Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-5xszh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T00:44:38.641Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Oceanic hypervelocity impact events: a viable mechanism for successful panspermia?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 October 2006

D.J. Milner
Affiliation:
Centre of Astrophysics and Planetary Science, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NH, UK e-mail: djm26@kent.ac.uk
M.J. Burchell
Affiliation:
Centre of Astrophysics and Planetary Science, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NH, UK e-mail: djm26@kent.ac.uk
J.A. Creighton
Affiliation:
Centre of Astrophysics and Planetary Science, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NH, UK e-mail: djm26@kent.ac.uk
J. Parnell
Affiliation:
Geosciences School, Geology and Petroleum Geology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK

Abstract

The idea that life migrates naturally between planetary bodies has grown in strength in recent years. This idea (panspermia) is believed to be possible via the mechanism of impact events. Previous research on this topic has concentrated on small meteoroids (micrometres to centimetres in diameter), with giant objects (metres to kilometres in diameter) being relatively ignored. This is due to the common belief that the larger objects vaporize on impact with the Earth's surface, which in most studies is taken as rock. Here we examine experimentally whether hypervelocity impacts into water result in significant survival of the impactors. For this study the University of Kent's two-stage light gas gun was used to accelerate millimetre-sized shale projectiles obliquely into a relatively deep water layer, at approximately 5 km s−1. Two shots have been made with surviving fragments being recovered from each. The surviving fragments appear highly shocked and display clear signs of cracking. The fragments that have been isolated contribute to a significant percentage (~10%) of the original unfired projectile mass and are as large as ~20% of the original projectile diameter. This indicates that oceanic hypervelocity impact events of large asteroids may deliver significant volumes of solid material to the Earth and thus provide a possible mechanism for successful panspermia.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2006 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)