Venus cloud catcher as a proof of concept aerosol collection instrument.

We report on the proof-of-concept of a low-mass, low-power method for collecting micron-sized sulfuric acid aerosols in bulk from the atmosphere of Venus. The collection method uses four wired meshes in a sandwich structure with a deposition area of 225 cm. It operates in two modes: passive and electrostatic.

Alternative Solvents for Life: Framework for Evaluation, Current Status, and Future Research.

Life is a complex, dynamic chemical system that requires a dense fluid solvent in which to take place. A common assumption is that the most likely solvent for life is liquid water, and some researchers argue that water is the only plausible solvent. However, a persistent theme in astrobiological research postulates that other liquids might be cosmically common and could be solvents for the chemistry of life.

General instability of dipeptides in concentrated sulfuric acid as relevant for the Venus cloud habitability.

Recent renewed interest in the possibility of life in the acidic clouds of Venus has led to new studies on organic chemistry in concentrated sulfuric acid. We have previously found that the majority of amino acids are stable in the range of Venus' cloud sulfuric acid concentrations (81% and 98% w/w, the rest being water). The natural next question is whether dipeptides, as precursors to larger peptides and proteins, could be stable in this environment.

Reasons why life on Earth rarely makes fluorine-containing compounds and their implications for the search for life beyond Earth.

Life on Earth is known to rarely make fluorinated carbon compounds, as compared to other halocarbons. We quantify this rarity, based on our exhaustive natural products database curated from available literature. We build on explanations for the scarcity of fluorine chemistry in life on Earth, namely that the exclusion of the C-F bond stems from the unique physico-chemical properties of fluorine, predominantly its extreme electronegativity and strong hydration shell.

A qualitative assessment of limits of active flight in low density atmospheres.

Exoplanet atmospheres are expected to vary significantly in thickness and chemical composition, leading to a continuum of differences in surface pressure and atmospheric density. This variability is exemplified within our Solar System, where the four rocky planets exhibit surface pressures ranging from 1 nPa on Mercury to 9.2 MPa on Venus.