Fraser CainHow did life get established on Earth so quickly? Maybe it started on another planet and drifted here inside a meteorite. This is known as Panspermia, and it seems possible, in theory. A new paper takes this idea to the next level, proposing that dust particles can escape a planet's gravity and fly off into space, carrying life to other worlds and even other star systems. In 5 billion years, grains of dust from the Solar System will reach over 10,000 other star systems.
The possibility for panspermia in the galaxy by means of planetary dust grains
By obtaining the assumption that planetary dust particles can escape from the gravitational attraction of a planet, we consider the possibility for the dust grains to leave the star's system by means of the radiation pressure. By taking the typical dust parameters into account, we consider their dynamics and show that they can reach the deep cosmos, taking part in panspermia. It has been shown that, during $5$ billion years, the dust grains will reach $10^5$ stellar systems, and by taking the Drake equation into account, it has been shown that the whole galaxy will be full of planetary dust particles.
Bruce Pearson