Experimental study of the survival of endolithic microorganisms during impact and ejection of Martian meteorites: First phase of the transfer of life between Mars and Earth

• Applicants: Dr. Elke Rabbow; Professor Dr. Dieter Stöffler (†)
• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: from 2003 to 2007
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5418158

It is the aim of the proposed project to provide experimental data to the discussion of "lithopanspermia", i.e. the viable transport of microorganisms between the terrestrial planets by means of meteorites. In this scenario, the microorganisms have to cope with three major steps: (i) escape from the planet by impact ejection, (ii) journey through space over extended time periods, and (iii) landing on another planet. Whereas step two of the scenario has been studied in depth in space experiments, there are only limited data on the survivability of microorganisms of the first step, i.e. impact ejection. In shock recovery experiments with an explosive set-up, resistant microbial test systems... will be systematically subjected to a series of shock pressures (10-45 GPa) which are in the range indicated by the Martian meteorites and which can be assumed to hold also for "Earth" meteorites. After recovery, the actual shock pressure will be determined by refractive index measurements of the shocked mineral and host rock' or mineral components quartz ad plagioclase for which accurate calibration data are available. The vitality of the biological systems will be quantified and the kind and degree of damage will be identified.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1115: Mars and the Terrestrial Planets