions may have to consider a desalting step prior to derivatization and GC-MS analyses.

Slow evolution of Europa's interior: metamorphic ocean origin, delayed metallic core formation, and limited seafloor volcanism

Europa's ocean lies atop an interior made of metal and silicates. On the basis of gravity data from the Galileo mission, many argued that Europa's interior, like Earth, is differentiated into a metallic core and a mantle composed of anhydrous silicates. Some studies further assumed that Europa differentiated while (or soon after) it accreted, also like Earth. However, Europa probably formed at much colder temperatures, meaning that Europa plausibly ended accretion as a mixture containing water-ice and/or hydrated silicates. Here, we use numerical models to describe the thermal evolution of Europa's interior assuming low initial temperatures (~200 to 300 kelvin). We find that silicate dehydration can produce Europa's current ocean and icy shell. Rocks below the seafloor may remain cool and hydrated today. Europa's metallic core, if it exists, may have formed billions of years after accretion. Ultimately, we expect the chemistry of Europa's ocean to reflect protracted heating of the interior.

On the identification of hyperhydrated sodium chloride hydrates, stable at icy moon conditions

Sodium chloride is expected to be found on many of the surfaces of icy moons like Europa and Ganymede. However, spectral identification remains elusive as the known NaCl-bearing phases cannot match current observations, which require higher number of water of hydration. Working at relevant conditions for icy worlds, we report the characterization of three "hyperhydrated" sodium chloride (SC) hydrates, and refined two crystal structures [2NaCl·17H2O (SC8.5); NaCl·13H2O (SC13)]. We found that the dissociation of Na+ and Cl- ions within these crystal lattices allows for the high incorporation of water molecules and thus explain their hyperhydration. This finding suggests that a great diversity of hyperhydrated crystalline phases of common salts might be found at similar conditions. Thermodynamic constraints indicate that SC8.5 is stable at room pressure below 235 K, and it could be the most abundant NaCl hydrate on icy moon surfaces like Europa, Titan, Ganymede, Callisto, Enceladus, or Ceres. The finding of these hyperhydrated structures represents a major update to the H2O-NaCl phase diagram. These hyperhydrated structures provide an explanation for the mismatch between the remote observations of the surface of Europa and Ganymede and previously available data on NaCl solids. It also underlines the urgent need for mineralogical exploration and spectral data on hyperhydrates at relevant conditions to help future icy world exploration by space missions.

Spectroscopic Detection of Biosignatures in Natural Ice Samples as a Proxy for Icy Moons

Some of the icy moons of the solar system with a subsurface ocean, such as Europa and Enceladus, are the targets of future space missions that search for potential extraterrestrial life forms. While the ice shells that envelop these moons have been studied by several spacecrafts, the oceans beneath them remain unreachable. To better constrain the habitability conditions of these moons, we must understand the interactions between their frozen crusts, liquid layers, and silicate mantles. To that end, astrobiologists rely on planetary field analogues, for which the polar regions of Earth have proven to be great candidates. This review shows how spectroscopy is a powerful tool in space missions to detect potential biosignatures, in particular on the aforementioned moons, and how the polar regions of the Earth are being used as planetary field analogues for these extra-terrestrial environments.

Toward Detecting Biosignatures of DNA, Lipids, and Metabolic Intermediates from Bacteria in Ice Grains Emitted by Enceladus and Europa

The reliable identification of biosignatures is key to the search for life elsewhere. On ocean worlds like Enceladus or Europa, this can be achieved by impact ionization mass spectrometers, such as the SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) on board NASA's upcoming Europa Clipper mission. During spacecraft flybys, these instruments can sample ice grains formed from subsurface water and emitted by these moons. Previous laboratory analog experiments have demonstrated that SUDA-type instruments could identify amino acids, fatty acids, and peptides in ice grains and discriminate between their abiotic and biotic origins. Here, we report experiments simulating impact ionization mass spectra of ice grains containing DNA, lipids, and metabolic intermediates extracted from two bacterial cultures: Escherichia coli and Sphingopyxis alaskensis. Salty Enceladan or Europan ocean waters were simulated using matrices with different NaCl concentrations. Characteristic mass spectral signals, such as DNA nucleobases, are clearly identifiable at part-per-million-level concentrations. Mass spectra of all substances exhibit unambiguous biogenic patterns, which in some cases show significant differences between the two bacterial species. Sensitivity to the biosignatures decreases with increasing matrix salinity. The experimental parameters indicate that future impact ionization mass spectrometers will be most sensitive to the investigated biosignatures for ice grain encounter speeds of 4-6 km/s.

