You look out, scanning the foreboding, cloudy skies, gazing into a
thick turbulent brown haze; seeing tiny droplets landing on your visor and
realize from the oily texture, that this is no ordinary rain. Looking up into the
very thick cloudy mass, shows a light that is shining thru and making what
should be daylight a dark dreary day indeed. The light is a good sized
orange-red star. The light is well hidden by the thick white and brownish
clouds that are even hard to see due to the very thick haze layers.
You slowly cast a gaze onto the ocean from the beach you’re
standing on, and feel the cold ocean at your feet, yet the stench of ammonia
hangs thick and musty. The waves break on the sandy beach, yet, there is no
watery foam, there is only a black oily sludge and oils wash up as the surface
of the ocean is covered in this oily sludge that makes one think of a gigantic
oil spill. The thick sludge is broken by patches of blue as the surface belies
activity with a few bubbles rising as they break the surface.
Every movement is difficult and laborious. The sand is wet, and
the thick sludge makes travel difficult for one to get any good traction. Just
a few steps to walk over a seemingly small sand dune, seems to take an eternity.
Each step is painful and harsh. Deep breaths very slow movement since one need
to conserve energy with every small movement and be calculated not to use up
those precious reserves. Every step is a tiny victory as the top of the lone
dune is reached.
Past the sand dune and the small victory that gave you, now the
sights of what lies beyond show themselves to you in splendid fashion. Ice,
fields and fields of a ruddy brown ice is what lies upon you now. Ahead is a
splendid cone, tapering off at the summit like any beautiful volcano, yet this
one spews not lava, but ice water. The cone is not tall; but the ice looks
extremely slick due to the brown oily sludge that seemingly coats the entire
surface. The ice flows and runs like rivers thru channels cut into the surface
and race down the sides of the cone and freeze just like a lava flow cools and
becomes solid.
You see for yourself that you’re standing on a truly alien world.
Drem – planet
Composition Iron-Nickel-Silicate metal core
Axial tilt 16
degrees
Orbit in AU .077
Orbital Period 15 Days, 13 hours, 34 minutes,
28 seconds
0.04273
yrs
Orbital eccentricity .03
Closest approach .7469 AU
Farthest approach .07931 AU
Inclination to Orbit 1.85
Equatorial radius 7400 km
Polar radius 7380 km
Planet size 7400 km radius
Density 1.05
Mass 1.63841
Surf Gravity 1.21787 G
Albedo .91
of earth (due to intense cloud cover & haze)
Escape Velocity 1.8666
Water Vapor Factor .684
Atmosphere N2,
CH4
89%
N2
9%
CH4
2%
Other
Ocean 85%
water, 15% Ammonia
Atmospheric Pressure 4.915 atmosphere
Greenhouse gas pressure 1.5407 atmosphere
Total atmospheric pressure 6.42907 atmosphere
Surface wind speeds (360 meters/1170 feet per
hour)
Winds at 30km (27,000 meters/87750 feet/16.619
miles per hour)
Base Temp in Kelvin 168.49 K
Surface Temp 223.34 K
Height of Atmosphere 225km
Atmospheric mass ???
Atmosphere 300km
thick
Haze layers 50km
to 200km
Clouds at 10km
to 15km (CH4 + H20 liquid & ice)
Troposphere -> 0km
to 50km (top is at 179 mb)
Top of stratosphere (225km)
is at 2mb
Stratosphere -> 50km
to 225km
Composition
of Drem's Atmosphere
Constituent Formula Nitrogen N2 Argon 40Ar Methane CH4 Hydrogen H2 Ethane C2H6 Acetylene C2H2 Propane C3H8 Hydrogen Cyanide HCN Ethylene C2H4 Cyanoacetylene HC3N Propane C3H4 Diacetylene C4H2 Cyanogen C2N2 Water Vapor H2O Dicyanoacetylene C4N2
Surface temperatures 223.34 K (-49.66 C)
Dayside Latitudes
85-90 264.841
K (-8.159 C)
75-85 253.774
K (-19.226 C)
65-75 242.707
K (-30.293 C)
55-65 234.407
K (-38.593 C)
45-55 231.64
K (-41.36 C)
35-45 228.8735
K (-44.1265 C)
25-35 226.105
K (-46.895 C)
15-25 223.34
K (-49.66 C)
05-15 223.34
K (-49.66 C)
0-5 223.34
K (-49.66 C)
Night-side Latitudes
0-5 223.34
K (-49.66 C)
5-15 223.34
K (-49.66 C)
15-25 223.34
K (-49.66 C)
25-35 221.075
K (-51.925 C)
35-45 217.8065
K (-55.1935 C)
45-55 215.04
K (-57.96 C)
55-65 212.273
K (-60.727 C)
65-75 203.973
K (-69.027 C)
75-85 192.906
K (-80.094 C)
85-90 181.839
K (-91.161 C)
Hydrosphere extensiveness 76%
Water vapor factor .684
Tectonic activity plastic tectonic activity
Magnetic Field .006 of earth
Oceanic PH level an ammonia-water liquid containing
15wt% NH3 has a pH of ~11.3
Viscosity of ocean @ surface: 1.05
centipoise (water = 1.00)
Viscosity of ocean at depth: 3.99 centipoise (something like maple
syrup)
Major Biogeochemical cycles: Ammonia
Ammonia-Sulfur
Nitrogen
Methane
Water
Erosion:
Drem is an
unusual place. It has a large ocean, has the humidity, rainfall, river
channels, marshes, mudflats, but it’s seemingly a dry arid place with respect
to an important item, erosion. The planet changes very slowly, and so things
like from cryomagmas or tholins on the surface all
pile up and build up over time. For a planet that normally would have a good
amount of erosion, Drem seems more like a planet who know here in our own solar
system, and that planet is Mars. Dremish erosion is a very, very slow process,
equivalent to what is seen on the dayside highlands, and has roughly 1 meter
for every million years of erosion. This very slight amount of erosion is also
seeing on the Martian Highlands. The main issue with Dremish erosion is still
at debate, and that is if erosion is due to wind or the methane/water ice rain.
