Sunday, July 3, 2011

Sulfur Gas Mark The Alien



 
NASA Planet wanderers in a fictional illustration of NASA
 

Sulfur or sulfur gas molecules could be a marker of the existence of aliens or at least microbial life. Thus disclosed Renyu Hu, students doktral planetary science at MIT, the American Astronomical Society Meeting in Boston, May 26, 2011 last. The opinion is based on the fact that there is a sulfur-based life on Earth.

Known, many microbes use sulfur compounds to produce energy, just like the way humans generate energy with the aid of oxygen. Hu made the simulation in order to convince people in his opinion. He made a model of the planet in the habitable zone in the Sun-like star system. The planet was rich in nitrogen like Earth but the sulfur content of 1000 times larger than Earth.

According to Hu, sulfur-based life in the planet's surface removing residual hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S). "Hydrogen Sulfide from the surface have a huge impact on the atmospheric composition of a planet," said Hu was quoted as saying Physorg, Thursday (06/30/2011).

If a planet's atmosphere has a high H2S levels, could be a planet has life. H2S is difficult to detect by astronomers, but the excess H2S resulted in many sulfur aerosols that can be detected with infrared or visible light.

Although Hu's opinion makes sense, but the fact remains that until now have not found the extra solar planets (in the outer solar system) are inhabited on a star system similar to the Sun. Thus, Hu's opinion still needs to be studied.

Hu himself warned that the sulfur is not necessarily a sign of life. It could be the sulfur is a result of volcanic activity on a particular planet. "We still have to thoroughly examine this assumption," said Hu.

According to Hu, H2S is also not the only gas that could be a sign of life. "We want to see as much as possible the existing gas in Earth's atmosphere and assess whether the gas could be a marker of life," Hu explained. Hu do the experiment this time with his partner, Sara Seager and William Baines.

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