organic chemistry Archives

The purine nucleobases adenine and guanine

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Status Report

Infrared Spectral Signatures of Nucleobases in Interstellar Ices I: Purines

by Keith CowingNovember 16, 2023November 16, 2023

The purine nucleobases adenine and guanine are complex organic molecules that are essential for life. Despite their ubiquitous presence on Earth, purines have yet to be detected in observations of […]

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Press Release

Exploring The Origin Of Nucleosynthetic Isotope Variations In Ryugu Samples

by Keith CowingNovember 10, 2023November 13, 2023

The Hayabusa2 space mission by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) returned home with samples of the asteroid Ryugu that orbits the Sun between Earth and Mars.

Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Mars, Press Release

ExoMars Finds That The Unusual Carbon Balance At Mars Explained By Sunlight

by Keith CowingNovember 3, 2023November 3, 2023

The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has revealed how oddly ‘light’ carbon monoxide forms in Mars’ atmosphere. The finding paints a better picture of how carbon-containing matter formed on the […]

The gray-scale and contours show the spatial distribution of different transitions of HCONH2. The figures are listed in order of increasing upper state energy. The first figure is the map of HCONH2 11,1-00,0 at 82549.562 MHz. The contour levels start at 2 K km s−1 with a step of 0.4 K km s−1 . The second figure is the map of HCONH2 40,4-30,3 at 84542.330 MHz. The contour levels start at 7 K km s−1 with a step of 2.5 K km s−1 . The third figure is the map of HCONH2 41,3-31,2 at 87848.874 MHz. The contour levels start at 8.4 K km s−1 with a step of 3 K km s−1 . The fourth figure is the map of HCONH2 42,2-32,1 at 85093.272 MHz. The contour levels start at 3.3 K km s−1 with a step of 3 K km s−1 . The fiveth figure is the map of HCONH2 42,3-32,2 at 84807.795 MHz. The contour levels start at 3 K km s−1 with a step of 2 K km s−1 . The sixth figure is the map of HCONH2 43,2-33,1 and 43,1-33,0 at 84888.994 MHz and 84890.987, respectively. The contour levels start at 2.5 K km s−1 with a step of 2.5 K km s−1 . Sgr B2(N), Sgr B2(M), and G+0.693 are labeled with ′′ × ”. The beam size are shown in the left corner of each panel. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Mapping Observations of Peptide-like Molecules Around Sagittarius B2

by Keith CowingOctober 25, 2023October 25, 2023

Peptide-like molecule, which has a close connection with the origin of life, has been detected in universe. Mapping observations of HCONH2 and CH3CONH2, two simplest peptide-like molecules, are performed towards […]

Schematic for reactions in space occurring in the gas phase (top), and on the surface of grains (bottom). -- NASA

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Interstellar, Status Report

Density Functional Theory Calculations on the Interstellar Formation of Biomolecules

by Keith CowingOctober 24, 2023October 24, 2023

The density functional theory (DFT) is the most versatile electronic structure method used in quantum chemical calculations, and is increasingly applied in astrochemical research.

Schematic diagram of the idealised planetary system considered in this work with equally spaced planets (brown circles, semi-major axis ai) scattering comets (small dark blue circles) from the snow-line. The blue region represents the volatile-rich region of the disc where comets occur, and the green region represents the habitable zone. Low velocity cometary impacts onto habitable planets will follow the lower arrows, which sketch the dynamically cold scattering between adjacent planets. The dynamically hot scattering as shown by the upper arrows, will result in high velocity impacts. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Meteorites & Asteroids, Panspermia, Status Report

Can Comets Deliver Prebiotic Molecules To Rocky Exoplanets?

by Keith CowingOctober 23, 2023October 20, 2023

In this work we consider the potential of cometary impacts to deliver complex organic molecules and the prebiotic building blocks required for life to rocky exoplanets. Numerical experiments have demonstrated […]

Diagram of ε46Ti vs. ε50Ti for CB, CH and CR chondrite samples investigated in the present study. Bulk CR data for Acfer 139 (dark blue square) and NWA 801(gray square) are from this study and from Zhang et al. (2012), respectively. Literature data for different carbonaceous chondrite groups are stated as composite points averaging multiple samples within each group and are shown for comparison (white squares). The weighted ε50Ti– ε46Ti regression (solid black line) and related error envelopes were calculated using Isoplot, and include bulk meteorite data available from previous works. All reported uncertainties reflect 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Literature data were taken from the recent compilation of Burkhardt et al. (2019) and references therein. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report

Age And Genetic Relationships Among CB, CH and CR Chondrites

by Keith CowingOctober 23, 2023October 20, 2023

The carbonaceous Bencubbin-like (CB), high-metal (CH), and Renazzo-like (CR) chondrites are metal-rich chondrites that have been suggested to be genetically linked and are sometimes grouped together as the CR chondrite […]