Erosion caused by wind-blown sand, wind-driven waves and other atmospheric
forces is 400 times weaker on Drem than on Earth. Such tectonic forces as
earthquakes, mountain building and other outputs of Drem's
mantle heat engine are almost 50 times less on Drem than on Earth
Cryovolcanism:
While
it is fairly warm for a cold planet atmosphere, the temperatures are still
fairly cold for water. On Drem, volcanism send hot water and ammonia which is
heated by subsurface heat to the surface thru the open vents, and the spray
spreads close in due to the intense gravity, and so the vent becomes high, much
like a volcano on earth. Drem has been extensively resurfaced by these
cryolavas composed of a watery ammonium sulfate, Ammonium Dihydrate,
an ammonia/water solution and slushy CO2 which freeze on the surface. Ice-based
lavas probably form pillow-style lavas much like those seen in Earth. The
ammonia helps break-down the Methane Clathrate which causes the trapped methane
gas to escape and rise causing cryovolcanism.
Normal Volcanism:
On
Drem, there are areas, all on land that have a “normal” volcanism. Due to Drem being
tidally locked, yet having a large amount of geologic stress from the star and
close-by Jovian, the mantle has liquid magma which
heats up rock above, and especially the water tables close to the surface. This
volcanism shows up not as hot liquid rock as on Earth, but for Drem, these
volcanoes spew out hot, gassy mud. Dremish Mud Volcanoes seen near the
Oceanic hydrothermal oddities:
One
area to note is the importance of hydrothermal vents to Drem. Due to the
Dremish rains, Amino Acids fell into the ocean, of which only sulfur based
acids were missing. SO the vents being a standard of volcanism,
provide the oceans with sulfur and other important ingredients to add even more
to the organic soup which Dremish oceans are. Another critical aspect is the
changing of Nitrogen to Ammonia which kick starts the important Ammonia cycle.
The Sulfur which shows up as ammonium
sulfate, and chlorine which is seen as Ammonium chloride are commonly broken
down and used in Drems’ organic soup.
In
the areas of hydrothermal vents, the heat is intense, as the rocks they work to
provide changes to Dremish oceans. In fact, The Iron sulfides found in vent areas, are found at 500 C, those that are actually help
convert 86% of the Nitrogen to Ammonia which rises to replenish the ocean. So
Nitrogen reduction actually helps replenish ammonia which is lost thru the
ammonia cycle. Regular basalt only helps changing over 20% of Nitrogen to
Ammonia, so pockets of Iron sulfides neat the vents are important geological
areas of study. On Drem, Ammonium chloride (NH4Cl); occurs naturally in
volcanic regions, forming on volcanic rocks near hydrothermal vents. The
crystals deposit immediately on the rocks directly from being a gas. One problem
though is that the crystals do dissolve very easily in water and so are around
a very short time. Here is a short chemical reaction that shows the ammonium
chloride crystals dissolving and becoming regular ammonia once again. 2NH4Cl +
2CaO → CaCl2 + Ca(OH)2 + 2NH3
Atmosphere:
Drem has a Titan-like
atmosphere, primarily a N2/CH4 mixture, and due to UV
radiation, a process called photolysis, Methane is broken down into other
chemicals, especially CN types form, which in turn
form tholins. The formation of hydrocarbons (i.e. ethylene, acetylene, methylacetylene) and of nitrogen containing compounds (i.e.
hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen, nitriles,
acylonitrile, cyanoacetylene)
are found in the atmosphere, and actually to have shown up as rain and as an
oily sludge on the ocean surface. Radioactive argon (40Ar) in the atmosphere is
due to the Potassium in Drems’ core, and as it
decays, becomes Argon which escapes into the atmosphere. Due to the consistent
misty rainfall, the hydrocarbons, especially methane/ethylene fall to form
large oily slicks on the oceans surface. The hydrocarbon layer covers
significant areas, around 76% of planet’s surface. There are daily sightings of
ice water clouds as well as methane ice clouds between 8 and 50 km. On Drem,
rain takes several ‘days’ to reach the surface, the nucleus of the rain are
cyanide-like compounds coated with hydrocarbons and locked together with water
ice looking like a hail stone as it falls. On Drem, the issue is light, with a
thick atmosphere, even in “full sunlight”, light hitting the surface is equal
to an early foggy morning on earth, and so “daylight” is still dreary and grey
compared to earth. One final thing to note about the Dremish atmosphere is the
relative humidity which is about 60% to 70% depending on if one is by the
oceans or over land.
Dremish Tholins:
Tholins
are the reason Drem has its ruddy brown haze layer. Tholins are made of
acetylene compounds very high up in the atmosphere, easily over 300 km above
the surface. The consistency is commonly thought of as a volcanic ash, light
and fluffy. These tholins are so
light as to not really fall, and also being very light, are subject to the
winds that scatter them across the globe. In the tholin layer, there are several
chemicals that form a core, and these are nitrogen, methane, cyanide,
acetylene, and ethane. Tholins have fallen over the over 6 billion years of
Drem, and the amount is roughly 6m to 45m thick depending on region. Tholin
fall into the ocean mixes with the water and easily forms amino acids
Weather on Drem:
Drem
has some definite stormy weather. Convection like that seen here on Earth
causes the warm air to rise, clouds to quickly form,
and then dump moisture fairly quickly. On Drem, the winds continuously push the
clouds, and as cloud cells move on, the next convection cell is rising, so
storms become a long chain of storms, some 1000 miles long. The normal rain
droplet is around 1/2 cm across, yet is made of methane and rain is driven by
wind gusts to 60 miles an hour. These thunderstorms also can easily dump 3 ½
inches of rain an hour. Drem also has huge circular storms, like a hurricane,
also consisting of liquid natural gas. The clouds rising would show up on the
dayside and quickly flow to the nightside, with wind
currents reaching 520 feet per second. Now to give standard miles per hour feel
for how slow those air currents are, that speed is equal to 35.45 miles/hr. The
air currents travel from day to night, then descend to
drop the rain, then race back to the dayside to rise again. This form of global
circulation system is known as a meridional
circulation system. The standard Dremish cloud is a standard white fluffy
cumulus cloud as seen here on earth. In fact, some higher altitude clouds look
just like cirrus clouds do here.
