Sugars, Alcohols, and Cometary Astrobiochemistry

Details Sugars, Alcohols, and Cometary Astrobiochemistry Sugars, Alcohols, and Cometary Astrobiochemistry

Dec 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004agufmsa13a1127h&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2004, abstract #SA13A-1127

Physics

7831 Laboratory Studies, 6008 Composition, 6020 Ice, 6045 Physics And Chemistry Of Materials, 6060 Radiation And Spectra

Scientific paper

Radio and IR observations have revealed that a rich organic chemistry exists in comets and in a variety of interstellar regions. Among the organic molecules detected are acids, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and nitriles. The simplest sugar, glycolaldehyde, has been reported (Hollis et al., ApJ, 2000, 540, L107), as has an amino acid, glycine (Kuan et al., ApJ, 2003, 593, 848; but see Hollis et al., ApJ, 2003, 588, 353). Gas-phase reactions to produce many of these molecules are not well understood, and solid-phase chemistry is thought to make an important contribution. To better understand organic chemistry in cold cosmic environments, we have performed photo- and radiation chemical experiments on icy materials at 10 - 100 K. Gas-phase molecules are frozen in a vacuum chamber, and then exposed to either MeV protons or vacuum-UV photons to mimic cosmic-ray bombardment or cosmic-UV exposure, respectively. Changes in ice composition are followed in situ with IR spectroscopy. In this AGU presentation we will describe our latest results for glycolaldehyde, as well as a few prebiological organics. Solid-state IR spectra and reaction pathways will be presented, and predictions will be made for the chemical composition of selected Solar System objects. -- This research is funded through NASA's Planetary Atmospheres and SARA programs, and through the NASA Astrobiology Program under RTOP 344-53-51-01 to M. J. Mumma (NASA GSFC).

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Sugars, Alcohols, and Cometary Astrobiochemistry does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Sugars, Alcohols, and Cometary Astrobiochemistry, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sugars, Alcohols, and Cometary Astrobiochemistry will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1456559