Panspermia, Past and Present: Astrophysical and Biophysical Conditions for the Dissemination of Life in Space

TL;DR

This paper examines the astrophysical mechanisms for distributing organic materials in space and discusses the biological challenges and potential for damaged biological molecules to seed new life, highlighting the low likelihood of traditional panspermia.

Contribution

It provides an analysis of both astrophysical and biophysical conditions affecting panspermia, emphasizing the role of damaged biological molecules in seeding life.

Findings

Viable mechanisms exist for distributing organic material in the Milky Way.

Ultraviolet light and cosmic rays significantly damage biological organisms during space transfer.

Damaged biological molecules may still carry information capable of seeding new life.

Abstract

Astronomically, there are viable mechanisms for distributing organic material throughout the Milky Way. Biologically, the destructive effects of ultraviolet light and cosmic rays means that the majority of organisms arrive broken and dead on a new world. The likelihood of conventional forms of panspermia must therefore be considered low. However, the information content of dam-aged biological molecules might serve to seed new life (necropanspermia).