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DR. SARA SEAGER Extrasolar Planets & Their Atmospheres Quarterly Publication - September 2019 HONORS Number 3 in a Series General Product Listing Noah Technologies can scale up from R&D laboratory quantities to full production quantities as needed. Our products are manufactured in various purities ranging from 99 percent pure up to 99.9999+ percent pure, in addition to national specifications for ACS, USP/NF, and FCC. Many of our chemical products are custom manufactured HONORS according to precise specifications. Aluminum Nitrate Chromium Oxide Mercury Oxide Sodium Chloride Aluminum Potassium Chromium Potassium Molybdenum Oxide Sodium Citrate Sulfate Sulfate Molybdic Acid Sodium Cobaltinitrite Aluminum Sulfate Cobalt Chloride Nickel Sulfate Sodium Cyanide Ammonium Acetate Cobalt Nitrate Oxalic Acid Sodium Diethyldithio- Ammonium Bromide Cobalt Acetate Phosphomolybdic Acid carbamate Ammonium Carbonate Copper Acetate Phosphoric Acid Sodium Fluoride Ammonium Chloride Copper Chloride Potassium Acetate Sodium Formate Canadian-AmericanDR. SARAastronomer & planetary scientist Ammonium Citrate Copper Nitrate Potassium Bicarbonate Sodium Hydroxide Ammonium Fluoride Copper Oxide Potassium Bromate Sodium Iodide Ammonium Iodide Copper Sulfate Potassium Bromide Sodium Metaperiodate Ammonium Iron Sulfate Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Potassium Carbonate Sodium Molybdate Ammonium Metavanadate Acid Potassium Chlorate Sodium Nitrate Ammonium Molybdate Iron Nitrate Potassium Chloride Sodium Nitrite Ammonium Nitrate Iron Sulfate Potassium Chromate Sodium Oxalate Ammonium Oxalate Iron Chloride Potassium Ferricyanide Sodium Peroxide Ammonium Phosphate Lanthanum Chloride Potassium Ferrocyanide Sodium Phosphate Ammonium Sulfate Lead Chromate Potassium Fluoride Sodium Pyrophosphate SEAGER Extrasolar Planets & their Atmospheres Ammonium Thiocyanate Lead Nitrate Potassium Hydrogen Sulfate Sodium Sulfate Antimony Potassium Lead Oxide Potassium Hydroxide Sodium Sulfide Tartrate Lead Acetate Potassium Iodate Sodium Sulfite Arsenic Oxide Lead Carbonate Potassium Iodide Sodium Tartrate Barium Acetate Lead Subacetate Potassium Nitrate Sodium Tetraborate Barium Carbonate Lithium Carbonate Potassium Nitrite Sodium Thiosulfate “FOR EXOPLANETS, Barium Chloride Lithium Chloride Potassium Oxalate Sodium Tungstate Barium Hydroxide Lithium Hydroxide Potassium Permanganate Strontium Chloride Barium Nitrate Magnesium Acetate Potassium Persulfate Strontium Nitrate ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE Bismuth (III) Nitrate Magnesium Chloride Potassium Phosphate Tin Chloride Boric Acid Magnesium Nitrate Potassium Sodium Tartrate Zinc Acetate UNDER THE LAWS OF Cadmium Chloride Magnesium Oxide Potassium Sulfate Zinc Chloride Cadmium Sulfate Magnesium Sulfate Potassium Thiocyanate Zinc Oxide Calcium Carbonate Manganese Chloride Silver Nitrate Zinc Sulfate PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY.” Calcium Chloride Manganese Sulfate Silver Sulfate Calcium Hydroxide Mercury Acetate Sodium Acetate Calcium Nitrate Mercury Bromide Sodium Arsenate Calcium Sulfate Mercury Chloride Sodium Bicarbonate Cerium Ammonium Nitrate Mercury Iodide Sodium Bromide Cerium Ammonium Sulfate Mercury Nitrate Sodium Carbonate The use of this scientific information is to honor the scientist and does not imply C a l l 210-691-2000 • email us: [email protected] any endorsement of Noah Technologies products. DR. SARA SEAGER Extrasolar Planets & their Atmospheres A Journey of Exploration Water Vapor Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Space At present, we’re unable to see oceans on other planets. What makes phosphine of particular interest for its We can only study their atmosphere to collect clues potential as a biosignature gas is the lack of false On July 20th, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the lunar surface allowing Neil about the world below. According to Seager, water positives. It is challenging to produce phosphine. Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to be the first men to walk on the moon. As we vapor serves as a smoke signal to researchers. It is It would not be present on planets that have the celebrate the 50th anniversary of this historical achievement, it lends the question: evidence that liquid water is present, a requirement conditions for liquid water. Seager explains, “if you for all life as we know it. were able to identify phosphine on another planet, What about the next 50 years in space exploration? you’ll never be 100% sure that a gas you see is made Seager explains that water vapor gets broken apart by life, but you would be able to be more confident The Chemistry Under by ultraviolet radiation from the sun in the process that it was made by life.” The Atmosphere of photodissociation. On a small planet without a huge reservoir of water, the water vapor would split The Diversity of