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Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements Volume 197, 2022 - Issue 5-6: ICPC-23: 23rd International Conference on Phosphorus Chemistry; Guest Editors:Professor Jozef Drabowicz; Professor Piotr Kiełbasiński and Professor Tomasz Cierpiał
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Short Communication

Venusian phosphine: a ‘wow!’ signal in chemistry?

William Bainsa Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA;b School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UKCorrespondence[email protected]
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Janusz J. Petkowskia Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USACorrespondence[email protected]
ORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1921-4848View further author information
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Sara Seagera Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA;c Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA;d Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USAView further author information
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Sukrit Ranjane Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA;f Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA;g Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, USAORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5147-9053View further author information
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Clara Sousa-Silvah Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, USAORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7853-6871View further author information
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Paul B. Rimmeri Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK;j Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom;k MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United KingdomORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7180-081XView further author information
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Zhuchang Zhana Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USAORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4142-1800View further author information
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Jane S. Greavesb School of Physics and Astronomy, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UKView further author information
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Anita M. S. Richardsl Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UKView further author information
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Pages 438-443 | Received 14 Oct 2021, Accepted 17 Oct 2021, Published online: 08 Nov 2021
 
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Abstract

The potential detection of ppb levels phosphine (PH3) in the clouds of Venus through millimeter-wavelength astronomical observations is extremely surprising as PH3 is an unexpected component of an oxidized environment of Venus. A thorough analysis of potential sources suggests that no known process in the consensus model of Venus’ atmosphere or geology could produce PH3 at anywhere near the observed abundance. Therefore, if the presence of PH3 in Venus’ atmosphere is confirmed, it is highly likely to be the result of a process not previously considered plausible for Venusian conditions. The source of atmospheric PH3 could be unknown geo- or photochemistry, which would imply that the consensus on Venus’ chemistry is significantly incomplete. An even more extreme possibility is that strictly aerial microbial biosphere produces PH3. This paper summarizes the Venusian PH3 discovery and the scientific debate that arose since the original candidate detection one year ago.

Graphical Abstract

Acknowledgements

We thank the Heising-Simons Foundation and the Change Happens Foundation for funding. S.R. acknowledges the funding from the Simons Foundation (495062). C.S.-S. acknowledges the 51 Pegasi b Fellowship and the Heising-Simons Foundation. P.B.R. acknowledges funding from the Simons Foundation (SCOL awards 599634).

Disclosure statement

No competing financial interests exist.

Additional information

Funding

We thank the Heising-Simons Foundation and the Change Happens Foundation for funding. S.R. acknowledges the funding from the Simons Foundation (495062). C.S.-S. acknowledges the 51 Pegasi b Fellowship and the Heising-Simons Foundation. P.B.R. acknowledges funding from the Simons Foundation (SCOL awards 599634).

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