Roles of Solar Energetic Particles in Generation of Life in the Early Earth

Abstract

Roles of solar energetic particles in habitability of the early Earth and in formation of amino acids and their enantiomeric excesses were examined by simulation experiments. SEPs are mainly composed of high energy protons, and it was suggested that high-flux SEPs were generated from the young Sun and entered into Earth atmosphere. It was shown that such SEPs were major energy to form amino acid precursors, in the case that primitive Earth atmosphere was slightly reducing. SEPs were produced N₂O, which is greenhouse effect gas and could be keep the early Earth habitable. SEPs could generate spin-polarized muons, which may have formed enantiomeric excesses of amino acids.