Table of Contents
1 Cover
5 Part I PHILOSOPHICAL ASPECTS OF PANSPERMIA 1 “On the Origin of Life” 2 Why We Should Take Interstellar Panspermia Seriously 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The Case for Interstellar Panspermia 2.3 Theoretical Consequences of Interstellar Panspermia 2.4 Conclusions References 3 The Extended Continuity Thesis, Chronocentrism, and Directed Panspermia 3.1 Introduction: The Continuity as a Pre-Requisite for Scientific Grounding of Astrobiology 3.2 Versions and Resistance 3.3 Cultural Evolution and Directed Panspermia 3.4 Conclusion and Prospects Acknowledgements References 4 Life in the Milky Way: The Panspermia Prospects 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Three Levels of Habitability and Panspermia 4.3 Conclusions Acknowledgements References
6 Part II MICROORGANISMS AND PANSPERMIA 5 Planetary Protection: Too Late 5.1 Introduction 5.2 What is Planetary Protection 5.3 Extent of Earth Biosphere 5.4 Extension to Other Planetary Bodies 5.5 Backward Contamination 5.6 Interplanetary Exchange 5.7 Habitable Conditions for Interplanetary Micronauts 5.8 Conclusion Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Acknowledgments References 6 Microbial Survival and Adaptation in Extreme Terrestrial Environments— The Case of the Dallol Geothermal Area in Ethiopia 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Planetary Field Analog: The Case of the Dallol Geothermal Area 6.3 Life in Extreme Environments 6.4 Conclusion and Remarks on Panspermia Acknowledgements References 7 Escape From Planet Earth: From Directed Panspermia to Terraformation Acknowledgements References
7 Part III FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF PLANETS: MATERIAL EXCHANGE PROSPECTS 8 Catalyzed Lithopanspermia Through Disk Capture of Biologically Active Interstellar Material 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Capture of Interstellar Planetesimals 8.3 Catalyzed Lithopanspermia 8.4 Conclusion and Discussion Acknowledgements References 9 Lithopanspermia at the Center of Spiral Galaxies 9.1 Introduction 9.2 The Kepler Transit Survey and the Distribution of Living Worlds 9.3 XUV Hydrodynamic Escape and the Formation of Habitable Evaporated Cores 9.4 Frequency of Exchange in High Stellar Densities 9.5 Detecting Panspermia 9.6 Concluding Remarks References 10 Wet Panspermia 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Earth and Its Isotopic World: Geological and Environmental Implications 10.3 Quest for the Primordial Water Worlds