Post by Διαμονδ on Dec 26, 2017 13:17:23 GMT
Scientists from Russia revealed the secrets of the first "life blocks" of the Universe!
Chemists from Moscow State University found out how cosmic rays and other forms of ionizing radiation could change the chemical structure of primitive molecules of organic matter that arose in the universe in the first moments of its existence, according to an article published in the journal Radiation Physics and Chemistry. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969806X1730693X
The next step on the way to understanding the processes taking place in interstellar space will be the study of the chemistry of more complex ice containing other astrochemically important compounds. Ultimately, such studies can shed light on the processes of extraterrestrial evolution of the substance that preceded the emergence of life, "says Anastasia Volosatova, a chemistry faculty member at the Lomonosov Moscow State University.
In the early days of the universe, the luminaries almost entirely consisted of hydrogen and helium - all other elements, including carbon, nitrogen and oxygen originated in their interior and were then scattered throughout the galaxies during supernova explosions. The subsequent generations of stars gave birth to an even greater mass of astronomical "metals" - elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.
The small number of these "metals" in the early Universe makes many scientists believe that life did not arise then, including because the planets suitable for it did not form because of an elementary shortage of building materials. In addition, low concentrations of "metals" could interfere with the synthesis of the first complex organic molecules that make up life. Volosatova and her colleagues disclosed one of the possible ways of their formation, observing how the simplest organic molecule - acetonitrile, the combination of methane and nitrogen, varies under the action of cosmic rays and radiation.
To conduct such experiments, Russian chemists created a special chamber in which "space" conditions were maintained - low temperatures, high radiation levels and almost complete vacuum. In this cell, scientists injected pieces of various frozen noble gases - neon, xenon, argon or krypton, which contained inclusions of organic matter, and watched how their composition changed. These experiments revealed an unusual effect - the chemical composition of ice, presumably not involved in such reactions, strongly influenced how cosmic rays transformed acetonitrile. For example, a large number of methane isonitrile molecules, nitrogen compounds, carbon and methane molecules appeared in neon ice, and large amounts of ceteneamine (CH2CNH) in the neon medium, whose molecules were already found in space.
Observations of the more complex reactions planned by Russian researchers will show whether the environment and the composition of the ice and dust grains, in which the "cosmic" organics usually are, also strongly influence its evolution, as well as the conversions of acetonitrile. The answer to this question, as the scientists note, is extremely important for understanding how and in what environment the "bricks of life" appeared on the Earth.
ria.ru/science/20171225/1511662571.html
Chemists from Moscow State University found out how cosmic rays and other forms of ionizing radiation could change the chemical structure of primitive molecules of organic matter that arose in the universe in the first moments of its existence, according to an article published in the journal Radiation Physics and Chemistry. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969806X1730693X
The next step on the way to understanding the processes taking place in interstellar space will be the study of the chemistry of more complex ice containing other astrochemically important compounds. Ultimately, such studies can shed light on the processes of extraterrestrial evolution of the substance that preceded the emergence of life, "says Anastasia Volosatova, a chemistry faculty member at the Lomonosov Moscow State University.
In the early days of the universe, the luminaries almost entirely consisted of hydrogen and helium - all other elements, including carbon, nitrogen and oxygen originated in their interior and were then scattered throughout the galaxies during supernova explosions. The subsequent generations of stars gave birth to an even greater mass of astronomical "metals" - elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.
The small number of these "metals" in the early Universe makes many scientists believe that life did not arise then, including because the planets suitable for it did not form because of an elementary shortage of building materials. In addition, low concentrations of "metals" could interfere with the synthesis of the first complex organic molecules that make up life. Volosatova and her colleagues disclosed one of the possible ways of their formation, observing how the simplest organic molecule - acetonitrile, the combination of methane and nitrogen, varies under the action of cosmic rays and radiation.
To conduct such experiments, Russian chemists created a special chamber in which "space" conditions were maintained - low temperatures, high radiation levels and almost complete vacuum. In this cell, scientists injected pieces of various frozen noble gases - neon, xenon, argon or krypton, which contained inclusions of organic matter, and watched how their composition changed. These experiments revealed an unusual effect - the chemical composition of ice, presumably not involved in such reactions, strongly influenced how cosmic rays transformed acetonitrile. For example, a large number of methane isonitrile molecules, nitrogen compounds, carbon and methane molecules appeared in neon ice, and large amounts of ceteneamine (CH2CNH) in the neon medium, whose molecules were already found in space.
Observations of the more complex reactions planned by Russian researchers will show whether the environment and the composition of the ice and dust grains, in which the "cosmic" organics usually are, also strongly influence its evolution, as well as the conversions of acetonitrile. The answer to this question, as the scientists note, is extremely important for understanding how and in what environment the "bricks of life" appeared on the Earth.
ria.ru/science/20171225/1511662571.html