Oceans on Drem:
On Drem, the
oceans are from the surface a dead thing. Oily sludge, layers of liquid natural
gas float everywhere, as the misty rain consistently adds to the layer. Yet underneath
the formidable layer is a deep ocean of water mixed with ammonia acting as an
anti-freeze to keep the water from freezing. There are other trace elements
found within the ocean such as large amounts of sulfur which has been leached
out of Drem's mantle by water which reacted with the
ammonia dissolved in the planet's ocean to turn it into ammonium sulfate. Due
to this and items like erosion and weathering, the ocean has a number of trace
elements (e.g. Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Se, Zn,
and W). In addition to volcanic processes, chemical energy is available from
the weathering of silicate mantle as Silicates and Carbonates are also found in
tiny amounts. However; even with a seemingly earth-like ocean, these oceans do
have a difficulty in creating a large and vibrant oceanic biosphere, it has
been calculated at 200,000 tons with a top predator being the size of a
small-fish. Due to the cold, one possible area of study are
the Dremish cryovolcanic hotspots which offer havens of relative warmth.
Methane Clathrate:
On
Drem there is a substance hidden deep below the oceans surface, and that
substance is called Methane clathrate, which is a form of water ice that has
formed a cage like structure that traps methane gas inside it. Another name for
Methane Clathrate is known as Methane Hydrate. Methane Clathrate is 50 times as
viscous/thick as water ice at the same temperature. Methane clathrates are
found in both deep sedimentary layers hidden under mud, siltstone, sand,
sandstone, and found as outcroppings on the ocean floor. Methane hydrates are
believed to form by rising along faults found in the Dremish mantle, whereby
the methane gas crystallizes on contact with cold sea water. Methane clathrates
remain stable at temperatures up to 18 °C as those temperatures are usually
only seen near hydrothermal vents. The hydrothermal vents and some
cryovolcanism will heat up the clathrate and destabilize it.;
therefore, causing the clathrate to break apart, sometimes violently. The
Dremish clathrate is roughly composed of 1 part methane and 6 parts water. One
liter of methane clathrate solid would therefore contain, on average, 168
liters of methane gas, which goes to show someone that the gas is found under
intense pressure. Due to temperatures and pressures, some have deducted that
the clathrate layer on Drem is roughly 100 km thick.
CHAPTER 2: BIOGEOCHEMISTRY ON DREM:
On
Drem, as on Earth, the biogeochemistry works generally the same. For Drem, the
main cycles, which are the Methane, Nitrogen/Ammonia and Water cycles use all three areas of a planet, the atmosphere, the
oceans and the ground/soil. The atmosphere is seen especially with clouds and
rainfall. The Oceans where organics are stirred up and some compounds get stuck
into the stable ocean bottom to be sent up to the surface thru hydrothermal
vents or volcanism. The ground is the last area where the rain fall runs thru
streams and lakes, or where liquids are stored underground and into the “water
table” and are seen later back in the ocean. There are three general phases to
matter, where on Drem, there are three compounds that
show this. They are Ammonia, Water and Methane. The gases no matter if produced
by organic or inorganic means are seen ultimately be sent thru all areas of the
planet, especially the atmosphere. As a liquid, they are mostly seen in the
oceans or as rainfall or even as streams and lakes. As ice, these are seen as
clouds or buried deep under the ocean trapped by a clathrate.
Drem Biogeochemical cycles:
Sulfur:
On Drem, sulfur
is rarely seen, yet, due to constant hydrothermal vents, we know the presence
is there. On the planet, nearly all sulfur is to be found in the oceans as
hydrogen sulfide gas coming out of the vents or as Ammonium sulfate salts that
encase the vents. Sulfuric acid is also seen, yet degrades quickly. The other
two compounds that are detected are Sulfide salts (SO4) and natural sulfur (S8)
which is also known as cyclooctasulfur. Why there is no out gassing of hydrogen
sulfide into the atmosphere leads one to dangerously assume that the oceans is
deep enough to prevent the sulfur from escaping, and thus trapping the sulfur
as an ammonium sulfate or sulfate salt to form. The minor amounts of sulfur
will prevent any major changes in color, since sulfur makes everything look
yellow. Thus with the amounts of sulfur found in a vents system would allow us
to postulate the possibility of sulfur bacteria living off of the available
sulfur there.
Ammonia/Nitrogen:
On Drem, the
Nitrogen cycle is a very important cycle, as it is in Earth. The cycle
generally circulates thru Nitrogen, Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates almost all
of which is done via bacteria. There is a lot of talk, studies, theory and
posturing about the possibility of life on Drem due to this one cycle. The
cycle begins with the large amount of Nitrogen in the Drem atmosphere. Then
thru a process called Nitrogen fixation, the Nitrogen is turned into Ammonia
and Ammonium ions (NH4+). Thru the next process called
Nitrification, the Ammonia is turned into Nitrites and Nitrates where the cycle
splits into two sections. The first is called Assimilation, whereby the
Nitrates are used by plants, in this case Algae, which then gets used by
animals which on Drem are still a hotly debated topic. The Ammonification
then takes the used Nitrates and turns them back into Ammonia. The second
section is an organic process called Denirtification
which takes those Nitrates and turns them into Nitrogen gas once again to
restart the cycle. The one snag which has some scientists asking questions is
the Nitrification part where oxygen is normally mixed with Ammonia to create
the Nitrites, but in the case of Drem, most anaerobic bacteria are killed by
oxygen, so the presence of O2, does lead to questions that definitely
need answers.
