Note: Intro -- CONTENTS -- 1 Comets and the Origin and Evolution of Life -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Comets and the Origin on Life: An Idea with a Long History -- 1.3 Chemical Evolution of Cometary Nuclei -- 1.4 The Collisional History of the Early Solar System -- 1.5 A Cometary Origin for the Terrestrial Volatiles? -- 1.6 Comets and Prebiotic Synthesis -- 1.7 Cometary Collisions and Biological Evolution -- References -- 2 The Origin of the Atmosphere and of the Oceans -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Hypothesis of the Volcanic Origin -- 2.2.1 The Missing Primary Atmosphere -- 2.2.2 The Origin of the Solar System -- 2.3 Existence of Accretion Disks -- 2.4 Numerical Models for a Protosolar Accretion Disk -- 2.5 The Chondrites as Clues on Planetary Formation -- 2.6 From Dust to Planets -- 2.7 Temperature History of the Earth's Material -- 2.8 Thermochemical Equilibrium in Solar Nebula -- 2.9 Discussion: Was the Earth Outgassed? -- 2.10 Formation of the Giant Planets -- 2.11 Orbital Diffusion of Comets -- 2.12 Chronology -- 2.13 Chronology Discussion -- 2.14 Observational Confirmations -- 2.14.1 Cratering Record -- 2.14.2 Geochemistry -- 2.14.3 Geochemical Model -- 2.14.4 Noble Gases -- 2.14.5 Deuterium -- 2.15 Nature of the Early Atmosphere -- 2.16 Prebiotic Organic Syntheses -- 2.17 Summary -- 2.17.1 Verified Predictions of the Model -- 2.17.2 Unverified Predictions of the Model -- 2.18 Conclusion -- References -- 3 Cometary Micrometeorites in Planetology, Exobiology, and Early Climatology -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Dark Micrometeorites in Blue Ices: Relationships with Hydrous-Carbonaceous Chondrites -- 3.3 Formation of the Earth's Atmosphere: Previous Scenarios -- 3.3.1 Volcanism, Nebular Gases, and Comets -- 3.3.2 A Wrong Neon in the Giant Asteroid? -- 3.4 The Micrometeoritic "Purity" of the Earth's Atmosphere. , 3.4.1 Concentrations of Volatiles in Antarctic Micrometeorites -- 3.4.2 The Micrometeoritic "Purity" of the Earth's Atmosphere -- 3.5 Formation of the Post-Lunar Earth's Atmosphere -- 3.5.1 An Accretion Formula Born with the Moon -- 3.5.2 Total Amounts of Micrometeoritic Volatiles in the Post-Lunar Atmosphere -- 3.6 Micrometeoritic Siderophile Elements in Planetology -- 3.6.1 Micrometeoritic Iridium in the Earth's Mantle -- 3.6.2 A Difficult Extrapolation to the Moon and Mars -- 3.7 Micrometeoritic Sulfur and Ferrihydrite in Exobiology -- 3.7.1 Micrometeoritic Sulfur and the "Worlds" of Iron Sulfides andThioesters -- 3.7.2 Ferrihydrite in Unmelted and Melted Micrometeorites -- 3.8 A Post-Lunar Micrometeoritic Greenhouse Effect? -- 3.9 Controversies About the Parent Bodies of Micrometeorites -- 3.10 From Prospects to Unsolved Problems -- References -- 4 Macromolecules: From Star-Forming Regions to Comets to the Origins of Life -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Interstellar Ices -- 4.3 Laboratory Simulations -- 4.4 Observations from Massive Star-Forming Regions -- 4.4.1 Current Research on Macromolecules in HMCs and Comets -- 4.4.2 Sgr B2(N-LMH) -- 4.4.3 Other Sources -- 4.4.4 Comets -- 4.5 Summary and Prognosis -- References -- 5 Impact Delivery of Prebiotic Organic Matter to Planetary Surfaces -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Sources of Organic Material -- 5.3 Hydrocode Simulations -- 5.4 Earth:Significant Delivery -- 5.5 Mars: Balancing Factors -- 5.6 Europa: Impactor Loss -- 5.7 Amino Acids on the Moon: Impact Delivery? -- 5.8 Summary and Conclusions -- References -- 6 Comets and Prebiotic Organic Molecules on Early Earth -- 6.1 The Uninhabitable Habitable Zone -- 6.1.1 The Habitable Zone and Liquid Water -- 6.1.2 Are the Earth's Oceans Extraterrestrial? -- 6.1.3 D/H Ratios and Noble Gas Evidence -- 6.2 The Time Window for the Origin of Life. , 6.2.1 Frustration of the Origin of Life -- 6.2.2 Microfossils and Stromatolites -- 6.2.3 Molecular Biomarkers -- 6.2.4 Carbon Isotope Fractionation -- 6.3 Endogenous Production of Prebiotic Organic Molecules -- 6.3.1 Nature of the Early Atmosphere -- 6.3.2 Energy Sources and Atmospheric Organic Production -- 6.3.3 Organic Production at Hydrothermal Vents -- 6.4 The Lunar