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A look at the role comets may have played in the origins and evolution of life, particularly in light of recent investigations of Halleys comet, new insights into organic synthesis in meteorites and comets, and new results of numerical simulations of cometary orbits and impacts on Earth. This is a comprehensive review of current research, accessible to graduate students and others new to the field. Each chapter was prepared by an expert in the field, and carefully revised by the editors for uniformity in style and presentation.
The idea that comets may be connected with the origin of life on Earth was considered heresy a few decades ago, with scientists shying away from this possibility as if from a medieval superstition. However the case that comets may have contributed at least the complex organic building blocks of life has become very strong, and mechanisms have now been identified whereby comets may incubate and transfer microbial life from one cosmic habitat to another in the Galaxy. The latter process cometary panspermia was pioneered by the late Sir Fred Hoyle and one of the present authors in the early 1980's. A theory that was once controversial is slowly gaining scientific respectability and support.The recent surge of interest in astrobiology has led to a spate of books in astrobiology — combining astronomy and biology — but in most of these, cometary panspermia is dealt with only cursorily. The present book sets out the case for cometary panspermia in a cogent way, combining evidence from space science, celestial mechanics, geology and microbiology. It should be an essential part of any university course on astrobiology, and also serve as a reference textbook for researchers in the field.
Since several decades, comets have been considered as key witnesses of solar system formation. Their nature has been explored using the modern arsenal of Earth- and space-based observations, and they hold a central place as dynamical arbiters of the planetary system in the new paradigm of solar system evolution known as the Nice Model. Thus, they have the potential to test the various ideas, using the detailed data recently gathered by the ESA/Rosetta mission. This requires an understanding of their origin and evolution, which form the subject of the present book. All the relevant issues are covered, describing both the background and the current frontiers of research.
Comets are small bodies, but of great cosmic relevance. Given its pristine nature, they may preserve valuable and unique information on thechemical and physical processes that took place in theearly solar system, and that may be occurring in the formation of other planetary systems. They might have even played a very important role in the origin of life on Earth. Beyond that, since ancient times comets have inspired awe, superstition, and also curiosity anddebate. Their sudden apparitions challenged the long-held view of the immutability of the heavens, which triggered a long debate on whether comets had a heavenly or terrestrial nature. Therefore, comets have a prominent role in the history of scienti?cthought, that goes back to the most ancient civilizations. The last apparition of comet Halley in 1986 was a landmark since it arouse a great expectation in the scienti?c community and in the public at large. For the ?rst time, a ?otilla of spacecrafts visited a comet. Agreat number of popular and technical books were written on Halley, and comets in general, around the mid-eighties. The interest in comets never subsided after Halley’s passage which is re?ected in the large volume of printed material on these bodies. I have taken the challenge to write a new book on comets that summarizes most of the recent advances on thesubject, including my own workdeveloped during the last 25 years.
The many papers by Soviet authors have been translated into English by A. P. Kirillov, N. A. Nikiforova, E. A. Voronov, and others. Some of the papers were trans lated by the authors themselves. The discussion records have been prepared at the Institute for Theoretical Astronomy by V. K. Abalakin, N. A. Belyaev, A. P. Kirillov, V. A. Shor, E. A. Voronov, N. S. Yakhontova, and others. The three papers published in French have been carefully checked by B. Milet. The final editing has been done at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and we thank J. H. Clark, P. D. Gregory, J. E. Kervick, and G. Warren for retyping much of the material. Our special thanks are due to the D. Reidel Publishing Company for the excellent care they have taken in printing these proceedings of IAU Symposium No. 45. G. A. CHEBOT AREV E. I. KAZIMIRCHAK-POLONSKA Y A B. G. MARSDEN INTRODUCTION The idea to organize a Symposium on 'The Motion, Evolution of Orbits, and Origin of Comets' dates back to the IAU thirteenth General Assembly, held in 1967 in Prague. Owing to the impossibility of completing during the General Assembly the discussion on the problem of orbital evolution of comets Professor G. A. Chebotarev, then the newly elected President of IAU Commission 20, initiated the organization of the international symposium in Leningrad where the full scope of cometary problems might be considered from the viewpoint of celestial mechanics.