Narrow Results

We review our argument on the nature of the so-called meteorite constraint on the possible time-dependence of the fine-structure constant, emphasizing that dating meteorites at the present time is different in principle from searching directly for the traces in the past, as in the Oklo phenomenon and the QSO absorption lines. In the related literature, we still find some arguments not necessarily consistent with this difference to be taken properly into account. It does not immediately follow that any model-dependent approaches are useless in practice, though we cannot help suspecting that dating meteorites is no match for the Oklo and the QSO in probing the time-variability of the fine-structure constant, at this moment. Some of the relevance to the QSO data particularly in terms of the scalar field will be discussed.

The theory of cometary panspermia is reviewed in relation to evidence from astronomy, biology and recent studies of meteorites. The spectroscopic signatures in interstellar material within our galaxy and in external galaxies that have been known for many years most plausibly represent evidence for the detritus of life existing on a cosmic scale. Such spectral features discovered in galaxies of high redshift points to life arising at a very early stage in the history of the Universe. Evidence of fossils of microscopic life forms in meteorites that have been discussed over several decades, and augmented recently with new data, reaffirms the case for cometary panspermia.

The Galileo Project is the first systematic scientific research program in the search for potential astro-archaeological artifacts or remnants of extraterrestrial technological civilizations (ETCs) or potentially active equipment near Earth. Taking a path not taken, it conceivably may pick some low-hanging fruit, and without asserting probabilities — make discoveries of ETC-related objects, which would have far-reaching implications for science and our worldview.

At present, several meteor monitoring networks have been established worldwide. However, in China, the research on fireball monitoring is still unsystematic, and the monitoring network is in its initial stage. Jiangsu Regional All-sky Fireball Network (JRAFN), covering the entire region of Jiangsu Province and surrounding areas, consists of 10 stations with the baseline being 50∼110km. The video camera used is QHY5III485C with a 2.5mm/f1.6 fisheye lens to achieve a local all-sky field of view, detecting limiting magnitude -1 for meteors, and +3 for stellar, at 20 frames per second. All observation data are uploaded to the central server at the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO). Since September 2021, hundreds of meteors and several fireball events were recorded, including a super-bright fireball that occurred in Henan Province. The main purpose of this monitoring network is to perform long-term meteor and fireball surveillance, and to obtain the radiation, flux and size distribution of fireballs. We also aim to determine the fall point of the meteorites and recover them by calculating the trajectories and orbits of the fireballs, from single-station system extended to a future nationwide fireball monitoring network of China.

For the Moqoit of the Argentine Chaco, the cosmos is modeled by the human and non-human societies that inhabit it. That is why the link with the sky is conceived as the establishment of relationships with the entities of this region. These relationships are part of a complex network of inter-ethnic links with various human and non-human groups from different areas of the cosmos. In this work, we intend to explore in this key the links of some Moqoit communities with a powerful celestial woman in their connections with water, the meteorites of Campo del Cielo, the world tree, the serpent, the criollos, and Christianity. We seek to show how the Moqoit sky makes much deeper sense when it is considered in the general frame of their cosmo-politics.

For resolving the ongoing debate that the Earth's climate may respond to solar activity variations, it is necessary to reconstruct a high resolution time series of heliospheric magnetic field in the past and correlate it to climatic records. The solar magnetic activity modulates the galactic cosmic ray flux, which is responsible for producing radioactive nuclides in rocks on planetary surfaces and in meteorites. To measure the minute quantity of γ emitting cosmogenic radionuclides, we have set up a low background, highly specific and selective γ-ray spectrometer. Using this spectrometer, we have reconstructed the solar activity over the past 3 centuries by measuring ⁴⁴Ti and ²⁶Al in meteorite falls; in particular we have shown that the intensity of cosmic rays has linearly decreased, in agreement with some models proposed for the past solar activity. In order to improve the Ge-NaI coincidence spectrometer, crucial for selective ⁴⁴Ti detection, we have developed a multiparametric acquisition system. The flexibility of optimizing appropriate energy channels allows more reliable measurement of the small activity present in meteorites.

The theory of cometary panspermia is reviewed in relation to evidence from astronomy, biology, and recent studies of meteorites. The spectroscopic signatures in interstellar material within our galaxy and in external galaxies that have been known for many years most plausibly represent evidence for the detritus of life existing on a cosmic scale. Such spectral features discovered in galaxies of high redshift points to life arising at a very early stage in the history of the Universe. Evidence of fossils of microscopic life forms in meteorites that have been discussed over several decades, and augmented recently with new data, reaffirms the case for cometary panspermia.

