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Survivability of bacteria in hypervelocity impacts on ice

Mann, Jo, Burchell, Mark J., Brandao, Pedro F. B., Bunch, Alan William, Grey, Ivan D.S. (2004) Survivability of bacteria in hypervelocity impacts on ice. Cratering in Marine Environments and on Ice, . pp. 211-221. (doi:10.1007/978-3-662-06423-8_12) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:5073)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
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Abstract

As part of the arrival stage of the Panspermia process, organisms must endure a hypervelocity impact either into the atmosphere or onto the surface of the destination planet. The impacts associated with this arrival stage are studied in this paper. To this end, the two-stage light gas gun at the University of Kent has been used to fire bacteria-laden projectiles, at velocities of approximately 5 km s(-1), onto semi-solid nutrient medium, and solid and porous ice targets, representing planetary oceans and icy surfaces. The targets were then analysed to investigate whether the bacteria survived the impacts. It was found that bacteria can survive hypervelocity impacts at 5 km s(-1), with a survival rate of I per 3.5 million using targets of nutrient gel. With ice targets no survival has been found yet with a limit on survival of less than I per 0.4 million.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1007/978-3-662-06423-8_12
Additional information: editors Dypvik, H, Burchell MJ, Claeys P 7th Workshop on Icy Impacts and Icy Targets AUG 29-SEP 03, 2001 SVALBARD, NORWAY
Subjects: Q Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User: Mark Burchell
Date Deposited: 28 May 2009 16:14 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Mar 2023 11:30 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/5073 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Burchell, Mark J..

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2680-8943
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Bunch, Alan William.

Creator's ORCID:
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