The past twenty years have revealed the diversity of planets that exist in the Universe. It turned out that most of exoplanets are different from the planets of our Solar […]
astrochemistry
Posted inAstrochemistry
Herschel Detects New Molecules Formed Around Old Stars
Using ESA’s Herschel space observatory, astronomers have discovered that a molecule vital for creating water exists in the burning embers of dying Sun-like stars. When low- to middleweight stars like […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Characterization and Remote Sensing of Biological Particles Using Circular Polarization
Biological molecules are characterized by an intrinsic asymmetry known as homochirality. The result is optical activity of biological materials and circular polarization in the light scattered by microorganisms, cells of […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Exploring the Origins of Carbon in Terrestrial Worlds
Given the central role of carbon in the chemistry of life, it is a fundamental question as to how carbon is supplied to the Earth, in what form and when. […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Complex Organic Molecules Along Accretion Flow In Isolated / Externally Irradiated Protoplanetary Disks
The birth environment of the Sun will have influenced the conditions in the pre-solar nebula, including the attainable chemical complexity, important for prebiotic chemistry. The formation and distribution of complex […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Meteorites & Asteroids
Complex Organic Molecules in Comets C/2012 F6 and C/2013 R1
A spectral survey in the 1 mm wavelength range was undertaken in the long-period comets C/2012 F6 (Lemmon) and C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) using the 30 m telescope of the Institut […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
NASA Simulator Successfully Recreates Space Dust
A team of scientists at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., has successfully reproduced, right here on Earth, the processes that occur in the atmosphere of a red […]
Posted inAstrochemistry
Detectability of Glycine in Solar-type System Precursors
Glycine (NH2CH2COOH) is the simplest amino acid relevant for life. Its detection in the interstellar medium is key to understand the formation mechanisms of pre-biotic molecules and their subsequent delivery […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia
Vitamin B3 Might Have Been Made in Space, Delivered to Earth by Meteorites
Ancient Earth might have had an extraterrestrial supply of vitamin B3 delivered by carbon-rich meteorites, according to a new analysis by NASA-funded researchers. The result supports a theory that the […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets
Chemical Abundances of Stars With Brown Dwarf Companions
It is well-known that stars with giant planets are on average more metal-rich than stars without giant planets, whereas stars with detected low-mass planets do not need to be metal-rich. […]