[Baps] PLS 9/19 - Sukrit Ranjan (U Arizona) — Life in the Light: Photochemical Insights Towards Life as a Planetary Phenomenon

[Jason Soderblom]

All,

We are excited to announce that Sukrit Ranjan<https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/faculty/sukrit-ranjan> (Assistant Professor, University of Arizona & former SCOL Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT) will be giving the first Planetary Lunch Talk of the semester (details below) next week. Please join us Tuesday September 19 @ 12:30 in 54-517 (to be confirmed) and on zoom. As always, lunch will be provided and we encourage attendees arrive a few minutes early to get food.

Sukrit will be on campus Monday and Tuesday morning — if you would like to meet with him, please sign up here<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hIRrKmlHGsDt1LSo7_ATy8OOObdPd6M_ZpposoaLza0/edit?usp=sharing>.


Title: Life in the Light: Photochemical Insights Towards Life as a Planetary Phenomenon

Abstract: Advances in origins-of-life chemistry are transforming our understanding of how life emerged on Earth, while upcoming space missions offer the prospect of detecting life on other worlds. Fundamental to both quests is interaction of UV radiation with molecular systems (photochemistry). Photochemistry controls the chemical context for the origin of life on Earth and influences the molecular signposts with which we hope to detect life elsewhere. I will share photochemical work which refines our understanding of early Earth environments, and demonstrate how such understanding enables assessment and improvement of theories of origins-of-life chemistry. I will discuss photochemical efforts to elucidate potential atmospheric biosignatures of life on other worlds, and show how the search for life on other worlds may enable tests of theories of the origin of life. In sum, I will review theoretical, experimental, and observational work towards understanding the origin and distribution of life in the universe through the lens of photochemistry.


Cheers,
Jason and the PLS Organizing Committee


Zoom: https://mit.zoom.us/j/92448700577
Pw: 54100

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