Exoplanets ne of the researchers leading As researchers explore the into hydrogen and oxygen, allowing it to escape into Seager’s team is always learning. Some of her team’s Ous into the future of space exploration atmospheres of other planets, they outer space. Therefore, the presence of water vapor most recent findings have revealed that exoplanets is Dr. Sara Seager, astrophysicist, operate under the assumption that in a planet’s atmosphere provides strong evidence come in all sizes and orbits. Astronomers have revealed planetary scientist, and professor at life on other planets use chemistry. there will be ocean-like bodies of water on the planet. it is currently easier to find planets that are close to MIT. Dr. Seager’s research focuses on Seager explains that it is nearly their star rather than far away. novel space missions and theoretical Oxygen impossible to know the details “Being a scientist For example, there is a class of models of exoplanets. of chemistry of other planets, As researchers hunt foreign planets so close to their star that The Search For Life including whether or not the atmospheres, top among the is like being an the planet’s year, the time it takes chemical ingredients are similar list of functional gases they for the planet to travel around its Seager’s research was driven by one burning question : to Earth’s. Seager says “what I love about my field of are searching for is oxygen, explorer. You have this star, is equivalent to one day! Could there be Earth-like exoplanets and signs of life work is the ability to combine fundamentals like basic which Seager explains is highly on other habitable worlds? Though the exploration of chemistry, physics, math, computer programming, and reactive. It should not exist in an immense curiosity, this Empowered by cutting edge exoplanets was a nascent field of study, she used her engineering. It’s like making a cake, you’re just taking atmosphere unless it is produced stubbornness, this resolute technology, we have much to look early years at Harvard to begin studying exoplanets these different fundamental ingredients and putting it by life. For example, on Earth, forward to as we move further around sun-like stars by evaluating atmospheres of together in a new way to study something new at the 20% of our atmosphere is made will that you will go into exoplanetary exploration. the so-called hot Jupiter planets. frontiers.” up of oxygen where it is primarily forward no matter what Seager hopes the next 50 years The Next 50 Years In Space Exploration produced by vegetation and will be an era of understanding Chemical Signs of Life photosynthetic bacteria. atmospheres of planets around With more powerful telescopes, researchers will be able In the search for functional gases on exoplanets, a other people say.” other stars. To see a man walking to begin studying planets closer to the size of Venus and return to the fundamentals drives the search for life. Phosphine on the moon gave rise to the idea Earth, which may even be habitable. Seager foresees Exploration may turn up some more obscure molecules Phosphine, a highly toxic gas that was used in of humanity in space. As we look to the next 50 years us reaching this milestone within the next 50 years. like dimethyl sulfide or methyl chloride, but some of chemical warfare in World War I, has become a of space exploration, one of the profound questions Seager expects that we will be able to study planets the chief indicators of life Seager and her team look focus for Seager’s team. When exploring scientific is whether life is common or extremely rare in our of a size similar to Earth and anticipates planets to be for are much more familiar to the layperson. literature, they uncovered evidence that indicates that galaxy. Seager thinks that life abounds in space, and chemically much more different than Earth. phosphine is actually produced by life on Earth. we could see examples in this century. C a l l 210-691-2000 • email us: [email protected] visit our website at noahtech.com DR. SARA SEAGER Extrasolar Planets & their Atmospheres A Journey of Exploration Water Vapor Celebrating the Past, Present and Future of Space At present, we’re unable to see oceans on other planets. What makes phosphine of particular interest for its We can only study their atmosphere to collect clues potential as a biosignature gas is the lack of false On July 20th, 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the lunar surface allowing Neil about the world below. According to Seager, water positives. It is challenging to produce phosphine. Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to be the first men to walk on the moon. As we vapor serves as a smoke signal to researchers. It is It would not be present on planets that have the celebrate the 50th anniversary of this historical achievement, it lends the question: evidence that liquid water
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