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Comets and the Photochemistry of the Paleoatmosphere

  • Conference paper
Comets and the Origin of Life

Part of the book series: Proceedings of the College Park Colloquia ((PCPC,volume 5))

Abstract

Ozone (O3) is a key atmospheric gas in considerations of the photochemistry/chemistry of the paleoatmosphere, chemical evolution, and the origin and evolution of life. The photochemistry/chemistry of atmospheric O3 in the paleoatmosphere is investigated using a one-dimensional photochemical model that includes the chemistry of the oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon, and chlorine gases. The role of cometary influx of H2O on the photochemistry of the paleoatmosphere is also examined. Recently, it has been suggested that our planet received a significant portion of the volatiles presently in the atmospheric/oceanic/biospheric system from cometary volatile influx. Several consequences of a cometary H2O influx on the photochemistry and structure of the paleoatmosphere are presented.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, 23665, USA

    Joel S. Levine & Robert E. Boughner

  2. Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, 23508, USA

    Tommy R. Augustsson

  3. George Washington University Joint Institute for Advancement of Flight Sciences, Hampton, VA, 23665, USA

    Murali Natarajan

  4. Christopher Newport College, Newport News, VA, 23606, USA

    Lawrence J. Sacks (Summer 1980 Faculty Research Fellow at the NASA Langley Research Center)

  5. NASA/ASEE, USA

    Lawrence J. Sacks (Summer 1980 Faculty Research Fellow at the NASA Langley Research Center)

Authors
  1. Joel S. Levine
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  2. Tommy R. Augustsson
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  3. Robert E. Boughner
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  4. Murali Natarajan
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  5. Lawrence J. Sacks
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Chemical Evolution, Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 20742, USA

    Cyril Ponnamperuma

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© 1981 D. Reidel Publishing Company

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Levine, J.S., Augustsson, T.R., Boughner, R.E., Natarajan, M., Sacks, L.J. (1981). Comets and the Photochemistry of the Paleoatmosphere. In: Ponnamperuma, C. (eds) Comets and the Origin of Life. Proceedings of the College Park Colloquia, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8528-5_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8528-5_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-009-8530-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-8528-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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