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Combustion

Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

In chemistry, combustion is the complete or incomplete oxidation of a fuel by oxygen or other oxidants to give oxidized carbon species, such as CO (for incomplete combustion) and CO2 (for complete combustion), water and the concomitant production of heat. For example,

$$ {\mathrm{CH}}_4+2{\mathrm{O}}_2\to {\mathrm{CO}}_2+2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O} $$

Respiration is an example of a biological combustion reaction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II

  2. Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ, USA

    Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II

  3. Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Washington, DC, USA

    Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II

  4. Center for Chemical Evolution, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II

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  1. Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II
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Correspondence to Henderson James (Jim) Cleaves II .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Cleaves, H.J.(. (2014). Combustion. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_322-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_322-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Combustion
    Published:
    25 December 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_322-4

  2. Original

    Combustion
    Published:
    15 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_322-3

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