View source for MERMOZ

{{short description|Way of remotely detecting living matter}}
{{use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
[[File:NASA-WhatBiosignaturesDoesLifeProduce-20180625.jpg|thumb|right|150px|<div align="center">What does life produce?<ref name="NASA-20180625" /><ref name="EA-20180625" /></div>]]
'''MERMOZ''' (also, '''MERMOZ project''' and  '''Monitoring planEtary suRfaces with Modern pOlarimetric characteriZation''') is an [[astrobiology]] project<ref name="NASA-20180625">{{cite web |last1=Cofield |first1=Calla |last2=Chou |first2=Felicia |title=NASA Asks: Will We Know Life When We See It? |url=https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7171 |date=25 June 2018 |work=[[NASA]] |access-date=21 June 2021 }}</ref><ref name="EA-20180625">{{cite web  |title=UCR team among scientists developing guidebook for finding life beyond earth – Major series of review articles outlines past, present, and future of searching for life on other planets |url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-06/uoc--uta062518.php |date=25 June 2018 |work=[[University of California, Riverside]] |access-date=21 June 2021 }}</ref> designed to remotely detect [[Biosignature|biosignatures of life]].<ref name="AA-2021">{{cite journal |author=Patty, C.H.L. |display-authors=et al. |title=Biosignatures of the Earth I. Airborne spectropolarimetric detection of photosynthetic life |url=https://www.aanda.org/component/article?access=doi&doi=10.1051/0004-6361/202140845 |date=2021 |journal=[[Astronomy & Astrophysics]] |volume=A68 |page=651 |doi=10.1051/0004-6361/202140845 |arxiv=2106.00493 |bibcode=2021A&A...651A..68P |s2cid=235265876 |accessdate=21 June 2021 }}</ref><ref name="ARX-20210601">{{cite journal |author=Patty, C.H. Luca |display-authors=et al. |title=Biosignatures of the Earth |journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics |date=1 June 2021  |volume=651 |pages=A68 |doi=10.1051/0004-6361/202140845 |arxiv=2106.00493 |bibcode=2021A&A...651A..68P |s2cid=235265876 }}</ref><ref name="STD-20210620">{{cite news |author=((University of Bern)) |author-link=University of Bern |title=Scientists Use New Technology to Detect Signatures of Life Remotely |url=https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-use-new-technology-to-detect-signatures-of-life-remotely/amp/ |date=20 June 2021 |work=SciTechDaily.com |accessdate=21 June 2021 }}</ref><ref name="AB-20210620">{{cite news  |title=Scientists Detect Signatures Of Life Remotely |url=http://astrobiology.com/2021/06/scientists-detect-signatures-of-life-remotely.html |date=20 June 2021 |work=Astrobiology.com |accessdate=21 June 2021 }}</ref><ref name="SE-2021">{{cite news  |title=SAINT-EX ― Search and characterisation of exoplanets - MERMOZ description |url=https://www.saintex.unibe.ch/mermoz/description/ |date=2021 |work=Saintex.Unibe.ch |accessdate=21 June 2021 }}</ref><ref name="DB-20210622">{{cite news |last=Hanks |first=Micah |title=Scientists Detect Signs Of Life At A Distance Using Remote Sensing |url=https://thedebrief.org/scientists-detect-signs-of-life-at-a-distance-using-remote-sensing/ |date=22 June 2021 |work=TheDebrief.org |accessdate=22 June 2021 }}</ref><ref name="SPIE-20201213">{{cite conference |author=Kühn, J. |title=Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VIII |chapter=Monitoring the Earth's diverse environments with full-Stokes spectro-polarimetry: The MERMOZ project |editor-first1=Christopher J |editor-first2=Julia J |editor-first3=Kentaro |editor-last1=Evans |editor-last2=Bryant |editor-last3=Motohara |display-authors=et al. |chapter-url=https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/11447/114479L/Monitoring-the-Earths-diverse-environments-with-full-Stokes-spectro-polarimetry/10.1117/12.2576310.short |date=13 December 2020 |journal=[[SPIE]] |at=114479L |doi=10.1117/12.2576310 |isbn=9781510636811 |s2cid=230540533 |accessdate=22 June 2021 }}</ref><ref name="NCCR-2020">{{cite web |last1=Kühn |first1=Jonas |last2=Patty |first2=Lucas |title=Project 4.1: Characterisation of bio-markers using spectro-polarimetry |url=https://nccr-planets.ch/research/phase2/domain4/project1/ |date=2020 |work=[[Swiss National Science Foundation|National Centre of Competence in Research PlanetS]] |accessdate=21 June 2021 }}</ref> Detection is based on [[Homochirality#In biology|molecular homochirality]], a characteristic property of the [[biochemical]]s of [[life]]. The aim of the project is to remotely identify and characterize life on the planet Earth from space, and to extend this technology to other [[Solar System|solar system bodies]] and [[exoplanet]]s. The project began in 2018, and is a collaboration of the [[University of Bern]], [[University of Leiden]] and [[Delft University of Technology]].<ref name="AA-2021" /><ref name="ARX-20210601" /><ref name="STD-20210620" /><ref name="AB-20210620" /><ref name="SE-2021" /><ref name="DB-20210622" /><ref name="SPIE-20201213" /><ref name="NCCR-2020" />
According to a member of the research team, “When light is reflected by biological matter, a part of the light’s electromagnetic waves will travel in either clockwise or counterclockwise spirals ... This phenomenon is called [[Polarimetry|circular polarization]] and is caused by the biological matter’s homochirality.” These unique spirals of light indicate living materials; whereas, non-living materials do not reflect such unique spirals of light, according to the researchers.<ref name="DB-20210622" />
The research team conducted feasibility studies, using a newly designed detection instrument, based on circular spectropolarimetry, and named '''''FlyPol+''''' (an upgrade from the original '''''FlyPol'''''), by flying in a helicopter at an altitude of {{convert|2|km|mi|abbr=on}} and velocity of {{convert|70|kph|mph|abbr=on}} for 25 minutes. The results were successful in remotely detecting living material, and quickly (within seconds) distinguishing living material from non-living material. The researchers concluded: "Circular spectropolarimetry can be a powerful technique to detect life beyond Earth, and we emphasize the potential of utilizing circular spectropolarimetry as a [[remote sensing]] tool to characterize and monitor in detail the vegetation physiology and terrain features of Earth itself."<ref name="ARX-20210601" />
The researchers next expect to scan the Earth from the [[International Space Station]] (ISS) with their detection instruments.<ref name="STD-20210620" /> One consequence of further successful studies is a possible pathfinder space mission, scheduled to launch in 2024.<ref name="SE-2021" />
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==See also==
* [[Bioindicator]]
* [[Biosignature]]
* [[Taphonomy]]
==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Astrobiology}}
{{Extraterrestrial life}}
{{Portal bar|Astronomy|Biology}}
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[[Category:Astrobiology]]
[[Category:Astrochemistry]]
[[Category:Bioindicators]]
[[Category:Biology terminology]]
[[Category:Search for extraterrestrial intelligence]]
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