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Modeling the Characteristics of Life on Titan

Modeling the Characteristics of Life on Titan. 03/31/09 Update By Heather Quante. http://www.saers.com/~craig/titan/Titan15s156w.jpg. Discussion with Mr. Wolfe. Three components to project

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Modeling the Characteristics of Life on Titan

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  1. Modeling the Characteristics of Life on Titan 03/31/09 Update By Heather Quante http://www.saers.com/~craig/titan/Titan15s156w.jpg

  2. Discussion with Mr. Wolfe • Three components to project • 1. polymerization of organic molecules on Titan. Possibilities studied in Earth water ice, modeling on Titan. • 2. Leap from molecules to life. Not even fully understood on Earth. • 3. Organisms surviving on Titan today. Has not been explored in light of recent data. This is our focus.

  3. Titan Data • Located surface data from instruments like HASI and GCMS from Huygens probe. • Could be used for a simple model, but eventually want to show how the environment cycles over time. Need Cassini data. • NASA’s database, which includes Cassini, is not organized in an accessible way. http://www.mps.mpg.de/images/projekte/cassini/disr/disr.jpg

  4. Solutions http://www.rssd.esa.int/index.php?project=PSA&page=huygensIndex • Emailing contacts about how they accessed Cassini data efficiently- this would provide surface data as it changes over time. • Several articles discuss the calculated parameters of Titan’s underground ocean- less precise data, but potentially more hospitable environment.

  5. The Model • Will have sliders for the various environmental conditions. For example, in the underground ocean it would at least include: • pressure (from 1 to 4.5kbar) • temperature (at least 235K) • pH (10.5 to 11.4). • Properties of organisms that survive in extreme conditions on Earth appropriated to model a hypothetical organism. This potential organism’s population, as it is affected by the environment, would be modeled.

  6. http://www.lbl.gov/Publications/Currents/Archive/view-assets/Apr-30-2004/nice-looking-G20.jpg Extremophile Data • Singaporeans found information on the tardigrade • Survives temperatures low as -200 degrees C, lack of oxygen • Cryptobiosis- survives extreme cold by drastically lowering metabolism, like hibernation • Alkaliphiles live in 10.5pH. Ex: Natronobacterium • Desulfovibrio- anaerobic, in hypersaline Arctic lakes • Methanogenic bacteria • Piezophiles- thrive in high pressure environments

  7. What next? • Email more possible contacts • Find specific data on these species of bacteria • Access Cassini data • Build model

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