NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI)

University of Hawaii

Executive Summary

Project Reports

HANDBOOK OF STAR FORMING REGIONS

A Rare low mass quadruple spectroscopic AND eclipsing binary

A search for Main Belt Comets in Pan-STARRS 1

A search for primordial water from deep in the Earth's mantle

A search for primordial water from deep in the Earthâs mantle

A spectroscopically unique Main Belt asteroid: 10537 (1991 RY16)

A Supertree Analysis of the Metazoan Phylogeny

Acquisition and Installation of a new Cameca ims 1280 ion microprobe

Acquisition and Installation of Witec Confocal Raman microscope scanning system

Amorphization of Crystalline Water Ice in the Solar System

Assessing the likelihood of supernova impact of protoplanetary disks

Carbonate Lithologies on Devon Island, Canada

Chemistry and biology of ultramafic-hosted alkaline springs

Chemistry of the NH3/H2O system

DIVERSITY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF THE UNIQUE TROPICAL PHYLUM PLACOZOA

Dynamical Evolution of Astroid Belt and the Parent Bodies of Iron Meteorites

Ecology of a Hawaiian lava cave microbial mat

FMARS Long Duration Mission: a simulation of manned Mars exploration in an analogue environment, Devon Island, Canada

Formation and Detection of Hot-Earth Objects in Systems with Close-in Jupiters

Formation and the Prospects of the Detection of Habitable Planets in Extreme Planetary Systems

Formation of Molecular Hydrogen via Interaction of Ionizing Radiation with Hydrocarbon Ices in the Interstellar Medium

Formation of Planetesimals in a Dynamically Evolving Nebula

FU ORIONIS ERUPTIONS

Ice Ages on Mars

Ice at the Mars Phoenix Landing Site

Ice on Main Belt Comets

Icelandic subglacial lakes

Mechanisms of Marine Microbial Community Structuring

Mechanistical Studies on the Non-Equilibrium Chemistry of Unusual Carbon Oxide in Solar System Ices

Modeling grain surface reaction pathways for large organic molecules

Molecular Deuteration on grain surfaces

NEWBORN BINARIES

Observations and Models of comet 17P/Holmes

Origin and Activation Mechanism of Main Belt Comets

Origin of Irregular Satellites

Recovery of comet 85P/Boethin for the Deep Impact Extended Mission

Sediment-buried basement deep biosphere

Serpentinazation and abiogenic methane in the Mariana Forearc

Sleeping through the Arctic Martian Sol

Spectropolarimetric studies of stars with hot jupiters

TES study of intracrater low albedo deposits, Amazonis Planitia, Mars

The delivery of short-lived radionucleides to the solar system

The effect of lunar-like satellites on the orbital infrared lightcurves of Earth-analog planets

The Main Belt distribution of basaltic asteroids

The Size Distribution of Small KBOs

THE VYSOS PROJECT

Ultra-violet processing of ices in the Rosette Nebula

Unveiling the evolution and interplay of ice and gas in quiescent clouds

Variable Young Stellar Objects Survey (VYSOS)

Water on Mars

X-ray- and UV-bright low-mass stars in the solar neighborhood

EPO Reports

Project Reports

Organized by Astrobiology Roadmap Objective

Goal 1: Understand the nature and distribution of habitable environments in the Universe

• Objective 1.1: Models of formation and evolution of habitable planets (12 reports)
• Objective 1.2: Indirect and direct astronomical observations of extrasolar habitable planets (8 reports)

Goal 2: Explore for past or present habitable environments, prebiotic chemistry and signs of life elsewhere in our Solar System

• Objective 2.1: Mars exploration (8 reports)
• Objective 2.2: Outer Solar System exploration (10 reports)

Goal 3: Understand how life originates from cosmic and planetary precursors

• Objective 3.1: Sources of prebiotic materials and catalysts (6 reports)
• Objective 3.3: Origins of energy transduction (1 reports)

Goal 4: Understand how past life on Earth interacted with its changing planetary and Solar System environment

• Objective 4.1: Earth's early biosphere (4 reports)
• Objective 4.2: Foundations of complex life (2 reports)
• Objective 4.3: Effects of extraterrestrial events upon the biosphere (3 reports)

Goal 5: Understand the evolutionary mechanisms and environmental limits of life

• Objective 5.1: Environment-dependent, molecular evolution in microorganisms (4 reports)
• Objective 5.2: Co-evolution of microbial communities (3 reports)
• Objective 5.3: Biochemical adaptation to extreme environments (5 reports)

Goal 6: Understand the principles that will shape the future of life, both on Earth and beyond

• Objective 6.1: Environmental changes and the cycling of elements by the biota, communities, and ecosystems (3 reports)
• Objective 6.2: Adaptation and evolution of life beyond Earth (2 reports)

Goal 7: Determine how to recognize signatures of life on other worlds and on early Earth

• Objective 7.2: Biosignatures to be sought in nearby planetary systems (1 reports)