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| Paper: |
Organic Material by Irradiation of HCN Solutions |
| Volume: |
420, Bioastronomy 2007: Molecules, Microbes and Extraterrestrial Life |
| Page: |
175 |
| Authors: |
Colin-García, M.; Negrón-Mendoza, A.; Ramos-Bernal, S. |
| Abstract: |
Chemical evolution is the chemistry of formation and organization of bio-organic compounds under astronomical and geological primitive condition. In this context, comets have been considered a source of important molecules to chemical evolution: they could have brought molecules that contributed to the formation of the primitive atmosphere, and also organic material, necessary to the emergence of life on Earth. Ionizing radiation (as an inner and outer supply) could have been an important source of energy in the synthesis of species detected on comets. In this work we attend to understand the effect of ionizing radiation on a key molecule, hydrogen cyanide, which has been widely detected in comets, the ISM and other environments. The role of ionizing radiation in the decomposition of frozen and liquid solutions of HCN has been investigated, and the formation of bio-molecules has been monitored. For the analysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and spectrophotometric techniques were used to detect the formed compounds. These experiments show that there are many organic compounds formed in the irradiated samples, such as carboxylic acids, urea, bases (adenine and cytosine), as well as amino acids. These compounds are formed even at low radiation doses in both systems. |
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