AST106: Cosmic Origins of Life

NASA/ARC

AST 106
The Cosmic Origins of Life
Summer 2011

Instructor: Laura Arnold
Office: B&L 477
Phone: 275-8556 (x5-8556)
laa@pas.rochester.edu

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 9:00-11:15am (B&L 269)

Recitation: Tuesdays 12:30-2:00pm (B&L 315) (B&L

Announcements:
Welcome! This is where you will find recent announcements and news pertaining to course material.

11 May 2011
Due to low enrollment, I encourage you not to purchase PRS transmitters until final enrollment is determined.
Feel free to contact me with any questions about the course at the e-mail above.
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/05/scienceshot-a-moon-on-fire.html?ref=hp
New!

Jupiter's moon, Io, found to have a magma ocean beneath its surface. Science (12 May 2011)

NASA's Kepler Spacecraft Discovers 6-planet System: Kepler-11 NASA ( 2 February 2011)

Course Content

Syllabus

WebWork

Presentation

Class Schedule

Click # for Slides	Date	Subject	Reading from Neal Evans's Extraterrestrial Life	Term from Drake Equation
Introduction to astrobiology: the scientific study of Genesis, and why now is a particularly exciting time for this study
1 Notes	16 May 2011	The frontiers: exoplanets and icy moons, and the Answer in advance.
2 Notes	17 May 2011	Dimensions of the Universe, the Galaxy and the Solar system: time and space enough for evolution.
3 Notes	18 May 2011	Life, the components of life, and the Drake equation.	pp. 1-6
A place to stand: cosmic evolution, the origin of the matter and bodies in the Universe
4 Notes	19 May 2011	Nuclear-chemical evolution of the Universe and the genesis of the chemical elements.	pp. 7-13
5 Notes	23 May 2011	Interstellar molecular clouds: the molecules of life as found in interstellar space	pp. 14-20	R_*
6 Notes	24 May 2011	The formation of stars and protoplanetary disks and their evolution	pp. 20-23	f_p
7 Notes	25 May 2011	Palentary evolution and habitability	pp. 24-34	f_p, n_e
8 Notes	26 May 2011	The successful search for extrasolar planets.	pp. 35-42	f_p
	27 May 2011	Exam #1, covering all subjects discussed to date.
Terrestrial evolution, from simple molecules to intelligent organisms
	30 May 2011	No Class - Memorial Day
9 Notes	31 May 2011	Chemical evolution and the molecular basis of life on Earth.	pp. 43-60
10 Notes	1 June 2011	The transition to carbon-based life.	pp. 61-66	f_ℓ
11 Notes	2 June 2011	Alternatives to carbon-based life. The prospects for life elsewhere in the Solar System: Venus and Mars	pp. 67-72
12 Notes	6 June 2011	The prospects for life elsewhere in the Solar system: Mars (continued), the moons of Jupiter and Saturn; the Kuiper Belt and the comets.	pp. 73-83
13 Notes	7 June 2011	Biological evolution: the origin of species.	pp. 84-100
14 Notes	8 June 2011	Biological evolution: the origin of species.	pp. 84-100
15 Notes	9 June 2011	The emergence of intelligence.	pp. 100-108	f_i
	10 June 2011	Exam #2, emphasizing subjects introduced since Exam #1, before 9 June.
The origin and fate of technological civilizations, and the numbers we might expect to find
16 Notes	13 June 2011	Cultural evolution: the origin and differentiation of Earth's civilizations, the development of technology, and the convergence on a global populace.	pp. 109-119	f_i,f_C
17 Notes	14 June 2011	Determinging f_C : Wanting to Communicate and nuances of communication		f_C
18 Notes	15 June 2011	Disasters, natural and otherwise, and the lifetimes of technological civilizations.	pp. 120-130	L
19 Notes	16 June 2011	The future of life in the Solar system.	pp. 131-134	L
he search for extraterrestrial intelligence
20 Notes	20 June 2011	Evaluation of the Drake equation.	pp. 135-139	r
21 Notes	21 June 2011	How to find intelligent extraterrestrials: SETI, space travel	pp. 140-164	r
22 Notes	22 June 2011	Have intelligent extraterrestrials found us first?	pp. 165-167
	23 June 2011	Exam #3, emphasizing subjects introduced since Exam #2.