Methane:
Drem is not
so cold as to have Methane take over for water as the primary cycle, yet Drem
is like Titan in that a three-phase methane cycle does exist. The three phases
are simply liquid, ice and gas. Obviously with Drems’
atmosphere, methane gas is plentiful, and with the consistent rain, the liquid
natural gas falling onto the planets surface, then flowing thru river channels
into the oceans is the second phase. Lastly, Methane Clathrate is the ice where
methane under intense pressure forms ice and is hidden deep under the oceans
surface. Evaporation is seen whereby the liquid evaporates, rises due to
convection currents and becomes clouds of natural gas, which due to the same
processes on Earth, fall as rain. So in this way, the Methane cycle works just
like the Earths water cycle.
Hydrological/Water:
On Drem, the
water cycle is still there, yet in less of a dominant position due to Methane.
A three phase water cycle does exist, yet in less obvious forms. For ice on Drem,
small water ice in clouds does heat up and become liquid to form ices on tholin
‘rainfall’, the main part of liquid water is in the great Dremish ocean. The water as a gas is not really noticeable, yet
there due to the humidity in the atmosphere, which gives us a relative humidity
of around 60% to 70% on a “daily” basis. The little Water rainfall that does
make it over land is generally runoff thru the steams and into small lakes.
Remember that with the majority of runoff being Methane, the amount of water
runoff is quite small. The majority of the little water based rain falls into
the ocean as it encases organic cores of tholins.
Water as water vapor acts as a greenhouse gas and does to help heat up Drem a
bit, so if one knows what to look for, Drem is a unique planet in that it has
both a three-phase water and methane cycle.
Phosphorus cycle:
On Drem,
Phosphorus is more of an inorganic material than Earth. For the cycle, the
cycle runs fairly close to that of earth, where Phosphorus is soils, get sent
down by rivers into the oceans, to be part of the sediment, then uplifted over
time and then found in rocks above ground. The section of the cycle that is in
dispute is the organic section, where phosphorus is found in organic wastes to
be decomposed by bacteria and then sent by rivers as runoff to become part of
the inorganic cycle. Overall the phosphorus cycle, like on earth is a fairly
minor cycle, yet is important in various ways both inorganically and
organically. Why some would claim that a phosphorus cycle does not necessarily constitute
life do have reasons, yet as this study and survey present, is that there is
more to the planet than meets the eye.
Carbon cycle:
The Drem
Carbon cycle is found to be a very minor aspect of Dremish biogeochemistry due
to the very significant lack of carbon dioxide. On earth, the Carbon cycle
starts with the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, and on some planets, like Mars
or Venus, the Carbon cycle would be very large indeed, but for Drem, since CO2
isn’t found, except in trace amounts, this presents a problem to some that
search for life on other planets. But, with Drem, we have large amounts of
Carbon found in the atmosphere, which means the Carbon cycle must run slightly
different, yet essentially the same as on Earth. After seeing the carbon in the
atmosphere, the next area to look is usually dissolved CO2 in the oceans, yet
on Drem, all we have are large amount of organics and hydrocarbons found in the
“soup line” at the oceans surface. The next part of the cycle is three parts.
Firstly is inorganic, which finds dissolved carbon, bicarbonates and carbon in
sediments. What we find are large amounts of pyroxenes full of silicon and iron
in the oceans proving volcanism does exist deep underwater. The other area is
the large amounts of sandy silicate mud on the surface. This perplexes
scientists, due to stunning lack of carbon sediments and the overall advantage
that silicates have over carbonates in both the oceans and surface. The second
and their areas are organic which presents the arguments. The areas are
photosynthesis and respiration. Photosynthesis as we know it on Earth would not
work on Drem due to the sun being blocked out by the thick cloud cover and
haze, so “plants” if they exist would most likely be algae and so use
photosynthesis from dim light coming from hydrothermal vents. Respiration
coming from animals also wouldn’t be an option since CO2 isn’t found in the
oceans really, nor is it found in the atmosphere. So organically speaking, the
carbon cycle is a non-issue. A few scientists do favor using the consistent
methane as it’s answer for the carbon cycle, but
methane has it’s own cycle, instead of affecting the carbon cycle as we know it.
Lastly, the sediments that do exist get uplifted over time, and due to erosion
and weathering, do get the carbon showing up again in the oceans and atmosphere
to begin the cycle anew.
Geological cycles:
Carbonate-Silicate:
The
Carbonate-Silicate cycle is one where geologically deals with a very long time
frame. Like the Carbon cycle, this cycle is an odd one in the lack of CO2
at most stages of this cycle, which ultimately begins in the atmosphere. The dissolved
CO2, becomes H2CO3
thru weathering, the weak acid dissolves silicates on land, and creates calcium
ions, magnesium ions, HCO3- (bicarbonate) and SiO2
(dissolved silica). After these products go into the oceans, the products find
there way, as on earth, to become Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) shells
for surface dwelling plankton, and when the plankton die, the shells fall to
the ocean floor and become part of the sediments. On Drem, what happens, and
how this happens is still hotly debated. Due t seafloor tectonics, the sediments
hit hydrothermal vents to rise into the ocean water as CO2 gas.
Drem Biochemistry:
Dremish
biochemistry is seemingly tied to the large organic soup that lies on top of
the large Dremish ocean. This large mixing zone is
called “the great dremish soup line”. Important in
that with organics being created in the atmosphere rain down onto the soup
line, and from deep under water, organics are created and well up towards the
surface to meet the other organics, where both mix well and create even more
complex organics on a consistent basis. Dremish biochemistry is like Titan, a
great laboratory or organics and the potential for great things and immense
surprises. Drem is also like Earth in that a large ocean, especially one of
water wills ultimately answer the many questions that this planet brings up.
