The Astrobiology Primer: An Outline of General Knowledge - Version 1, 2006

Abstract

Astrobiology, the study of life as a planetary phenomenon, aims to understand the fundamental nature of life on earth and the possibility of life elsewhere. To achieve this goal, astrobiologists have initiated unprecedented communication between the disciplines of astronomy, biology, chemistry, and geology. The Astrobiology Primer has been created as a reference tool for those who are interested in the interdisciplinary field of astrobiology. The field incorporates many diverse research endeavors, but it is our hope that this slim volume will present the reader with all he or she needs to know to become involved and to understand, at least at a fundamental level, the state of the art. Because of the great diversity of material, each section was written by a different author with a different expertise. The Primer was constructed collaboratively. Ninety researchers from around the world contributed information with regard to what they expected from other astrobiologists and what they would like to know themselves but still had difficulty understanding (see Contributors). Those submissions were read and considered by the Editors who produced a list of seven general categories of knowledge, represented by the seven chapters in the Primer: 1) Stellar Formation and Evolution, 2) Planetary Formation and Evolution, 3) Astrobiogeochemistry and the Origin of Life, 4) Evolution of Life through Time, 5) Planet Detection & Characterization, 6) Diversity of Life, and 7) Science in Space. No one volume, of course, can contain the vast amount of information brought to play in astrobiology, but we believe that the Primer will provide a forum and a language around which the community will have the opportunity to develop a consensus about central issues.