Syllabus, office hours after class
(Monday & Wednesday 11-12, & by appointment)
Links:
NASA Astrobio. Inst.,
Astrobio. Mag.,
Astrobio.,
Int. J. Astrobio.
Orig. Life. Evol. Biosph..
Finding papers:
Web of Science,
Google Scholar,
ADS.
Week 1
Monday, Aug 28: Introduction to astrobiology
Lecture 1
[pdf] (The four cornerstones of Astrobiology)
Homework 1.
Wednesday, Aug 30: Definitions of life
Lecture 2
[pdf] (why carbon & water),
Friday, Sep 1: Darwinian evolution
Lecture 3
[pdf] (building blocks of life, RGS.3-8)
Week 2
Wednesday, Sep 6: Studying the origin of life
Lecture 4
[pdf] (nucleic acids, DNA, genetic material, RGS.8-12)
Homework 2.
Friday, Sep 8: Studying the origin of life
Lecture 5
[pdf] (effect of mutations, BS.181-183)
Model solution for Homework 1.
Week 3
Monday, Sep 11: Delivery of building blocks
Lecture 6
[pdf] (biomarkers, Earth from space, RGS.13-15)
Wednesday, Sep 13:
Lecture 7
[pdf] (Carbon in the Universe, Miller/Urey, Murchison, RGS.16-21)
Friday, Sep 15:
Lecture 8
[pdf] (Murchison, biomolecules, Delivery by comets, panspermia).
Model solution for Homework 2.
Week 4
Monday, Sep 18: From chemistry to biology
Lecture 9
[pdf] (Metabolism first vs replication first, chemotrophs).
Wednesday, Sep 20: Quiz #1
Quiz1.
Homework 3.
Friday, Sep 22:
Lecture 10
[pdf] (RNA world, LUCA, top-down approach)
Model solution for Quiz1.
Week 5
Monday, Sep 25: Origin of life on Earth
Lecture 11
[pdf] (habitability, habitable zones, planetary temperatures).
Wednesday, Sep 27:
Lecture 12
[pdf] (planetary temperatures, CO2 cycle)
Homework 4.
Friday, Sep 29:
Lecture 13
[pdf] (plate tectonics, BIFs),
Model solution for Homework 3.
Week 6
Monday, Oct 2: Evidence for early life on Earth
Lecture 14
[pdf] (GOE, Faint Sun Paradox, Snowball Earth)
Wednesday, Oct 4:
Lecture 15
[pdf] (early fossils, Cambrian explosion)
Friday, Oct 6:
Lecture 16
[pdf] (Carbon-13 record, Origin of life near hydrothermal vents)
Sample Midterm
(model solutions)
Week 7
Monday, Oct 9: Life under extreme conditions
Lecture 17
[pdf] (Life on the edge; Extremophiles)
Model solution for Homework 4.
Wednesday, Oct 11: Visit to Fiske Planetarium (compulsory!)
Lecture 18
[pdf] (Stars & planets, interplanetary travel, cryocoolcanism)
Friday, Oct 13: midterm exam
Midterm
(model solutions)
Week 8
Monday, Oct 16: Mars
Lecture 19
[pdf]
(Early exporation, canali, & why no liquid water on Mars)
Wednesday, Oct 18:
Lecture 20
[pdf]
(Viking experiment's search for life on Mars),
Homework 5.
Friday, Oct 20:
Lecture 21
[pdf]
(Water on Mars, detection, eons)
Week 9
Monday, Oct 23: Mars (cont'd)
Lecture 22
[pdf]
(Martian atmosphere & escape)
Wednesday, Oct 25:
Lecture 23
[pdf]
(The ALH84001 meteorites, methane, & planetary protection)
Friday, Oct 27: Venus and its astrobiological relevance
Lecture 24
[pdf]
(Planetary protection, life on Venus, Lake Vostok as analog for Europa)
Homework 6.
Week 10
Monday, Oct 30: Satellites of Jupiter
Lecture 25
[pdf]
(Jovian planets, Europa)
Model solution for Homework 5.
Model solution for Homework 6.
Wednesday, Nov 1:
Lecture 26
[pdf]
(Liquid ocean of Europa & life in Lake Vostok)
Friday, Nov 3: Satellites of Saturn
Lecture 27
[pdf]
(Titan and its methane cycle)
Week 11
Monday, Nov 6: Satellites of Saturn
Lecture 28
[pdf]
(Titan's haze and strange volcanoes),
Sample Quiz2
(model solutions)
Wednesday, Nov 8: Outer solar system's bodies
Lecture 29
[pdf]
(More on Enceladus & Europa, Life in & from Comets, Pluto)
Friday, Nov 10: Detection of Exoplanets
Lecture 30
[pdf]
(Exoplanets & their discovery)
Week 12
Monday, Nov 13: Visit to Fiske Planetarium (compulsory!)
Lecture 31
[pdf]
(Venus & Jupiter conjuction this morning, Kepler & the transit method)
Wednesday, Nov 15: Quiz #2
Lecture 32
[pdf]
Quiz2
(Solutions)
Friday, Nov 17:
Guest lecture by Carol Cleland (Professor of Philosophy):
Searching for extraterrestrial life without a definition of life
Week 13
Monday, Nov 27:
Searching for Life on Exoplanets
Lecture 33
[pdf]
(Properties of exoplanets),
Wednesday, Nov 29: How to find biospheres on exoplanets?
Lecture 34
[pdf]
Homework 7.
(Biosignatures)
Friday, Dec 1:
Discovery of exoplanetary systems.
Lecture 35
[pdf]
Exoplanet diversity.
Week 14
Monday, Dec 4:
Lecture 36
[pdf]
Investigating Exoplanets from Earth and space
Wednesday, Dec 6: life around M dwarfs
Lecture 37
[pdf]
(planet density, radiation, tidal locking, starshot),
Friday, Dec 8:
Extraterrestrial Intelligence as a Science, the Arecibo message.
Lecture 38
[pdf]
(Starshot, SETI),
Week 15
Monday, Dec 11: Visiting extraterrestrials. Applications of astrobiology.
Lecture 39
[pdf]
Model solution for Homework 7,
Sample Final.
Fermi paradox: where is everybody? Artificial life.
Wednesday, Dec 13:
Lecture 40
[pdf]
Sample Final (Model Solutions).
(review material)
Saturday, Dec 16, 4:30-7:00 Final exam
Final.
Final (Model Solutions).
extra material (temporary)
Axel Brandenburg
$Date: 2017/12/22 11:17:53 $, $Author: brandenb $, $Revision: 1.70 $