Bubble-Aerosol-droplet cycle:
What
was alluded to above, the Bubblesol cycle is of great
importance to Dremish study, in that the flow of organics and how they interact
will ultimate answer some very important questions. The primary need to look at
the cycle is for a general understanding of pre-biotic organics and how the
atmosphere and ocean work together as a unit, instead of at odds with one another.
The interface which is known as the “soup line” is at the oceans surface, and
is a great mixing zone roughly 4 meters in depth where a great organic and
hydrocarbon soup mix together to form essential building blocks of life. There
are two general parts of the cycle, each of which is important on their own,
yet when combined, we can see how critical the “soup line” becomes.
Part 1: Atmosphere:
A
small cycle in of itself, in the atmosphere, organics are created, as a tholins, which get carried in methane and water clouds to
be dropped as rain. Once dropped, the tholins and
organics join the soup sometimes to re-enter the atmosphere to become part of
clouds and get redropped as rain later.
Part 2: The ocean:
A
large cycle, in that it all starts with the hydrothermal vents. From the vent system, where minerals and organics mix form small
bubbles. The bubbles float into the ocean to change further and become
complex organics themselves. They hit the “soup line” and get mixed in to form
complex organics. Some bubbles fall deep into and fall to the seabed below.
Those that fall become part of the seabed to slowly over geological time, move
toward a vent system and get mixed up all over again. Those that don’t fall can
even rise and join the atmospheric part of the cycle.
Formation of Hydrogen Cyanide:
On Drem, the chemical hydrogen
cyanide is a very important component for a lot of organic processes going on.
The important item for us is to look at how it gets created in the Dremish
atmosphere and oceans. Below are a series of simple chemistry formulas, which
go ahead and show the fairly simple process to create this important compound.
Firstly, it a critical atmospheric process that uses nitrogen and methane to
create the hydrogen cyanide and free hydrogen which nearly all times escapes
into space. The second one is much harder to justify, due to the sheer lack of
naturally occurring carbon monoxide. The last three are interesting in that
HCNH+ is known as ‘protenated hydrogen cyanide’
which means it’s hydrogen cyanide with an extra proton
added to it. The last two formulas are studied closely due to the ever present
water oceans and the diacetylene which occurs in the
hydrocarbon soaked ocean surface. Of these five formula,
the first one is most likely the main process of creating the hydrogen cyanide
needed in so many processes on Drem.
2CH4 + N2 →
2HCN + 3H2
CO + NH3 →
HCN + H2O
HCNH+
+ HC3N → H2C3N+ + HCN
HCNH+
+ H2O → H3O+ + HCN
HCNH+ + C4H2
→ C4H3+ + HCN
Sulfur biochemistry on Drem:
On
Drem, sulfur has a distinct area of purpose for study. The main purpose is the
possible creation of Amino Acids on Drem. Other more simple topics to study
deal with biological areas like respiration, oxidation and an aerobic form of
photosynthesis. These areas all make sulfur and especially the hydrothermal
vents that sulfur comes from especially critical to study. For Drem, there are
four main areas of study, the main two looked at are for photosynthesis and
Amino Acid production, especially for the Amino Acid Cysteine.
Note that all four areas present an argument for life on Drem, since the last
one dealing with hydrogen sulfide production is thru a process known as Acetate
metabolism.
Photosynthesis:
2CO2 + 2H2S + 2H2O + light → 2(CH2O)
+ H2SO4
Respiration:
2(CH2O) + H2SO4 → 2CO2 + 2H2O + H2S
4 H2 + H2SO4 → 4H2O + H2S
Amino Acid creation:
SO42- → S2- → cysteine
Hydrogen Sulfide creation:
4H2 + H2SO4 → H2S + 4H2O
CH3COOH + 2H2O + 4S → 2CO2 + 4H2S
(due to Acetate metabolism)
Geological influenced biochemistry
Geologically,
Drem being slightly larger than Earth, having slightly higher density, having
volcanism is obviously an active planet, and so will have all sorts of
geological processes that affect the planets biochemistry. The Drem Mantle
being made of Silicates has a standard geology like Earth, and so the processes
do not need to be restated here. What is of note for these are that we see
processes around hydrothermal vents. Most vent systems
will up well hot water heavy with dissolved minerals that interact with cold
ocean water and changes quickly happen, especially in the creation of Ammonia,
Methane gas, and minerals that cooling down, settle onto the vents. One thing
to note is that most of these chemical changes take place with iron as a
‘hidden ingredient’ and so these iron rich vent systems will have to studied
closely to see if they interact the same way as terrestrial vent systems.
FeO + H2 = Fe + H20;
Fe3O4 + H2 = 3FeO + H20;
Fe3C + 2H2 = Fe + CH4;
N2 + H2 -> NH3 (due to Fe from hydrothermal vents)
CO + H2 ->
CH4 + H2O (
H2S + Fe2+ →
Replenishment of Methane:
The
main reason for scientific study on Drem is the thick Methane atmosphere
combined with a large ocean to present a fabulous organic laboratory. The factors of Methane is its short lifespan which means it must
be replenished somehow. In this section, we will be presenting a production of
methane that can in some ways be thought of as natural, yet is almost always
looked upon as based on a living ecology, in other words, life. There are
obviously several ways the production of methane can be reached biologically,
as it is here on Earth. First is a simple formula changing carbon dioxide into
Methane, that process know as Methane metabolism is
very much proven in Methanogens on Earth, and is
thought to be a prime metabolic pathway for any life on Drem if it’s found. Of
the four likely candidates seen below, the first is most likely the prime
candidate for any biotic methane production.
