Acyclic hydrocarbon environments >=n-C18 on the early terrestrial planets

Details Acyclic hydrocarbon environments >=n-C18 on the early terrestrial planets Acyclic hydrocarbon environments >=n-C18 on the early terrestrial planets

Mar 2003

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003p%26ss...51..159m&link_type=abstract

Planetary and Space Science, Volume 51, Issue 3, p. 159-166.

Biology

Quantitative Biology

Biomolecules

2

Scientific paper

The possible occurrence on the surface of the early Earth, Mars and Venus of hydrocarbon environments mainly composed by acyclic alkane molecules >=n-C18 has been revised. These hydrocarbons could be accumulated from the contribution of endogenous Fischer-Tropsh-type reactions and post-impact recombination reactions, as well as from exogenous sources such as comets, meteorites and dust particles. Such heavy alkane environments could offer protection for the synthesis and survival of biomolecules on the early terrestrial planets. Amounts of heavy /n-alkanes delivered by large impactors, dust particles or produced by post-impact recombination on Venus would have been higher than those delivered or produced by the same sources on Earth and Mars before 3600Myr ago. However, the high values of the total frequency of impacts by bolides />14-km in diameter estimated in this time period (viz. 3.9×103, Mars; 2.2×104, Earth, and 3.8×104 Venus) and the high surface temperatures generated by those impactors suggest the existence of very unstable conditions on the early terrestrial planets for the survival and long-term accumulation of acyclic hydrocarbons. Therefore, the most significant accumulation of /n-alkanes could have occurred only during the longer intervals (105-107yr) between each impact through the contribution mainly of IDPs, and thereby a high decomposition rate would be expected for the accumulated /n-alkanes by successive impacts. Amounts of /n-alkanes accumulated from IDPs in these intervals have been estimated between 2.3×109 and 2.2×1010kg 3600-3800Myr ago. These processes are expected to occur on other planetary bodies or satellites belonging to our solar system and probably in analogs of the early solar system.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Acyclic hydrocarbon environments >=n-C18 on the early terrestrial planets 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 Acyclic hydrocarbon environments >=n-C18 on the early terrestrial planets, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Acyclic hydrocarbon environments >=n-C18 on the early terrestrial planets will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1167730