Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Diatoms on Earth, Comets, Europa and in Interstellar Space

  • Published:
Astrophysics and Space Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There exists a close correspondence between the measured infrared properties of diatoms and the infrared spectrum of interstellar dust as observed in the Trapezium nebula and toward the galactic center source GC-IRS 7. Diatoms and bacteria also exhibit an absorbance peak near 2200 Å, which is found to agree with the observed ultraviolet absorbance properties of interstellar grains. We review the observational data and consider the known properties of diatoms and bacteria. It is suggested that these characteristics are consistent with the concept of acosmic microbiological system in which these or similar microorganisms might exist on comets, Europa and in interstellar space.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allen, D.A. and Wickramasinghe, D.T.: 1981, Nature 294, 239.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • A'Hearn, Michael F.: 1984, CŊ 32.

  • Blamont, J. and Sagdeev, R.Z.: 1984, Naturwissenschaften 71, 295.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Burkle, L.H.: 1978, Marine Diatoms, in: Bilal U. Haq and Anne Boersma (eds.), Introduction to Marine Micropaleontology, Elsevier, New York, pp. 245-66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bunt, J.S.: 1963, Nature 199, 1255.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Bunt, J.S. and Wood, E.F.: 1963, Nature 199, 1254.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Burkholder, P.R. and Mandelli, E.F.: 1965, Science 149, 872.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Claus, G., Nagy, B. and Europa, D.L.: 1963, Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 108, 592, 595.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coombs, J. and Volcani, B.E.: 1968, Planta (Berlin) 82, 280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cronin, J.R. and Moore, C.B.: 1975, Science 172, 1327.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Dobrovoisky, O.V. and Kajmakov, E.: 1977, Surface Phenomena in Simulated Comentary Nuclei, in: A.H. Delsemme (ed.), Comets, Asteroids, Meteorites. Interrelations, Evolution, and Origins, Univ. of Toledo, p. 39.

  • Dombrowski, H.: 1963, Annals New York Academy of Sciences 108 (pt. 2), 453.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Dweltz, H.E., Colvin, J.R. and McInnes, A.G.: 1967, Can. J. Chem. 46, 1513.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery, Richard M., Klopfer, Donald C. and Weimer, Walter C.: 1974, The Ecological Behavior of Plutonium and Americium in a Freshwater Ecosystem: Phase 1. Limnological Characterization and Isotopic Distribution, Report preparedfor the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission under Contract AT(45-1): 1830. BNWL-1867, p. 44.

  • Emery, Richard M., Klopfer, Donald C. and McShane, M. Colleen: 1980, The Migration of Plutonium from a Freshwater Ecosystem at Hanford, in: Wayne C. Hanson (ed.), Transuranic Elements in the Environment. Technical Information Center/U.S. Dept. of Energy. DOE/TIC-22800, p. 640.

  • Fechtig, Hugo and Rahe, Jurgen: 1984, Naturwissenschaften 71, 275.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Forti, A. and Schulz, P.: 1932, Beih. Bot. Cbl. 50, Abt. 2, 241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, E.B., Christenson, C.W., Jurwey, E.T. and Schafer, W.D.: 1960, Nucleonics 18, 102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grunow, A.: 1880, Botanisches Centralblatt, Bd. 4, Heft 47/48, 1506.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagen, C.A., Godfrey, J.F. and Green, R.H.: 1971, Space Life Sci. 3, 108.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hanna, G.D.: 1927, Occas. Papers Calif. Acad. Sci. 13, 5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heeky, R.E., Mopper, K., Kilham, P. and Degens, E.T.: 1973, Mar. Biol. 19, 323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hellburst, J.A. and Guillard, R.R.L.: 1967, J. Phycol. 3, 132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hellburst, J.A. and Lewin, J.: 1977, Heterotrophic Nutrition, in: D. Werner (ed.), The Biology of the Diatoms, Univ. of Calif. Press, pp. 169-197.

  • Hodgson, G.W. and Baker, B.L.: 1964, Nature 202, 125.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoover, R.B.: 1976, Types du Synopsis of British Diatomaceae, Royal Society of Zoology of Antwerp, Royal Albert I Library, pp. 1-106, Plate XI.

  • Hoover, R.B.: 1979, National Geographic Vol. 155,No. 6, June 1979, pp. 870-878.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoyle, F. and Wickramasinghe, N.C.: 1963, Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 126, 401.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyle, F. and Wickramasinghe, N.C.: 1977, Nature 268, 610.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyle, F. and Wickramasinghe, N.C.: 1979, Astrophys. Space Sci. 66, 77.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyle, F. and Wickramasinghe, N.C.: 1982, Proofs that Life is Cosmic, Memoirs of the Institute of Fundamental Studies, Sri Lanka, No. 1, p. 14.