Continuum emission at 99 GHz in grey scale overlaid by contours of SO J = 23 − 12 at 99.3 GHz (top) and SiO J = 2 − 1 at 86.85 GHz (bottom) integrated intensities. The inner integration limits vary such that channels that contain deep absorption are excluded. The outer integration limits are fixed at 15 and 115 km s−1 for blue- and red-shifted SO emission, respectively, and 5 and 130 km s−1 for blue- and red-shifted SiO emission, respectively (see also Fig. 3). The blue and red contours start at 5σ and then increase by a factor of 2, where σ = 10.5 (SO, blue), 10.8 (SO, red), 4.5 (SiO, blue), and 5.8 K km s−1 (SiO, red) and corresponds to an average noise level that was measured in the respective map. The black contour indicates the 3σ level of the continuum emission (see Fig. 1). Based on the SO maps, we identify collimated features possibly tracing outflow axes that are shown as solid and dashed black arrows and labelled aB1, aR1, and aR2. The markers are the same as in Fig. 1. In addition to N2, the hot core N3 identified by Bonfand et al. (2017) is marked with a cyan tetragon. Blue and pink star markers indicate H2O maser spots (McGrath et al. 2004) with blue- and red-shifted velocities, respectively, with respect to 3sys ≡ 62 km s−1 . The HPBW is shown in the bottom-right corner of each panel. The position offsets are given with respect to the ReMoCA phase centre (black cross). The maps are not corrected for primary beam attenuation. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Shocking Sgr B2(N1) With Its Own Outflow: A New Perspective On Segregation Between O- and N-bearing Molecules

by Keith CowingOctober 21, 2023October 19, 2023

We want to investigate the influence of the powerful outflow driven by the hot core Sgr B2(N1) on the gas molecular inventory of the surrounding medium.

Simulated nicotinic acid abundances compared to measured values in carbonaceous chondrites and asteroid (162173) Ryugu. A rock density of 3 g cm−3 , a porosity of 0.2, [56–58] and an ice density of 0.917 g cm−3 completely filling the pores (after all radionuclides have decayed and aqueous activity has ceased) were assumed as the properties of the planetesimal/carbonaceous chondrite hosting the chemical synthesis. The simulations were run at a pressure of 100 bar. From left to right, the plotted bars show the simulated molecular abundance of nicotinic acid (solid black line on the very left) for the whole temperature range of liquid water, as well as the abundances measured in samples of Cb asteroid (162173) Ryugu collected during the Hayabusa2 spacecraft mission, [14] in the CI chondrite Orgeil, [14] several Antarctic CM2 chondrites, [12] the CM2 chondrites Murchison and Murray, and the ungrouped C2 chondrite Tagish Lake [13] as lines and shaded ranges described in the legend. Each time, the measured nicotinic acid abundance and the sum of all isomers (nicotinic acid, isonicotinic acid, picolinic acid) are given, since thermochemical equilibrium simulations cannot distinguish between isomers. The type of extraction method used (hot water, cold water ultrasonication, HCl-hydrolyzed, formic acid) is denoted next to each panel. A tabulated version of the data presented here is available in the Supporting Information in Table S1. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report

Prebiotic Vitamin B3 Synthesis In Carbonaceous Planetesimals

by Keith CowingOctober 19, 2023October 19, 2023

Aqueous chemistry within carbonaceous planetesimals is promising for synthesizing prebiotic organic matter essential to all life.

Side view of the ejecta curtain created during a hypervelocity impact experiment at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range. The experiment was designed to investigate the effects of impacts on Ceres’ organics. Credit: NASA / Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Ceres, Impact events, Press Release

Hypervelocity Impact Experiments Probe The Origin Of Organics On The Dwarf Planet Ceres

by Keith CowingOctober 16, 2023October 16, 2023

One of the most exciting findings from NASA’s Dawn mission is that Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt that lies between Mars and Jupiter, hosts complex organics.

organic chemistry

Infrared Spectral Signatures of Nucleobases in Interstellar Ices I: Purines

Exploring The Origin Of Nucleosynthetic Isotope Variations In Ryugu Samples

ExoMars Finds That The Unusual Carbon Balance At Mars Explained By Sunlight

Mapping Observations of Peptide-like Molecules Around Sagittarius B2

Density Functional Theory Calculations on the Interstellar Formation of Biomolecules

Can Comets Deliver Prebiotic Molecules To Rocky Exoplanets?

Age And Genetic Relationships Among CB, CH and CR Chondrites

Shocking Sgr B2(N1) With Its Own Outflow: A New Perspective On Segregation Between O- and N-bearing Molecules

Prebiotic Vitamin B3 Synthesis In Carbonaceous Planetesimals

Hypervelocity Impact Experiments Probe The Origin Of Organics On The Dwarf Planet Ceres

Early-career Graduate Students Host An Exclusive, NASA-funded Astrobiology Conference

Intimate Link Between Prebiotic Chemistry And Meteorites: Mechanisms Of Organic Molecule Formation

Microbial Mats Influence The Isotopic Composition And Provenance of Soil Organic Matter In The McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

Beyond The Prebiotic Soup: Solid Organic Films And Protocell-Like Formation in Prebiotic Discharge Experiments

From Searching For Extraterrestrial Biosignatures To Exploring The Origins Of Life: A Prebiotic Chemistry Perspective