* Introduction: The Giant and the Cow * The Expansion of the Universe * The Cosmic Microwave Radiation Background * Recipe for a Hot Universe * The First Three Minutes * A Historical Diversion * The First One-Hundredth Second * Epilogue: The Project Ahead * Tables * Properties of Some Elementary Particles * Properties of Some Kinds of Radiation * Glossary * Mathematical Supplement * Afterword: Cosmology Since 1977

The first three minutes. A modern view of the origin of the universe

We modeled the evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy to trace the distribution in space and time of four prerequisites for complex life: the presence of a host star, enough heavy elements to form terrestrial planets, sufficient time for biological evolution, and an environment free of life-extinguishing supernovae. We identified the Galactic habitable zone (GHZ) as an annular region between 7 and 9 kiloparsecs from the Galactic center that widens with time and is composed of stars that formed between 8 and 4 billion years ago. This GHZ yields an age distribution for the complex life that may inhabit our Galaxy. We found that 75% of the stars in the GHZ are older than the Sun.

The Galactic Habitable Zone and the Age Distribution of Complex Life in the Milky Way

Condensation of amino acids to peptides is an important step during the origin of life. However, up to now, successful explanations for plausible prebiotic peptide formation pathways have been limited. Here we report that the oxidation of sulfur (IV) can induce the condensation reaction of carboxylic acids and amines to form amides, and the condensation reaction of amino acids to form peptides. This might be a general reaction contributing to prebiotic peptide formation.

Condensation of amino acids to form peptides in aqueous solution induced by the Oxidation of Sulfur(IV)

/pdf/sedimentation-and-proposed-algorithms-to-detect-the-possible-52xs03hyll.pdf

Sedimentation and Proposed Algorithms to Detect the Possible Existence of Vegetation and Humidity in the Landing Area of the Mars Exploration Rover-B (Opportunity)

I. Classical Astronomy.- II. Sun and Stars Astrophysics of Individual Stars.- III. Stellar Systems Milky Way and Galaxies Cosmogony and Cosmology.- IV. A Summary of Selected Recent Results.- Physical Constants and Astronomical Quantities.- Figure Acknowledgments.

Horst Rauchfuss

Papers

The Cosmos, the Solar System and the Primeval Earth

Peptides and Proteins: the “Protein World”

Exo/Astrobiology and Other Related Subjects

From the Planets to Interstellar Matter

Primeval Cells and Cell Models