Jupiter it’s a big planet and inhospitable, but it is quite possible that we owe life on Earth to it. And, according to a study recently published by scientists at Rice University with the support of NASAthe largest planet in the Solar System acted as a kind of gravitational dam to retain in our neighborhood some of the essential ingredients for the proliferation of living organisms.
Phosphorus and nitrogen. These scientists have been based in measuring the ratio between phosphorus and nitrogen (P/N), two elements that are considered essential for life in adequate proportions. Thanks to the analysis of the composition of two different types of meteorites, it was possible to verify that, initially, the appropriate P/N ratio was concentrated in the outer part of the solar system, very far from where the Earth ended up forming.
However, when the giant Jupiter was born, its great mass caused a kind of gravitational barrier that prevented the phosphorus from continuing to flow outwards and concentrate inside, in such a way that the Earth had the correct proportion of those pieces that, joined to others, could little by little give rise to the life that our planet houses today.
4.5 billion years of history. The solar system was formed from a large cloud of gas and dust 4.5 billion years ago. First, gas and dust merged to form celestial objects known as planetesimals. These collided with each other, releasing small pieces that over time became the planets and moons that the Solar System houses today. Some, however, did not constitute either of these two objects, but continued to wander in the form of asteroids.
Furthermore, if these asteroids impact the Earth They are considered meteoriteswhich can be of two types. On the one hand we have iron meteorites, which are dense, metallic and composed mostly of iron and nickel. Secondly we have the chondrites, which They are rocky. The latter constitute the majority of meteorites that have been recovered on Earth.
Some older than others. Today we know that iron meteorites are older than chondrites, since they were formed from a first batch of planetesimals. Chondrites were formed about 2-3 million years later. Taking this into account is very important, since it is precisely what was analyzed to verify how nitrogen and phosphorus were distributed during the dawn of the Solar System.
Two other elements come into action. There are two other elements that indicate the origin of meteorites that have impacted the Earth. By analyzing the ratios of nickel and molybdenum isotopes it is possible to know whether the meteorites come from the external or internal part of the Solar System. This is important, since thanks to a series of laboratory experiments and geochemical models it was possible to verify exactly where the meteorites came from and how the levels of phosphorus and nitrogen fluctuated between them.
The asteroid belt separates the outer and inner part of the Solar System
From outside to inside. We already know that the first phases of the solar system can be studied in iron meteorites and the newer ones in chondrites. We also know that both can come from the external or internal part of the solar system and that this is found out by analyzing the isotopes of nickel and molybdenum. Thus, these scientists saw that the greatest high P/N was initially concentrated in the outer part of the solar system. However, later the tables turned and it began to focus on the internal region, precisely where the Earth was formed.
The causes. In its initial phases, the protoplanetary disk in which the planets formed would be very hot and turbulent. These turbulences cause a strong flow of materials outwards. With increasing temperatures, phosphorus condenses inside the disk, as part of a mineral called schreibersite. Then, due to turbulence, it flows to the outside of the disk, which is much colder. The result is a buildup of phosphorus on the outside.
As for nitrogen, through oxidation it is freed from some minerals that contain it, but it is very volatile, so it is maintained at lower levels. That means that in the outer layers there is a high P/N ratio. That is, much more phosphorus than nitrogen.
Turn of tables. In chondrites it is observed that the tables turn. The elements of life flowed inward. This is partly because the disk is already colder after 3 million years, so there is less turbulence. But it is not enough to explain what these scientists have seen. For this reason, they consider that there is also a great influence from Jupiter. The changes occur more or less from the moment this giant planet formed. The main suspicion is that, being so large, it exerts a great gravitational influence that acts as a barrier preventing the schreibersite from escaping outward.
On the other hand, due to the cooling of the disk, the nitrogen-bearing minerals stabilize on the outside. This means that the exterior is enriched in nitrogen, while the interior is impoverished. Added to the retention of internal phosphorus, the result is a high internal P/N ratio, which coincides with what we have on Earth today and, possibly, served as a starting signal for the formation of life. In short, Jupiter gave us a cable. He didn’t give us the ingredients to live, but he did prevent them from escaping our neighborhood. That was the key.
Image | Comparison of the size of Jupiter and Earth (NASA) | Solar System (NASA)
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