Solid grains ejected from terrestrial exoplanets as a probe of the abundance of life in the Milky Way

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel method to detect extraterrestrial biosignatures by collecting and analyzing tiny grains ejected from exoplanets, which could provide evidence of life beyond Earth.

Contribution

It introduces a new approach to search for life by analyzing ejected planetary grains, complementing traditional atmospheric biosignature detection methods.

Findings

Approximately 100,000 grains per year may reach Earth.

Optimal grain size for detection is around 1 micrometer.

Collected grains could contain biosignatures of extraterrestrial life.

Abstract

Searching for extrasolar biosignatures is important to understand life on Earth and its origin. Astronomical observations of exoplanets may find such signatures, but it is difficult and may be impossible to claim unambiguous detection of life by remote sensing of exoplanet atmospheres. Here, another approach is considered: collecting grains ejected by asteroid impacts from exoplanets in the Milky Way and then traveling to the Solar System. The optimal grain size for this purpose is around 1 $\mu$m, and though uncertainty is large, about $10^5$ such grains are expected to be accreting on Earth every year, which may contain biosignatures of life that existed on their home planets. These grains may be collected by detectors placed in space, or extracted from Antarctic ice or deep-sea sediments, depending on future technological developments.