Coverage: All lectures; textbook Chapters 1-13 excluding Sec. 2.4, 12.4, 13.1, 13.

4 Week1: Cosmic Origins; [Ch. 1+2] Factors contributing to emergence of Astrobiology as a discipline

Contributions of various fields to Astrobiology

Why biology may be common in the universe

Geocentric v Heliocentric models of our Solar System

Kepler's Laws

Science v non-science (case of Martian canals)

Week2: Universe, Solar System, Planets; [Ch. 3] Origin of the universe (evidence)

Cosmic calendar

Nebular theory and galaxy formation and composition

Solar system features contributing to Habitability

Differences between terrestrial and jovian planet formation and character

Origin and distribution of other bodies in our solar system

How stars shine and the death of stars

Expansion of Universe

Week3: Habitability of Earth; [Ch. 4] Formation and types of rock

Characteristics of Earth contributing to habitability (volcanism, plate tectonics, B-field)

The Age of Earth and meteorites through radiometric dating

Geologic Eons and character of Earth (Fig 4.10)

Earth's interior composition

Origin/source of the oceans and atmosphere

Role of tectonics in recycling elements, shaping continents

Earth's magnetic field

Atmosphere layers, greenhouse affect, & climate regulation via the carbonate-silicate cycle.

Formation of Moon and its cratering record

Oldest rocks and earliest signs of Life

Week4: Nature of Life on Earth; [Ch. 5] Conserved characteristics and building blocks of all life (elements and molecules)

Properties of Life

Evolution, fitness and natural selection

Metabolic categories

Biological molecules (nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids)

Genetic code, DNA, RNA, base pairing, protein, amino acids

Role of mutation and sex in evolution

Extremophiles

Last common ancestor

Taxonomy and Phylogenetic Trees

Week5: Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth; [Ch. 6] Spontaneous generation

Origin of life scenarios (location, carbon and energy source)

Oparin-Haldane hypothesis; Urey/Miller experiment

First replicating molecule

Origin of cells, scenarios

Viruses

Panspermia

Earliest life on Earth and evidence for such

Major mass extinctions; likely causes

History of oxygen on Earth

Prokaryotes, Eukaryotes, endosymbiosis

Hominid diversification

Week6: Life in the Solar System; [Ch. 7,9] Life's environmental requirements

Potential for life on asteroids (Ceres, etc.)

Difficulties for life on Gas and Ice Giants

Moons: Ganymede, Callisto, Io, Encelladus, Triton

Europa's liquid ocean (Galileo spacecraft), evidence

Tides, tidal heating

Titan's atmosphere and hydrological cycle (Cassini/Huygens); weird life

Chemical Equilibrium/Disequilibrium; reduction, oxidation

Week7: Mars: Past, Present and the Search for Life; [Ch. 8] History of characterization efforts

Differences between Mars and Earth

Martian eras

Loss of atmosphere; cause, effect

Evidence for presence of water on Mars, distant and recent past

Seasonal variation

Missions through past several decades

Atacama desert

Viking experiments; perchlorate

ALH84001

Week8: Habitable Zone (HZ), Extrasolar Planet Detection; [Ch. 10] Star types (size, brightness, longevity); Hertzsprung-Russel (HR) diagram

HZ evolution; inner edge, outer edge

Venus' atmosphere

Runaway greenhouse, moist greenhouse

Kepler Mission findings

Alternative conditions that would provide habitability, outside the traditionally defined HZ

Extrasolar planet detection methods: Astrometry, Stellar Doppler Shift, Transiting Planets,

Gravitational Lensing

Exoplanet properties: size, eccentricity, etc.

Week 9: Biosignatures, Rare Earth, Drake Equation; [Ch. 11, 12] Spectroscopy and atmospheric composition

Atmospheric signatures of life, temperature

Why life may be common in the Universe

Characters of Earth that make it [potentially] uniquely habitable

Gaia hypothesis

Know the variables of the Drake Equation, and the relative degree to which each is known

Convergent Evolution, Encephalization Quotient

SETI and categories of signals

Week10: SETI and Bio-, Techno- Signatures; Terms and Concepts: [Ch. 13] Pioneer Plaque, Voyager Record

Fermi paradox and solutions

Assumption of mediocrity

Arecibo and Allen telescope array

Directed radio signals vs leakage

Jupiter-size planet eccentricity and water on terrestrial planets

Disc-integrated data

EPOXI mission, observing Earth as extrasolar planet

Surface liquid determined by 'glint'

Anti-biosignatures