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New research has found that some of the most likely places on Mars to find traces of ancient life may also be the least suitable for preserving them. It turned out that "lipids" - important building blocks of life - are destroyed very quickly under the influence of cosmic rays. Especially in high-salt environments, which are thought to be the best places for life on Mars.
The study found that under Martian-like conditions, radiation significantly accelerates the breakdown of lipids. On average, their complete destruction can happen after 3 million years. This may be one of the reasons why we have not found clear signs of life on Mars, despite great efforts.
Many of the places on Mars thought to be most suitable for preserving traces of life have high salt content. In such an environment, salts can lead to chemical reactions that destroy organic molecules such as lipids to an even greater extent. Currently, it is not entirely clear which properties of salt cause this process. But it is known that even a microscopic amount of water can contribute to the formation of oxidants, which also decompose organic molecules. Despite the complexity, this does not mean that life on Mars never existed. Therefore, future missions will be able to explore deeper layers of the soil, where the level of radiation will be much lower.
"If the discovery of life on Mars has not happened, it can only mean that we are looking in the wrong place or that we should dig deeper." say the researchers.
This discovery poses new challenges for researchers, but at the same time it opens up new opportunities for further research.
New research has found that some of the most likely places on Mars to find traces of ancient life may also be the least suitable for preserving them. It turned out that "lipids" - important building blocks of life - are destroyed very quickly under the influence of cosmic rays. Especially in high-salt environments, which are thought to be the best places for life on Mars.
The study found that under Martian-like conditions, radiation significantly accelerates the breakdown of lipids. On average, their complete destruction can happen after 3 million years. This may be one of the reasons why we have not found clear signs of life on Mars, despite great efforts.
Many of the places on Mars thought to be most suitable for preserving traces of life have high salt content. In such an environment, salts can lead to chemical reactions that destroy organic molecules such as lipids to an even greater extent. Currently, it is not entirely clear which properties of salt cause this process. But it is known that even a microscopic amount of water can contribute to the formation of oxidants, which also decompose organic molecules. Despite the complexity, this does not mean that life on Mars never existed. Therefore, future missions will be able to explore deeper layers of the soil, where the level of radiation will be much lower.
"If the discovery of life on Mars has not happened, it can only mean that we are looking in the wrong place or that we should dig deeper." say the researchers.
This discovery poses new challenges for researchers, but at the same time it opens up new opportunities for further research.