Autonomous CE Mass-Spectra Examination for the Ocean Worlds Life Surveyor

Ocean worlds such as Europa and Enceladus are high priority targets in the search for past or extant life beyond Earth. Evidence of life may be preserved in samples of surface ice by processes such as deposition from active plumes, hydrofracturing, or thermal convection. Terrestrial life produces unique distributions of organic molecules that translate into recognizable biosignatures. Identification and quantification of these organic compounds can be achieved by separation science such as capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry (CE-MS). However, the data generated by such an instrument can be multiple orders of magnitude larger than what can be transmitted back to Earth during an ocean world's mission. This requires onboard science data analysis capabilities that summarize and prioritize CE-MS observations with limited computational resources. In response, the autonomous capillary electrophoresis mass-spectra examination (ACME) onboard science autonomy system was created for application to the ocean world's life surveyor (OWLS) instrument suite. ACME is able to compress raw mass spectra by two to three orders of magnitude while preserving most of its scientifically relevant information content. This summarization is achieved by the extraction of raw data surrounding autonomously identified ion peaks and the detection and parameterization of unique background regions. Prioritization of the summarized observations is then enabled by providing estimates of scientific utility, including presence of key target compounds, and the uniqueness of an observation relative to previous observations.

Ice Shell Structure and Composition of Ocean Worlds: Insights from Accreted Ice on Earth

Accreted ice retains and preserves traces of the ocean from which it formed. In this work, we study two classes of accreted ice found on Earth-frazil ice, which forms through crystallization within a supercooled water column, and congelation ice, which forms through directional freezing at an existing interface-and discuss where each might be found in the ice shells of ocean worlds. We focus our study on terrestrial ice formed in low temperature gradient environments (e.g., beneath ice shelves), consistent with conditions expected at the ice-ocean interfaces of Europa and Enceladus, and we highlight the juxtaposition of compositional trends in relation to ice formed in higher temperature gradient environments (e.g., at the ocean surface). Observations from Antarctic sub-ice-shelf congelation ice and marine ice show that the purity of frazil ice can be nearly two orders of magnitude higher than congelation ice formed in the same low temperature gradient environment (∼0.1% vs. ∼10% of the ocean salinity). In addition, where congelation ice can maintain a planar ice-water interface on a microstructural scale, the efficiency of salt rejection is enhanced (∼1% of the ocean salinity) and lattice soluble impurities such as chloride are preferentially incorporated. We conclude that an ice shell that forms by gradual thickening as its interior cools would be composed of congelation ice, whereas frazil ice will accumulate where the ice shell thins on local (rifts and basal fractures) or regional (latitudinal gradients) scales through the operation of an "ice pump."

Extremophile enzyme optimization for low temperature and high salinity are fundamentally incompatible

The evolutionary mechanisms behind cold and high-saline co-adaptation of proteins are not thoroughly understood. To explore how enzymes evolve in response to multiple environmental pressures we developed a novel in silico method to model the directed evolution of proteins, the Protein Evolution Parameter Calculator (PEPC). PEPC carries out single amino acid substitutions that lead to improvements in the selected user-defined parameters. To investigate the evolutionary relationship between increased flexibility and decreased isoelectric point, which are presumed indicators of cold and saline adaptation in proteins, we applied PEPC to a subset of core haloarchaea orthologous group (cHOG) proteins from the mesophilic Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1 and cold-tolerant Halorubrum lacusprofundi strain ATCC 49239. The results suggest that mutations that increase flexibility will also generally increase isoelectric point. These findings suggest that enzyme adaptation to low temperature and high salinity might be evolutionarily counterposed based on the structural characteristics of probable amino acid mutations. This may help to explain the apparent lack of truly psychrophilic halophiles in nature, and why microbes adapted to polar hypersaline environments typically have mesophilic temperature optima. A better understanding of protein evolution to extremely cold and salty conditions will aid in our understanding of where and how life is distributed on Earth and in our solar system.