CO2 + 4 H2 ®
CH4 + 2H2O
HCO3- + 4 H2
+ H+ ® CH4 + 3 H2O
CH3COO-+ H2O
® CH4 + HCO3-
CO2(aq) + 4H2(aq) → CH4 + 2H2O
Oxygen on Drem:
Oxygen
is a strange thing, it seems to be very lacking in most anywhere on can find
it, especially in the atmosphere, but it can be found. The main thing is the lack
of free oxygen, which is quickly destroyed, and so one notices a distinct lack
of any free oxygen or ozone in the atmosphere. Yet, underwater, oxygen is
present but not by itself, but connected to other elements to create acids, or
gases such as carbon dioxide, or to create metals such as ferric oxide, which
we know as rust. Oxygen being here on Drem which has a reducing atmosphere and
a proposed anaerobic ecology, oxygen is basically deadly to such life forms,
and so oxygen though present is tightly locked away. The oxygen on Drem is
presented in two sections. The first is how ozone would normally be created,
thru an oxygen molecule being zapped and recombined into O3 (ozone).
Ozone requires UV radiation which is already very low on a star such as an M-star,
but is lowered even more due to the very thick atmosphere that Drem has. The
second section deals with the very real process found on Drem where free oxygen
is destroyed very quickly by water creating a hydroxide molecule (
Formation of ozone:
O2 + UVrad
-> O + O
O + O2 -> O3 + M (where M is any other
molecule, usually N2 or O2)
Free oxygen destruction:
O(1D) + H2O → 2
CH4 +
Drem Life;
Life, very common, some simple, some utterly complex,
especially here on earth is a very touchy subject when discussed about
“elsewhere”. Most scientists that deal with this touchy subject deal with
proven facts, theory and speculation. One of the main attributes of this
speculation deals with the term “biological markers” which is a term of note
dealing with something on a planet that is something that only biological life
can do. On Drem, being like Earth and Titan have several factors in common in
that organics are widespread, the heat to sustain life,
and a large ocean whereby an organic soup can mix and given enough time, just
might make something. On Drem, the system is 6.5 Billion years old, 2 billion
years older than Earth, and life began on earth very soon, so speculation
aside, scientists are very earnest about studying this planet in detail to get
to the question, is there life elsewhere?
If
there is life, then we must discuss, in what form life would take. Would life
just walk up to us and shake our hand, I seriously doubt that. Most likely, we
must find it, and most life will be microbes, very small, hardly discernable,
yet distinctive and probably lots of varieties, just like we find on Earth. One
thing that is discussed is what kind of life we would find if any. From decades
of discussion, we are looking under the waves for our answers, nearby
hydrothermal vents and areas of warmth, where organics and minerals mix
together to form an early metabolic system, where early cell membranes could
form, and life would have a feeble start. We aren’t looking for spaceships or
‘little green men’, we’re looking for small microbes,
anything that will give us a distinct that this planet is their home.
Drem
if found to be lifeless would be to some a shame, but to some would be the
start of a new home far away from Earth. The resources are very plentiful, rich
organics, hydrocarbons, minerals, and ices to be found everywhere to give a
small group ample space to work with to make an earnest start on this planet.
But, if life is found on this planet, then Drem will be an immense scientific
breakthrough that must be handled with care, and thought. For this planet would
have to be protected and respected, for this planet would be their home, and
not ours. So ultimately, detailed scientific study is crucial and of immense
value for all of us here.
Drem Unicellular Life:
Drem
like any candidate for a proposed lifeform goes thru
rigorous theoretical models and has terrestrial models to draw from. The
Dremish food chain is a very delicate one compared to Earth, with the size of Drems’ ocean, temperature, ability for life, proposals to
see Drem having roughly 200,000 tons of top predator,
even with a life form the size of a small fish, that presents very few numbers
to create a large and vibrant ecology.
Any life on Drem will have to be a form of chemolithotroph,
so that they need to synthesize chemicals for energy, since there is no sunlight
penetrating the thick atmosphere, photosynthesis is impossible on Drem.
For
Drem, the main candidates are of two types that have enough similarities to
earth based microbes that we can generally use them as a basis for what is
proposed to live in Dremish oceans. The two types are both anaerobic, where the
presence of oxygen quickly kills them. The microbes will probably have a form
of DNA, Histones, peptid
cell walls and ether membrane linkages made of hydrocarbons. The microbes will
need a solid source of food for energy. Proposals of a microbe using carbon
dioxide with water, inorganic salts, their sole source of carbon being CO2,
microbes could very well live in the dark and foreboding Drem oceans.
Food
for microbes will most likely be of several types. Firstly is a mix of carbon
dioxide and hydrogen to create methane, Secondly is Acetate, Thirdly is
oxidizing ammonia, and lastly we find sulfur needing microbes. For Drem, the
group of microbes known as Methanogens will most
likely predominate, due to the massive Methane atmosphere. ‘Why’ one might ask,
one answer is the consistent re-supply of methane on the order of 5.59x109kg
yr which is enough to keep the Dremish atmosphere thick and vibrant.
Drem Sulfur/Methanogen Theory:
Drem
microbes, if they exist, would probably be a lot like archea
or other anaerobic bacteria on Earth. What has been proposed is that deep under
the Drem oceans are lively and active hydrothermal vents putting out hydrogen
sulfide, carbon dioxide, methane, sulfides, nitrites, chlorides and other
chemical compounds which can readily be used by an micro biotic life which may
be living near the vents. Due to the thick Methane atmosphere, the amount of
volcanism which does occur on Drem just does not produce enough Methane to constitute
why there is so much methane in the atmosphere. The second premise is the
amount of Methane clathrate, the last and probably most controversial reasoning
is that Drem must have a micro biotic life that produces Methane. Below is the
hypothetical and still controversial idea of chemosynthesis that could occur
deep under the waves of Drem.
