The Phosphene Controversy: Is it Phosphene? Is there life on Venus?. (arXiv:2104.01932v1 [physics.pop-ph])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/physics/1/au:+Hasan_P/0/1/0/all/0/1">Priya Hasan</a>
On 14th September 2020, the Royal Astronomical Society made an official
statement coupled with a webminar on the discovery of phosphine on Venus.
Single-line millimetre-waveband spectral detections of phosphine (with a
signal-to-noise ratio of $approx$ 15$sigma$) from the JCMT and ALMA
telescopes indicated a phosphine abundance of 20 ppb (parts per billion), 1000
times more than that on the Earth. Phosphine is an important biomarker and
immediate speculation in the media about indicators of life being found on
Venus followed. This article presents an analysis of the study and the results
on the observation of the spectral absorption feature of phosphine in the
clouds of Venus, thus implying as a potential biosignature. If phosphine is
produced through biotic, as opposed to abiotic pathways, the discovery could
imply a significant biomass in the Venusian atmosphere. The discovery led to a
major controversy with criticism of the analysis and results and responses to
it. The issue remains unresolved, leading to a fresh interest in the study of
Venus including ground-based observations as well as space-probes that can
answer these questions conclusively.
On 14th September 2020, the Royal Astronomical Society made an official
statement coupled with a webminar on the discovery of phosphine on Venus.
Single-line millimetre-waveband spectral detections of phosphine (with a
signal-to-noise ratio of $approx$ 15$sigma$) from the JCMT and ALMA
telescopes indicated a phosphine abundance of 20 ppb (parts per billion), 1000
times more than that on the Earth. Phosphine is an important biomarker and
immediate speculation in the media about indicators of life being found on
Venus followed. This article presents an analysis of the study and the results
on the observation of the spectral absorption feature of phosphine in the
clouds of Venus, thus implying as a potential biosignature. If phosphine is
produced through biotic, as opposed to abiotic pathways, the discovery could
imply a significant biomass in the Venusian atmosphere. The discovery led to a
major controversy with criticism of the analysis and results and responses to
it. The issue remains unresolved, leading to a fresh interest in the study of
Venus including ground-based observations as well as space-probes that can
answer these questions conclusively.
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