Elsevier Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life

Product Description Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life addresses the use of astronomical observations in the ultraviolet range to better understand the generation of complex, life-precursor molecules. The origin of RNA is still under debate but seems to be related to the generation of pools of complex organic molecules submitted to heavy cycles of solution in water and drying. This book investigates whether these cycles require a planetary surface or may occur in space by examining both the theoretical and observational aspects of the role of UV radiation in the origin of life. This book offers the latest advances in these studies for astronomers, astrobiologists and planetary scientists. Review Utilizes astronomical observations in the ultraviolet range to better understand the generation of complex, life-precursor molecules From the Back Cover Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life addresses the use of astronomical observations in the ultraviolet range to better understand the generation of complex, life-precursor molecules. The origin of RNA is still under debate but seems to be related to the generation of pools of complex organic molecules submitted to heavy cycles of solution in water and drying. This book investigates whether these cycles require a planetary surface or may occur in space by examining both the theoretical and observational aspects of the role of UV radiation in the origin of life. This book offers the latest advances in these studies for astronomers, astrobiologists and planetary scientists. About the Author Ana Inés Gómez de Castro is a professor in Astronomy and Astrophysics and member of the Mathematics Faculty in the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) and leads the Research Group on Space Astronomy. She is also the Principal Investigator of the Spanish participation in the Russian led mission World Space Observatory-UV (WSO-UV) with intended launch date 2021. WSO-UV is a 1.7 m space telescope equipped with instrumentation for UV imaging and spectroscopy. She is the chair of the European Network for Ultraviolet Astronomy (www.nuva.eu) and has been elected as member of Division B of the International Astronomical Union. She chairs the working group on UV astronomy of the IAU that has as fundamental objective to elaborate a road map for UV astronomy at international scale, seeking for international synergies and collaboration. She has published more than 200 articles, and edited 8 books, among them the NUVA series on UV astronomy. She has been member of the Editorial board of the journal Astrophysics and Space Science from 2011 to 2014. Her principal research interests are the physics of star formation and early stellar evolution.