Cratering Record -- 6.4.1 A Terminal Lunar Cataclysm? -- 6.4.2 Implications for the Mass Flux on Early Earth -- 6.5 Impact Delivery of Intact Exogenous Organics -- 6.5.1 Interplanetary Dust Particles and Micrometeorites -- 6.5.2 Interstellar Dust -- 6.5.3 Meteorites -- 6.5.4 Catastrophic Airbursts -- 6.5.5 Big Impacts -- 6.6 Atmospheric Shock Synthesis of Organic Molecules -- 6.6.1 Shocks from Meteors -- 6.6.2 Shocks from Airburst -- 6.6.3 Shocks from Giant Impact Plumes -- 6.7 Postimpact Recombination -- 6.8 Amino Acids at the K/T Boundary -- 6.9 An Inventory of Organic Production on Early Earth -- 6.10 Organic Sinks and Concentrations -- 6.11 Prebiotic Organics on the Early Earth -- References -- 7 Impacts and the Early Evolution of Life -- 7.1 Prologue -- 7.2 Introduction -- 7.3 The Lunar Record -- 7.3.1 Energies of Basin-Forming Impacts -- 7.3.2 Crustal Contamination by Chondrites -- 7.3.3 Chronology of the Late Bombardment -- 7.4 The Late Bombardment on the Earth -- 7.4.1 Impactor Mass Distribution -- 7.4.2 Scaling the Lunar Impact Record to the Earth -- 7.5 Environmental Effects of Large Impacts on the Earth -- 7.5.1 An Ocean Vaporizing Impact -- 7.5.2 Imbrium on the Earth -- 7.5.3 Evolutionary Filters -- 7.6 The Late Bombardment on Mars -- 7.6.1 Environmental Effects of Large Impacts on Mars -- 7.6.2 Local Panspermia -- 7.7 Conclusions -- 7.8 Epilogue -- References -- 8 Extraterrestrial Impact Episodes and Archaean to Early Proterozoic (3.8-2.4 Ga) Habitats of Life. , 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 PRE-3.8-Ga Events -- 8.3 Post-3.8-Ga Extraterrestrial Impacts -- 8.4 Archaean to Early Proterozoic Impacts, Pilbara, and Kaapvaal Cratons -- 8.4.1 About 3.5-Ga Impact Cluster -- 8.4.2 About 3.26-3.225-Ga Asteroid Bombardment -- 8.4.3 About 2.6-2.4-Ga Impact Clusters and Associated Tsunami -- 8.5 Possible and Demonstrated Connections Between Extraterrestrial Impacts and Habitats of Life -- References -- 9 The Contemporary Hazard of Comet Impacts -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Impactor Population -- 9.3 Nature of the Hazard -- 9.3.1 Penetration Through the Atmosphere -- 9.3.2 Globally Catastrophic Impacts -- 9.3.3 Threshold for a Globally Catastrophic Climate Perturbation -- 9.4 Hazard Analysis -- 9.5 Risk Reduction and Mitigation -- 9.5.1 Impact Prediction -- 9.5.2 Deflection or Destruction -- 9.5.3 The Challenge of Comets -- 9.6 Summary and Conclusions -- References -- 10 The Conditions for Liquid Water in Cometary Nuclei -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Reconsidering Internal Heat Sources -- 10.2.1 Radioactive Heating -- 10.2.2 Amorphous-Crystalline Transition -- 10.3 Cooling Mechanisms -- 10.3.1 Thermal Diffusivity -- 10.4 Simple Physics -- 10.4.1 Energy Considerations -- 10.4.2 Timescales -- 10.5 Numerical Models -- 10.6 What Further Studies May Show -- References -- 11 Spacecraft Missions to Comets -- 11.1 Overview -- 11.2 The Relevance for Issues of the Origin of Life -- 11.3 Space Missions to Comets -- 11.4 Results and Expectations -- 11.4.1 The Measurements at Halley -- 11.4.2 Current Missions -- 11.4.3 Future Missions -- 11.5 Conclusions -- References -- 12 Interstellar and Cometary Dust in Relation to the Origin of Life -- 12.1 First In Situ Chemical Analysis of Interstellar Dust -- 12.1.1 Quinone Derivatives as Main Organic Component -- 12.1.2 Hydrated "Dirty" PAHs as Products of Radiative Chemistry in Nebulae. , 12.1.3 Possible Thermochemical Implications for the Accretion Process to Comets -- 12.2 New In Situ Analysis of Cometary Dust at p/Wild-2 -- 12.2.1 Corroboration of the Cometary Dust Prevalence of Nitrogen Chemistry -- 12.2.2 Precursors of Amino Acids, Sugars, and Some Other Building Blocks in Cosmic Dust -- 12.3 Combined Scenario of Origin of Life with Both Dust Types -- 12.3.1 Hydrolysis Mechanisms of Cometary Dust in Water -- 12.3.2 Some Necessary Conditions for Systemic Chemical Self-Organization -- 12.3.3 The Question of Redox Catalysis Needed -- 12.3.4 Possibilities and Limitations of Heterocatalysis by Mineral Surfaces -- 12.3.5 Interstellar Dust and the "PQQ-Enigma" for Catalysis -- 12.4 Conclusions and Further Goals -- References -- Index.