Advances in Astrophysics

Download PDF (350.2 KB) PP. 121 - 127 Pub. Date: August 1, 2019

DOI: 10.22606/adap.2019.43005

• N.C. Wickramasinghe^*
  Buckingham Centre for Astrobiology, University of Buckingham, Buckingham MK18 1EG, UK; Centre for Astrobiology, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka; Institute for the Study of Panspermia and Astrobiology, Gifu, Japan
• D.T. Wickramasinghe
  Institute for the Study of Panspermia and Astrobiology, Gifu, Japan; College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
• E.J. Steele
  Centre for Astrobiology, University of Ruhuna, Matara, Sri Lanka; CY O'Connor ERADE Village Foundation, Piara Waters, WA, Australia

We examine a range of arguments relating to the existence of extraterrestrial life and the possible distribution of intelligent life in the galaxy. It has recently been reported that the object (Ouamuamua (A/2017U1)) that transited the solar system in a hyperbolic orbit exhibits certain features that cannot be readily explained on the basis of it being a naturally-occurring comet or asteroid. The interesting conjecture by Bialy and Loeb that Ouamuamua (A/2017U1) could be an artificial construct of an alien civilization is re-examined. The possibility that Ouamuamua may be a dark cometary body, in which unobserved gaseous emissions may have led to departures from a Keplerian orbit, remains a more conservative alternative possibility. We discuss the implications of the discovery of light sails or similar artifacts, as proposed by Bialy and Loeb, in relation to the validity of galaxy-wide panspermia and the prevalence of life throughout the universe.

Exobiology, panspermia, comets, extraterrestrial intelligence, SETI

[1] Adibekyan, V. et al., 2018, Astron&Astrophys, 619, Nov 2018 (DOI:10.1051/0004-6361/201834285)

[2] Anglada-Escude, G. Et al, 2016, Nature, 536, 437

[3] Bell, E.A., et al, 2015, Proc.Nat.Acad.Sci.USA, 112, 14518-14521

[4] Bialy, S. and Loeb, A., 2018, ApJ Lett., 868(1), L1

[5] Clarke, A.C., 1973. Rendesvouz with Rama, Bantam Books

[6] Crick, F. H. C., and Orgel, L. 1973, Icarus, 19, 341

[7] Deamer, 2016, First life, Univ.Calif.Press

[8] Gibson, C., Schild, R.E., Wickramasinghe, N.C., 2011. Int J. Astrobiol., 10(2), 81

[9] Ginsburg, I., Lingam, M., and Loeb, A. 2018, Astrophys. J. Lett., 868:L12

[10] Ginsburg, I., Lingam, M., and Butler, M. 2019, Advances in Astrophysics, 4(3), 83; https://dx.doi.org/10.22606/adap.2019.43001 83

[11] Hoyle, F. and Wickramasinghe, N. C. 1978, Lifecloud: The origin of life in the galaxy, Dent, London

[12] Hoyle, F. and Wickramasinghe, N. C. 1981, in Comets and the Origin of Life, ed. C. Ponnamperuma, Reidel, Dordrecht

[13] Hoyle, F. and Wickramasinghe, N. C. 1982, Evolution from Space, Dent, London

[14] Hoyle, F. and Wickramasinghe, N.C., 2000, Astronomical Origins of Life (Kluwer Academic Publ)

[15] Joseph, R. and Schild, R., 2010, J. Cosmol., 5:1040-1090

[16] Lin, H.W. and Loeb, A., 2015, Ap.J.Lett, 810, L3

[17] Lingam, M. and Loeb, A., 2018, Astron. J., 156(5):193

[18] Loeb, A., 2014, Int. J. Astrobiol., 13(4):337-339

[19] Micheli, M. et al, 2018, Nature, 559, 223

[20] Napier, W.M., Wickramasinghe, J.T., Wickramasinghe, N.C., 2004, Mon.Not.R.A.S., 355, 191

[21] Shchekinov, Y. A., Safonova, M., and Murthy, J., 2013, Astrophys. Space Sci., 346(1):31-40

[22] Steele, E.J. et al, 2018, Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 136 (2018) 3e23

[23] Wallis, M.K. and Wickramasinghe, N.C., 1985, Mon.Not.R.A.S., 216, 453

[24] Wallis, M.K. and Wickramasinghe, N.C., 1995, Earth Planet.Sci.Lett., 130, 69-73

[25] Wallis, M.K. and Wickramasinghe, N.C., 2004, Mon.Not.R.A.S., 348, 52-61

[26] Wickramasinghe, N.C. et al, 2018a, Advances in Astrophysics, 3 (1)

[27] Wickramasinghe, N.C. et al, 2018b, Advances in Astrophysics, 3 (2)

[28] Wickramasinghe, N.C., 1973, Light Scattering by Small Particles with Applications in Astronomy (Wiley, NY)

[29] Wickramasinghe, N.C., Wickramasinghe, D.T., Steele, E.J., 2018, Astrophys.Sp.Sci., 363, 244

[30] Wickramasinghe, N. C., Wallis, J., Wallis, D. H., Schild, R. E., Gibson, C.H., 2010, Evolution of primordial planets in relation to the cosmological origin of life. Proc. SPIE, 7819, 78190D

[31] Wickramasinghe, N. C., Wallis, J., Wallis, D. H., Schild, R. E., Gibson, C.H., 2012, Astrophys. Space Sci., 341(2), 295