The Cosmic Rays As The Source Of Life Energy, Do They Really Exists?

One of the most dangerous things in our exploration of the solar system is the threat posed by cosmic rays to the human body.

But cosmic rays may be precisely the source of life for another species that is distinct from us. A new study suggests that life on the outer planet may have survived precisely the energy provided by cosmic rays.

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This discovery made us realize that extraterrestrial life may also exist on planets previously considered unacceptable to us.

Astrobiologist Dr. Dimitra Atri of the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science in Seattle was inspired by a microorganism on Earth.

The bacterium, Desulforudis audaxviator, is a rod-shaped bacterium that lives in the depths of about 2.8 kilometers underground, where there is neither sunshine nor carbon and oxygen. They extract the energy they need for their life from the radioactive uranium contained in the ore.--source


Atley said, "It succeeded in attracting my attention, because its energy is entirely provided by radioactive material. Who can say that alien life does not use the same approach."

The Earth is constantly accepting the impact of energetic particles such as photons, electrons and nuclei. These particles originate from the explosions (ie, supernovae) at the death of the stars, and they form the so-called "cosmic rays."

But the earth's magnetic field and its thick atmosphere can provide us with protection, preventing these particles from entering the atmosphere and affecting lives on Earth. And on many other planets there is no such protection, so for a time they were not in the planet where we were looking for extraterrestrial life.

Attiyah said: "At the moment we are looking for planets that may have extraterrestrial life, and we always have to see if it has a thick atmosphere, but if we look for this special form of extraterrestrial life, the opposite is true "

To validate his theory, Dr. Attlee conducted a series of simulations to see if microbes (such as the bacteria mentioned in this article) could play a role in the universe on Mars, the Moon, Pluto, Europa, Enceladus, and some comets on which the rays survive.

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When cosmic rays hit the surface of the planet, they produce secondary particles that generate energy at the same time. These energies either provide "food" sources for underground microbes.


Because they live underground, they can be protected from serious radiation damage. But to survive this way, they must be small and their metabolism must be slow.

NASA astroblast **Dr Chris McKay** points out that cosmic rays produce very little energy compared to the light that reaches the Earth's surface and is used in photosynthesis.

Therefore, the number of cosmic rays that reach the surface of the planet must be just right, and if too much or too little, this form of life will not survive.

To this end, Dr Atlee studied how the high-energy X-rays produced by particle accelerators will affect Desulforudis audaxviator bacteria. This is the closest cosmic ray that we can mimic in the lab.

To continue unveiling the answer to this mystery, NASA plans to launch a spacecraft between 2022 and 2025 that will track Jupiter.

If the result is gratifying, scientists will also use this method to find Mars life. Perhaps, the search for life on Mars will get a great boost with these discoveries!

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References for further reading:

• Reference 1
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• Reference 1

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