施维特曼说,叶绿素主要吸收红光和蓝光。但从一颗覆盖着植物的行星上反射过来的光谱将显示天体生物学家所说的“植被红边”。这种“红边”是光谱中接近红外区域的光线反射的突然变化,植物会突然停止吸收位于该区域的红色波长光并开始将它们反射出去。
spectrum ['spektrəm] : n.光谱;频谱
Retinal-based photosynthesizers, on the other hand, have a "green edge," Schwieterman said. They absorb light up to the green portion of the spectrum, and then start reflecting longer wavelengths away.
施维特曼说,另一方面,基于视黄醛的光合生物体拥有“绿边”。它们吸收光谱中绿色区域以下的光线,然后开始反射波长更长的光。
Astrobiologists have long been intrigued by the possibility of detecting extraterrestrial life by detecting the "red edge," Schwieterman said, but they may need to consider searching for the "green edge," too.
施维特曼说,天体生物学家长期以来一直痴迷于通过探测“红边”来发现外星生命的可能性,但或许他们也需要考虑寻找“绿边”。
"If these organisms were present in sufficient densities on an exoplanet, those reflection properties would be imprinted on that planet's reflected light spectrum," he said.
他说:“如果这些生物体以足够的密度存在于某个外星行星上,那么这些反射特性就会记录在该行星的反射光谱上。”
【地球上最早的生命和外星生命可能都是紫色的】相关文章:
最新
2020-09-15
2020-09-15
2020-09-15
2020-09-15
2020-09-15
2020-09-15