UV limits of life on extrasolar planets: an experiment with halophile archaeabacteria at different UV doses

ABREVAYA X. C.; ADAMO H. P.; EDUARDO CORTON; MAUAS P. J. D.

Boletín de la Asociación Argentina de Astronomía

Asociación Argentina de Astrobiologia

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2008 vol. 51 p. 3 - 6

1669-9521

Terrestial-type planets around M stars are proposed as feasible places for development of life as we know it. Nevertheless many dMe stars emit large amounts of UV radiation during flares and it is unknown if these events could be deleterious for life. Since terrestrial biological systems are particularly vulnerable to this kind of radiation, this fact could set a limit for habitability. Organisms as halophile archaeabacteria were found in ancient evaporites on Earth. Evaporites have been detected in Martian meteorites, so these organisms are proposed as plausible inhabitants of Mars-like planets or other extrasolar planets. We examine the effect of UV-C on the halophile archaea Natrialba magadii. Results show that these organisms are able to survive at the UV doses tested.