{"title":"Radiation-induced reactions in comet analogues","authors":"A. López-Islas, A. Negrón-Mendoza","doi":"10.1017/s1473550422000416","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"\n Comets are a source of prebiotic molecules that likely enriched the early Earth during the Late Heavy Bombardment period. Laboratory experiments that replicate cometary conditions may facilitate understanding of the chemical reactions and supplement observational studies of these icy bodies. Prebiotic compounds, such as formic acid and formaldehyde, have been observed in comets. Furthermore, these compounds can easily be formed in experimental models using a variety of gas combinations and energy sources. We conducted experimental cometary simulations using radiation chemistry tools to obtain insight into the possible fate of formic acid and formaldehyde. The main results suggest a redundant system, signifying that the irradiation of formic acid forms formaldehyde molecules and vice versa. This phenomenon ensures the permanence of prebiotic molecules in high-radiation environments. Additionally, the potential role of forsterite and graphite was explored in cometary simulations. Our experimental results show the differential formation of aldehydes and other carbonyl-containing compounds dependent on the mineral phase present.","PeriodicalId":13879,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Astrobiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7000,"publicationDate":"2022-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Astrobiology","FirstCategoryId":"101","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550422000416","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"物理与天体物理","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Comets are a source of prebiotic molecules that likely enriched the early Earth during the Late Heavy Bombardment period. Laboratory experiments that replicate cometary conditions may facilitate understanding of the chemical reactions and supplement observational studies of these icy bodies. Prebiotic compounds, such as formic acid and formaldehyde, have been observed in comets. Furthermore, these compounds can easily be formed in experimental models using a variety of gas combinations and energy sources. We conducted experimental cometary simulations using radiation chemistry tools to obtain insight into the possible fate of formic acid and formaldehyde. The main results suggest a redundant system, signifying that the irradiation of formic acid forms formaldehyde molecules and vice versa. This phenomenon ensures the permanence of prebiotic molecules in high-radiation environments. Additionally, the potential role of forsterite and graphite was explored in cometary simulations. Our experimental results show the differential formation of aldehydes and other carbonyl-containing compounds dependent on the mineral phase present.
期刊介绍:
International Journal of Astrobiology is the peer-reviewed forum for practitioners in this exciting interdisciplinary field. Coverage includes cosmic prebiotic chemistry, planetary evolution, the search for planetary systems and habitable zones, extremophile biology and experimental simulation of extraterrestrial environments, Mars as an abode of life, life detection in our solar system and beyond, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, the history of the science of astrobiology, as well as societal and educational aspects of astrobiology. Occasionally an issue of the journal is devoted to the keynote plenary research papers from an international meeting. A notable feature of the journal is the global distribution of its authors.