Structure and dynamics of aqueous NaCl solutions at high temperatures and pressures

The structure of a concentrated solution of NaCl in D₂O was investigated by in situ high-pressure neutron diffraction with chlorine isotope substitution to give site-specific information on the coordination environment of the chloride ion. A broad range of densities was explored by first increasing the temperature from 323 to 423 K at 0.1 kbar and then increasing the pressure from 0.1 to 33.8 kbar at 423 K, thus mapping a cyclic variation in the static dielectric constant of the pure solvent. The experimental work was complemented by molecular dynamics simulations using the TIP4P/2005 model for water, which were validated against the measured equation of state and diffraction results. Pressure-induced anion ordering is observed, which is accompanied by a dramatic increase in the Cl-O and O-O coordination numbers. With the aid of bond-distance resolved bond-angle maps, it is found that the increased coordination numbers do not originate from a sizable alteration to the number of either Cl⋯D-O or O⋯D-O hydrogen bonds but from the appearance of non-hydrogen-bonded configurations. Increased pressure leads to a marked decrease in the self-diffusion coefficients but has only a moderate effect on the ion-water residence times. Contact ion pairs are observed under all conditions, mostly in the form of charge-neutral NaCl⁰ units, and coexist with solvent-separated Na⁺-Na⁺ and Cl^--Cl^- ion pairs. The exchange of water molecules with Na⁺ adopts a concerted mechanism under ambient conditions but becomes non-concerted as the state conditions are changed. Our findings are important for understanding the role of extreme conditions in geochemical processes.

A Metamorphic Origin for Europa's Ocean

Europa likely contains an iron-rich metal core. For it to have formed, temperatures within Europa reached ≳ 1250 K. Going up to that temperature, accreted chondritic minerals - for example, carbonates and phyllosilicates - would partially devolatilize. Here, we compute the amounts and compositions of exsolved volatiles. We find that volatiles released from the interior would have carried solutes, redox-sensitive species, and could have generated a carbonic ocean in excess of Europa's present-day hydrosphere, and potentially an early CO 2 atmosphere. No late delivery of cometary water was necessary. Contrasting with prior work, CO 2 could be the most abundant solute in the ocean, followed by Ca 2 + , SO 4 2 - , and HCO 3 - . However, gypsum precipitation going from the seafloor to the ice shell decreases the dissolved S/Cl ratio, such that Cl > S at the shallowest depths, consistent with recently inferred endogenous chlorides at Europa's surface. Gypsum would form a 3-10 km thick sedimentary layer at the seafloor.

Complex Brines and Their Implications for Habitability

There is evidence that life on Earth originated in cold saline waters around scorching hydrothermal vents, and that similar conditions might exist or have existed on Mars, Europa, Ganymede, Enceladus, and other worlds. Could potentially habitable complex brines with extremely low freezing temperatures exist in the shallow subsurface of these frigid worlds? Earth, Mars, and carbonaceous chondrites have similar bulk elemental abundances, but while the Earth is depleted in the most volatile elements, the Icy Worlds of the outer solar system are expected to be rich in them. The cooling of ionic solutions containing substances that likely exist in the Icy Worlds could form complex brines with the lowest eutectic temperature possible for the compounds available in them. Indeed, here, we show observational and theoretical evidence that even elements present in trace amounts in nature are concentrated by freeze–thaw cycles, and therefore contribute significantly to the formation of brine reservoirs that remain liquid throughout the year in some of the coldest places on Earth. This is interesting because the eutectic temperature of water–ammonia solutions can be as low as ~160 K, and significant fractions of the mass of the Icy Worlds are estimated to be water substance and ammonia. Thus, briny solutions with eutectic temperature of at least ~160 K could have formed where, historically, temperature have oscillated above and below ~160 K. We conclude that complex brines must exist in the shallow subsurface of Mars and the Icy Worlds, and that liquid saline water should be present where ice has existed, the temperature is above ~160 K, and evaporation and sublimation have been inhibited.

