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Habitability of Other Planets and Satellites pp 89–112Cite as

Bio-Relevant Microscopic Liquid Subsurface Water in Planetary Surfaces?

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Part of the book series: Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology ((COLE,volume 28))

Abstract

A liquid is per definitionem able to flow and to continually deform under an applied force. This implies internal mobility, which is understood in terms of an organized relative motion of units like atoms, molecules or local (internally ordered) domains of them. It is this internal mobility, which makes liquids able to support internal transport of matter down to the atomic and molecular level. Life requires transport processes.

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9. Acknowledgements

I wish to thank three unknown reviewers for their valuable comments to improve the manuscript. This research has been supported by the Helmholtz Association through the research alliance “Planetary Evolution and Life”.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Rutherfordstr. 2, D-12489, Berlin, Germany

    Diedrich Möhlmann

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  1. Diedrich Möhlmann
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Correspondence to Diedrich Möhlmann .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Experimental Planetary Physics, Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany

    Jean-Pierre de Vera

  2. The Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Joseph Seckbach

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Möhlmann, D. (2013). Bio-Relevant Microscopic Liquid Subsurface Water in Planetary Surfaces?. In: de Vera, JP., Seckbach, J. (eds) Habitability of Other Planets and Satellites. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology, vol 28. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6546-7_6

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