|
SO4 from hydrothermal vents |
CO2, H2 (from
Thermal vents) |
|
|
↓ |
↓ |
|
|
Sulfur Reducers |
Methanogens |
|
|
SO4 + 4H2 -> H2S
+ 3H2O |
CO2 + H2 →
CH4 + H2O |
|
|
|
↓ |
|
|
|
Methane oxidizers |
|
|
|
CH4 + SO4
→ CO2 + H2S + H2O |
→ H2S,
CO2 from other critters |
|
|
|
↓ |
|
|
|
Sulfide Reducers |
|
|
|
H2S + CO2 + 2H2O
-> SO4 + CH4 |
The
above chart has stirred quite a bit of controversy since it demands and almost
shouts out loud a positive aspect for proven life on Drem Therefore the above
chart is to be spoken of as theory until proven by life found on Drem. The main
premise of the above chart is the presence of 4 types of bacteria which are
found here on Earth. Methanogens, Methane oxidizers,
Sulfur reducers, and finally sulfide reducers are small yet quite adaptable for
life on Drem. What is proposed on Drem is that these 4 types of bacteria would
either live as 4 separate bacteria like here on Earth, or in a colonial
lifestyle, like a jellyfish on Drem. Therefore a life form could do all 4
chemical processes at once and be quite successful living near the hydrothermal
vents on Drem.
The
premise of the chart is that a bacteria working these processes would in
general take in carbon dioxide, hydrogen and sulfates to form chemicals very
important to each other, and so what one produces as waste is used by another,
and so one to create a chain, so that the bacteria can almost live off itself
with very little intake. In one aspect, the overall picture would show and
intake of CO2, H2 SO4 and producing Methane to replenish the atmosphere, and
thus keep the atmosphere thick and vibrant. And this is one aspect which is
proving controversial, in that there is life beyond the boundaries of earth.
Drem Acetogens:
On
Drem, a proposed and controversial form of life on Drem would be based on the
hydrocarbon known as Acetate. What scientists are looking for is a
microorganism that is living neat hydrothermal vents. There are several aspects
why an acetogen might be found on Drem. The main aspect of their habitat is
that there is water flow, if the flow is low, then the area should be acidic
with sulfur and be iron rich. If the flow is high, the area will be alkaline
and lots of dissolved minerals from the ammonia content. Being in hydrothermal
vents, the bacteria will have access to Hydrogen sulfide, Carbon dioxide,
Methane, Hydrogen, Ammonia and organic compounds. Another important aspect is
the temperature, where being in a vent, the temperature will be over 670K, and
due to the cold ocean water entering in, the temperature can change
drastically. The PH will be slightly alkaline and so a PH of up to 8. The water
pressure will be intense due to the depth of water, and the area will be heavy
in dissolved minerals. The bacteria, if anything like those on Earth will
generally be heat loving bacteria, and so classified as Hyperthermophilic.
A cell membrane, if the bacteria are advanced enough to have one will probably be a layer made of lipids. The bacteria will almost
certainly be unicellular. And importantly, the microorganisms will have unique
metabolisms. Once more to note, that if these bacteria are anything like on
Earth, these will have a general “sugar” fermentation and that the cellulose
will be directly metabolized.
This
is of course assuming that there is any life to be seen on Drem, yet, since
Drem has a large ocean, and with the ease of organics being formed, and given
the time of generation, the chance of life on Drem is a possibility. The
discussion and still controversy of this issue is a big issue that science
needs to answer with careful judgment. Since ramifications will be far-ranging
on a positive finding for life on Drem.
Acetogenesis:
Acetogenesis
is a biochemical process of the creation of Acetate. What this side is
proposing for life on Drem is that life produces Acetate. The main look of this
theory is that a Dremish bacterium takes in CO2, usually from a hydrothermal
vent and free hydrogen to produce Acetate and water. The need
for a survey team to penetrate the deep
Conversion of Methyl + Methylamines to Methane and the use of
hydrogen as energy by Acetogens
What
is shown below is small list of typical ways that an acetogen
ferments/metabolized simple methyl and methylamines to Methane to help
replenish the atmosphere. Any Acetogen might use one or more of these, or if
like Earth, there can be a wide variety of acetogens who can utilize all these
ways and more to large biological reason why Methane is reproducing and staying
as a tick and vibrant atmosphere. Once again to note, this information is still
very controversial and a full survey team needs to fully explore the Dremish
oceans depths and actually find microbiotic life to
be able to prove that life does indeed exist on Drem.
1. 4 CH30H → 3 CH4 + HC03-
+ H+ + 2 H20
2. 4 CH30H + CH3COO → 4 CH4 + 2 HCO3- + H+
3. CH30H + H2 → CH4 + H20
4. 4 CH3NH3+ + 3 H20 → 3 CH4 + HC03-
+ 4 NH4 + H+
5. 2 (CH3)2NH2+ + 3 H20 → 3 CH4 + HCO3 + 2 NH4+ + H+
6. 4 (CH3)3NH+ + 9 H20 → *9 CH4 +
3 HC03- + 4 NH4+ + 3 H+
7. 4 H2 + 2 HCO3 + H+ → * CH3COO- + 4 H2O
Drem Amino Acid formation:
On Drem, the planet has proven
itself to be an exciting place for biochemical processes. The genesis of life
and the beginnings of life show up vividly on this planet. The main item to
note is the formation of amino acids, no matter if formed underwater or in the
atmosphere, the heart is a special mixing zone, and that mixing zone is the
ocean surface where the hydrocarbon soup and water/ammonia ocean mix. On Drem,
there are two general types of amino acid formation, the first deals with aldehydes which are commonly found on the ocean surface and
then the “rest” which can be formed near hydrothermal vents or even in the
atmosphere. Either way, both types of amino production shows
their creations on the ocean surface to become mixed in Drem’s
great hydrocarbon soup.
The main formatives for aldehyde amino acids are two things, both generally found
in the region known as “the soup line”. The two things are formaldehyde and
hydrogen cyanide. These two form a large creation base
of aldehyde amino acids and are consistently being
churned up either by deep welling ocean currents, or from Dremish rainfall.
Another ingredient which is sometimes overlooked is the ever present ammonia
which keeps the Drem oceans free of ice. The amino acid formation is very
consistent and always occurring presenting a scientist with a very active and
extraordinary laboratory to test for life and the origins thereof.