Panspermia theories require the transport of micro-organisms in a viable form from one astronomical location to another. The evidence of material ejection from planetary surfaces, of dynamical orbit evolution and of potential survival on landing is setting a firm basis for interplanetary panspermia. Pathways for interstellar panspermia are less clear. We compare the direct route, whereby life-bearing planetary ejecta exit the solar system and risk radiation hazards en route to nearby stellar systems, and an indirect route whereby ejecta hitch a ride within the shielded environment of comets of the Edgeworth- Kuiper Belt that are subsequently expelled from the solar system. We identify solutions to the delivery problem. Delivery to fully-fledged planetary systems of either the direct ejecta or the ejecta borne by comets depends on dynamical capture and is of very low efficiency. However, delivery into a proto-planetary disc of an early solar-type nebula and into pre-stellar molecular clouds is effective, because the solid grains efficiently sputter the incoming material in hypervelocity collisions. The total mass of terrestrial fertile material delivered to nearby pre-stellar systems as the solar system moves through the galaxy is from kilogrammes up to a tonne. Subject to further study of bio-viability under irradiation and fragmenting collisions, a few kg of original grains and sputtered fragments could be sufficient to seed the planetary system with a wide range of solar system micro-organisms.

It is nearly 30 years since the first decisive evidence of microbial morphologies in carbonaceous chondrites was discovered and reported by Hans Dieter Pflug. In addition to morphology other data, notably laser mass spectroscopy, served to confirm the identification of such structures as putative bacterial fossils. Recent examinations of cometary dust collected in the stratosphere and further studies of carbonaceous meteorites reaffirm the presence of putative microbial fossils. Since carbonaceous chondrites (particularly Type 1 chondrites) are thought to be extinct comets the data reviewed in this article provide strong support for theories of cometary panspermia.

We report on the physical, chemical and mineral properties of a series of stone fragments recovered from the North Central Province of Sri Lanka following a witnessed fireball event on 29 December 2012. The stones exhibit highly porous poikilitic textures comprising of isotropic silica-rich/plagioclase-like hosts. Inclusions range in size and shape from mm-sized to smaller subangular grains frequently more fractured than the surrounding host and include ilmenite, olivine (fayalitic), quartz and accessory zircon. Bulk mineral compositions include accessory cristobalite, hercynite, anorthite, wuestite, albite, anorthoclase and the high pressure olivine polymorph wadsleyite, suggesting previous endurance of a shock pressure of ~20GPa. Further evidence of shock is confirmed by theconversion of all plagioclase to maskelynite. Here the infrared absorption spectra in the region 580 cm⁻¹ to 380 cm⁻¹ due to the Si-O-Si or Si-O-Al absorption band shows a partial shift in the peak at 380 cm⁻¹ towards 480 cm⁻¹ indicating an intermediate position between crystalline and amorphous phase. Host matrix chemical compositions vary between samples, but all are rich in SiO₂. Silica-rich melts display a heterogeneous K-enrichment comparable to that reported in a range of nonterrestrial material from rare iron meteorites to LL chondritic breccias and Lunar granites. Bulk chemical compositions of plagioclase-like samples are comparable to reported data e.g. Miller Ranger 05035 (Lunar), while Si-rich samples accord well with mafic and felsic glasses reported in NWA 1664 (Howardite)as well asdata for fusion crust present in a variety of meteoritic samples.Triple oxygen isotope results show Δ¹⁷O = .0.335 with δ¹⁸O (‰ rel. SMOW) values of 17.816 ± 0.100 and compare well with those of known CI chondrites and are within the range of CI-like (Meta-C) chondrites. Rare earth elemental abundances show a profound Europium anomaly of between 0.7 and 0.9 ppm while CI normalized REE patterns accord well with those of high potassium and high aluminium glasses found in lunar and 4 Vesta samples. Two-element discrimination maps of FeO vs SiO₂, FeO vs TiO₂, FeO vs Al₂O₃ and FeO vs Na₂O similarly match those of impact glasses present in lunar samples and remain within relatively close proximity of the KREEP component. Iridium levels of between 1–7ppm, approximately 10⁴ times that of terrestrial crustal rocks, were detected in all samples.

Refractory interstellar grains acquire tarry polymeric coatings in dense protostellar molecular clouds. Collisions between polymer-coated grains lead to the formation of micron sized grain clumps that are subsequently expelled into the diffuse interstellar medium. Such grains could contain the building blocks of life such as amino acids in their interiors protected from dissociative ultraviolet radiation.