| Session Details | |
| Section | PS - Planetary Sciences |
| Session Title | Laboratory Planetary Sciences, Ice, Tholins, and Astrobiology |
| Main Convener | Dr. Murthy Gudipati (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, United States) |
| Co-convener(s) | Dr. Andrew Dominic Fortes (University College London, United Kingdom) Dr. Ryo Nakamura (Tohoku University, Japan) Dr. Razvan Caracas (Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France) Dr. Kensei Kobayashi (Yokohama National University, Japan) Mr. Takenori Toyota (The University of Tokyo, Japan) Prof. Francois Raulin (University of Paris, France) Dr. Ken Williford (Curtin University of Technology, Australia) Dr. Christopher McKay (NASA AMES Research Center, United States) Dr. Steven Vance (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, United States) Dr. David L. Huestis (SRI International, United States) Dr. Xianming Liu (Jet Propulsion Lab, United States) Prof. C. Y. Robert Wu (University of Southern California, United States) Dr. Mao-Chang Liang (Academia Sinica, Taiwan) Dr. Bishun Khare (NASA Ames Research Center/SETI Institute, United States) Dr. Murthy Gudipati (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, United States) Dr. Delphine Nna Mvondo (Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB), Spain) |
| Session Description | Astrobiology is the quest for understanding and characterizing life in the Universe, past and present, including its origin(s) and distribution. Water, a requirement for the emergence and development of life as it is currently understood, is abundant in the Solar System (and likely beyond) in the form of ice. This session focuses on physical, chemical, and spectroscopic properties of ices and related materials in the context of life. Particular topics of interest include the role of ices in origin, evolution and sustenance of life on Earth, Mars, and elsewhere; preservation and creation of biosignatures and sources of chemical energy; and effects from radiation. Contributions in the broader context of astrobiology are also welcome. |