Capillary electrophoresis method for analysis of inorganic and organic anions related to habitability and the search for life

In situ missions of exploration require analytical methods that are capable of detecting a wide range of molecular targets in complex matrices without a priori assumptions of sample composition. Furthermore, these methods should minimize the number of reagents needed and any sample preparation steps. We have developed a method for the detection of metabolically relevant inorganic and organic anions that is suitable for implementation on in situ spaceflight missions. Using 55 mM acetic acid, 50 mM triethylamine, and 5% glycerol, more than 21 relevant anions are separated in less than 20 min. The method is robust to sample ionic strength, tolerating high concentrations of background salts (up to 900 mM NaCl and 300 mM MgSO₄ ). This is an important feature for future missions to ocean worlds. The method was validated using a culture of Escherichia coli and with high salinity natural samples collected from Mono Lake, California.

Analytical Chemistry in Astrobiology

This Feature introduces and discusses the findings of key analytical techniques used to study planetary bodies in our solar system in the search for life beyond Earth, future missions planned for high-priority astrobiology targets in our solar system, and the challenges we face in performing these investigations.

Discriminating Abiotic and Biotic Fingerprints of Amino Acids and Fatty Acids in Ice Grains Relevant to Ocean Worlds

Identifying and distinguishing between abiotic and biotic signatures of organic molecules such as amino acids and fatty acids is key to the search for life on extraterrestrial ocean worlds. Impact ionization mass spectrometers can potentially achieve this by sampling water ice grains formed from ocean water and ejected by moons such as Enceladus and Europa, thereby exploring the habitability of their subsurface oceans in spacecraft flybys. Here, we extend previous high-sensitivity laser-based analog experiments of biomolecules in pure water to investigate the mass spectra of amino acids and fatty acids at simulated abiotic and biotic relative abundances. To account for the complex background matrix expected to emerge from a salty Enceladean ocean that has been in extensive chemical exchange with a carbonaceous rocky core, other organic and inorganic constituents are added to the biosignature mixtures. We find that both amino acids and fatty acids produce sodiated molecular peaks in salty solutions. Under the soft ionization conditions expected for low-velocity (2-6 km/s) encounters of an orbiting spacecraft with ice grains, the unfragmented molecular spectral signatures of amino acids and fatty acids accurately reflect the original relative abundances of the parent molecules within the source solution, enabling characteristic abiotic and biotic relative abundance patterns to be identified. No critical interferences with other abiotic organic compounds were observed. Detection limits of the investigated biosignatures under Enceladus-like conditions are salinity dependent (decreasing sensitivity with increasing salinity), at the μM or nM level. The survivability and ionization efficiency of large organic molecules during impact ionization appear to be significantly improved when they are protected by a frozen water matrix. We infer from our experimental results that encounter velocities of 4-6 km/s are most appropriate for impact ionization mass spectrometers to detect and discriminate between abiotic and biotic signatures.

The Complex Molecules Detector (CMOLD): A Fluidic-Based Instrument Suite to Search for (Bio)chemical Complexity on Mars and Icy Moons

Organic chemistry is ubiquitous in the Solar System, and both Mars and a number of icy satellites of the outer Solar System show substantial promise for having hosted or hosting life. Here, we propose a novel astrobiologically focused instrument suite that could be included as scientific payload in future missions to Mars or the icy moons: the Complex Molecules Detector, or CMOLD. CMOLD is devoted to determining different levels of prebiotic/biotic chemical and structural targets following a chemically general approach (i.e., valid for both terrestrial and nonterrestrial life), as well as their compatibility with terrestrial life. CMOLD is based on a microfluidic block that distributes a liquid suspension sample to three instruments by using complementary technologies: (1) novel microscopic techniques for identifying ultrastructures and cell-like morphologies, (2) Raman spectroscopy for detecting universal intramolecular complexity that leads to biochemical functionality, and (3) bioaffinity-based systems (including antibodies and aptamers as capture probes) for finding life-related and nonlife-related molecular structures. We highlight our current developments to make this type of instruments flight-ready for upcoming Mars missions: the Raman spectrometer included in the science payload of the ESAs Rosalind Franklin rover (Raman Laser Spectrometer instrument) to be launched in 2022, and the biomarker detector that was included as payload in the NASA Icebreaker lander mission proposal (SOLID instrument). CMOLD is a robust solution that builds on the combination of three complementary, existing techniques to cover a wide spectrum of targets in the search for (bio)chemical complexity in the Solar System.