Aldehyde + HCN + H2O = Amino Acid
Formaldehyde (CH2O)
+ Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) + Water (H2O) -> Glycolic Acid (C2H4O3)
+ Glycine (C2H5NO2)
HCHO + NH3 -> H2N-CH2OH -> HN=CH2 +
H2O -> HN=CH2 + HCN -> H2NCH2CN -> H2NCH2-CN + 2H2O -> H2NCH2COOH +
NH3
Acetaldehyde (C2H4O) +
Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) + Water (H2O) -> C3H6O3
(Lactic acid) + Alanine (C3H7NO2)
Formaldehyde (CH2O)2 +
Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) + Water (H2O) -> Serine (C3H7NO3)
HCHO
+ NH4Cl -> CH3NH2 + HCl
Other amino acid reactions:
(NH3)5
+ CH4 + (C2H6)2 + H2O →
C5H8N5O (guanine) + (25/2)H2
Hydrogen
Cyanide (HCN)5 -> Adenine (C5H5N5)
HCN + H4 -> CH3NH2 (methylamine)
HCHO + HCN ->
CH2OHCN (glycolic nitrile) -> CH2OHCN + (H2O)2 -> CH2OHCOOH (glycollic
acid) + NH3
Possible Drem Metabolic pathways:
On
Drem, there are several pathways, but this one shown below is one projected to
give some interesting results under the unexplored and hidden ocean on Drem.
Due to the consistent rain of hydrocarbons onto the ocean, the hydrocarbon soup
can easily mix with water and ammonia to create some very spectacular organic
possibilities. The main idea of a mixing zone is where chemicals and organics
produced near hydrothermal vents would rise to the surface and either mix with
atmospheric organics, or go up into the atmosphere and get mixed with organics
there. Ultimately a large circular pattern of atmospheric and oceanic organics get
mixed at the ocean surface and therefore the “Great Dremish soup line” is
proposed to be the main area of organic production, and also where metabolic
processes might of started.
Below
is a chart that is projected to occur under the ocean, where a possible life
form might be using to generate energy for life. There are most likely many
more metabolic pathways, especially if Drem is anything like Earth, whereby
this chart below will show what a “typical” metabolic pathway could be due to
the ease of having Acetylene around for use to be utilized for energy. This
pathway also will show what could be a biological marker since it is proposed
that Drem has biologically created Methane, and this pathway will present as
one simple variety as to “how it is done”. What is seen is interesting in being
an anaerobic metabolic pathway, it brings 2% to ATP (energy) and the rest would
go to pyruvate and heat production. So if any life
forms do exist under those waves, the question will remain until some of the
locals “show themselves”, so bear in mind that the pathways are technically
terrestrial, yet the pathways also would work on Drem as well.
ACETYLENE PATHWAY:
|
Chemical compound |
Enzyme |
Chemical Reaction |
|
Acetylene |
|
reduced ferrodoxin + 2H+ + ATP +
H2O |
|
|
Nitrongenase |
oxidized ferrodoxin + ADP + Pi |
|
Ethylene |
|
O2 + NADH + H+ |
|
|
Alkene Monoxygenase |
NAD+ + H2O |
|
Ethylene Oxide |
|
NAD+ |
|
|
Epoxide Dehydrogenase |
NADH + H+ |
|
Acetyl CoA |
|
acetyl-CoA + NADH + H+ |
|
|
acetaldehyde dehydrogenase |
acetaldehyde + CoA + NAD+ |
|
Acetyldehyde |
|
formate + acetaldehyde |
|
|
lactate synthase |
(S)-lactate |
|
L-Lactate |
|
(S)-lactate + NAD+ |
|
|
L-lactate dehydrogenase |
pyruvate + NADH + H+ |
|
Pyruvate |
|
ATP + pyruvate + phosphate |
|
|
phosphate dikinase |
AMP + phosphoenolpyruvate + diphosphate |
|
Phosphoenol Pyruvate |
|
H2O + phosphoenolpyruvate + CO2 |
|
|
phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase |
phosphate + oxaloacetate |
|
Oxaloactetate |
|
oxaloacetate + NADPH + H+ |
|
|
malate dehydrogenase
(NADP+) |
(S)-malate + NADP+ |
|
Malate |
|
(S)-malate + NADP+ |
|
|
malate dehydrogenase |
pyruvate + CO2 + NADPH |
|
CO2 |
|
|
METHANE METABOLISM
|
Chemical compound |
Enzyme |
Chemical Reaction |
|
CO2 |
|
CO2 + NAD+ |
|
|
formate hydrogenase |
formate + NADH |
|
Formate |
|
formate + NAD+ + 2 H+ |
|
|
formaldehyde hydrogenase |
formaldehyde + NADH + H2O |
|
Formaldehyde |
|
aldehyde + H2O2 |
|
|
alcohol deoxidase |
primary alcohol + O2 |
|
Methanol |
|
methanol + NAD(P)+ + H2O |
|
|
methane monodeoxygenase |
methane + NAD(P)H + H+ + O2 |
|
Methane |
|
|
Copyright 2006 by Kevin Urbanczyk
All Rights Reserved
Used with Celestia
1.4.1
Chris Laurel
<claurel@www.shatters.net>
Clint Weisbrod
<cweisbrod@cogeco.ca>
Fridger Schrempp
<t00fri@mail.desy.de>
Bob Ippolito
<bob@redivi.com>
Christophe Teyssier
<chris@teyssier.org>
Hank Ramsey
<hramsey@users.sourceforge.net>
Grant Hutchison
<granthutchison@blueyonder.co.uk>
Planet texture copyright
John M. Dollan Maastrichian@bresnan.net
Resource sites:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
KEGG: http://www.genome.jp/kegg/
Biocyc: http://biocyc.org/META/
Solstation: http://www.solstation.com/
Astrobiology Magazine: http://www.astrobio.net/