  • Hoyle, F., Wickramasinghe, N.C. and Al-Mufti, S.: 1982a, Astrophys. Space Sci. 86, 63.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyle, F., Wickramasinghe, N.C. and Al-Mufti, S.: 1982b, Astrophys. Space Sci. 86, 341.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyle, F., Wickramasinghe, N.C. and Al-Mufti, S.: 1984, The Ultraviolet Absorbance of Interstellar Bacteria and Related Matters, Univ. College Cardiff Preprint No. 110, pp. 1-16.

  • Kling, S.A.: 1978, Radiolaria, in: Bilal U. Haq and Anne Boersma (eds.), Introduction to Marine Micropaleontology, Elsevier, New York, pp. 203-44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotra, R.K. and Ponnamperuma, C.: 1980, Antarctic Journal, 1980 Review, pp. 51-53.

  • Kutzing, F.T.: 1849, Species Algarum, F. A. Brockhaus, Lipsiae, pp. 1-922.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawless, J.G., Kvenvolden, K.A., Peterson, E., Ponnamperuma, C. and Jarosewich, E.: 1972, Nature 236, 66.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, J.C.: 1955, J. Gen. Microbiol. 13, 162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, R.A.: 1958, Limnol. Oceanogr. 3, 111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linkins, A.E.: 1973, Uptake and Utilization of Glucose and Acetate by a Marine Chemoorganotrophic Diatom, Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. Mass., Amherst.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malone, T.C., Garside, C., Anderson, P. and Roels, 0.A.: 1973, J. Phycol. 9, 482.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meguro, H., Ito, K. and Fukushima, H.: 1967, Arctic 20, 114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakajima, T. and Volcani, B.E.: 1969, Science 164, 1400.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Nassim, A. and James, A.P.: 1978, in: D.J. Kushner (ed.), Microbial Life in Extreme Environments, Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nel, E.A.: 1968, Ocean. Fish. Bull., Miscel. Contrib. Oceanogr. Fish. Biol. S. Afr. 5, 11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patrick, R.: 1977, Ecology of Freshwater Diatoms and Diatom Communities, in: The Biology of Diatoms, Botanical Monographs, Volume 13, Univ. Calif. Press, p. 286.

  • Pflug, H.D., Jaeschke-Boyer, H. and Sattler, E.L.: 1979, Microsc. Acta 82, 255.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pflug, H.D.: 1981, Microsc. Acta 84, 25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ponnamperuma, C. and Molton, P.: 1973, Spa. Life Sci. 4, 32.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, Ray T., Squyres, Steven W., Colburn, David S. and McKay Christopher P.: 1983, Icarus 56, 246.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Round, F.E. and Crawford, R.M.: 1981, Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 211, 237.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Seekbach, J. and Libby, W.F.: 1970, Spa. Life Sci. 2, 121.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Squyres, S.W., Reynolds, R.T., Cassen, P.M. and Peale, S.J.: 1983, Nature 301, 225.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Strelnikova, N.I.: 1974, Diatoms of the Cretaceous Period, Nova Hedwigia, Heft 53, Third Symposium on Recent and Fossil Marine Diatoms, Proceedings, Sept. 1974, pp. 311-21.

  • Sullivan, C.W. and Palmisano, A.C.: 1981, Antarct. J. U.S. 16(5), 125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Volcani, B.E.: 1981, Cell Wall Formation in Diatoms, in: Tracy L. Simpson and Benjamin E. Voleani (eds.), Silicon and Siliceous Structures in Biological Systems, Springer-Verlag, N.Y., pp. 196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Werner, D.: 1977, Introduction with a Note on Taxonomy, in: Dietrich Werner (ed.), The Biology of Diatoms, Botanical Monographs, Volume 13, Univ. Calif. Press, p. 1.

  • Whipple, F.L.: 1950, Astrophys. J. 111, 375.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • White, A.W.: 1974, J. Phycol. 10, 292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wickramasinghe, N.C.: 1974, Nature 252, 462.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wickramasinghe, N.C., Hoyle, F. and Nandy, K.: 1977, Astrophys. Space Sci. 47, L9.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Willner, S.P., Russell, R.W., Pueter, R.C., Soifer, B.T. and Harvey, P.M.: 1979, Astrophys. J. 229, L65.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Woolf, N.J.: 1973, in: J.M. Greenberg and H.C. van de Hulst (eds.), IAU Symposium No. 52, Interstellar Dust and Related Topics, Reidel, Dordrecht, p. 485.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Science Laboratory, NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., U.S.A.

    Richard B. Hoover & Miriam J. Hoover

  2. Department of Applied Mathematics and Astronomy, University College, Cardiff, U.K.

    Fred Hoyle, N.C. Wickramasinghe & S. Al-Mufti

Authors
  1. Richard B. Hoover
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fred Hoyle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. N.C. Wickramasinghe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Miriam J. Hoover
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S. Al-Mufti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hoover, R.B., Hoyle, F., Wickramasinghe, N. et al. Diatoms on Earth, Comets, Europa and in Interstellar Space. Astrophysics and Space Science 268, 197–224 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1002454431909

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1002454431909

Keywords

Search

Navigation