Real-time observation of dynamic structure of liquid-vapor interface at nanometer resolution in electron irradiated sodium chloride crystals

The dynamics and structure of the liquid and vapor interface has remained elusive for decades due to the lack of an effective tool for directly visualization beyond micrometer resolution. Here, we designed a simple liquid-cell for encapsulating the liquid state of sodium for transmission electron microscopic (TEM) observation. The real-time dynamic structure of the liquid-vapor interface was imaged and videoed by TEM on the sample of electron irradiated sodium chloride (NaCl) crystals, a well-studied sample with low melting temperature and quantum super-shells of clusters. The nanometer resolution images exhibit the fine structures of the capillary waves, composed of first-time observed three zones of structures and features, i.e. flexible nanoscale fibers, nanoparticles/clusters, and a low-pressure area that sucks the nanoparticles from the liquid to the interface. Although the phenomenons were observed based on irradiated NaCl crystals, the similarities of the phenomenons to predictions suggest our real-time ovserved  dynamic structure might be useful in validating long-debated theoretical models of the liquid-vapor interface, and enhancing our knowledge in understanding the non-equilibrium thermodynamics of the liquid-vapor interface to benefit future engineering designs in microfluidics.

Factoring Origin of Life Hypotheses into the Search for Life in the Solar System and Beyond

Two widely-cited alternative hypotheses propose geological localities and biochemical mechanisms for life's origins. The first states that chemical energy available in submarine hydrothermal vents supported the formation of organic compounds and initiated primitive metabolic pathways which became incorporated in the earliest cells; the second proposes that protocells self-assembled from exogenous and geothermally-delivered monomers in freshwater hot springs. These alternative hypotheses are relevant to the fossil record of early life on Earth, and can be factored into the search for life elsewhere in the Solar System. This review summarizes the evidence supporting and challenging these hypotheses, and considers their implications for the search for life on various habitable worlds. It will discuss the relative probability that life could have emerged in environments on early Mars, on the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and also the degree to which prebiotic chemistry could have advanced on Titan. These environments will be compared to ancient and modern terrestrial analogs to assess their habitability and biopreservation potential. Origins of life approaches can guide the biosignature detection strategies of the next generation of planetary science missions, which could in turn advance one or both of the leading alternative abiogenesis hypotheses.

Radionuclide-induced defect sites in iron-bearing minerals may have accelerated the emergence of life

The emergence of life on Earth (and elsewhere) must have occurred in a milieu that is far from equilibrium, such as at alkaline hydrothermal vents that would have harboured built-in gradients in temperature, redox potential and pH along with precipitated iron-bearing minerals capable of separating these gradients, concentrating reactants and catalysing requisite protobiotic reactions. Iron-bearing minerals such as mackinawite, greenalite and fougèrite have been investigated as catalysts for protobiotic reactions, including amino acid synthesis. In the field of heterogeneous catalysis, it is well known that defect sites in the crystal structure are often the most active sites for catalysis, and mineral catalysts that have been exposed to ionizing radiation are known to exhibit increased reactivity due to radiation-induced defect sites. In this work, we (i) review the literature on the radioactive environment of the Hadean era, (ii) highlight the role of radionuclide ionizing radiation from 238U, 232Th and 40K in generating defect sites with high catalytic activity for the chemical evolution of organic molecules, and (iii) hypothesize that these processes accelerated the emergence of life.