Helgi Rafn HróðmarssonFriday seminar 28.03.14

Utilization of spectroscopy in the determination of the origins of life

OverviewSetting the stage

„In the beginnning...“

The spectroscopy„He saw the light was good and separated it from

darkness.“

The implications“Then the eyes of both of them were opened.”

OverviewSetting the stage

„In the beginnning...“

The spectroscopy„He saw the light was good and separated it from

darkness.“

The implications“Then the eyes of both of them were opened.”

4 𝐻11 → 𝐻𝑒2

4 +2𝑒+¿+2𝜈𝑒+ 2𝛾 ¿

𝐻11 + 𝐻1

1 → 𝐻12 +𝑒+¿+𝜈𝑒¿

𝐻12 + 𝐻1

1 → 𝐻𝑒23 +𝛾

𝐻𝑒23 + 𝐻𝑒2

3 → 𝐻𝑒24 +2 𝐻1

1𝐻𝑒23 + 𝐻𝑒2

4 → 𝐵𝑒47 +𝛾

𝐵𝑒47 +𝑒−→ 𝐿𝑖3

7 +𝜈𝑒

𝐿𝑖37 + 𝐻1

1 →2 𝐻𝑒24

𝐵𝑒37 + 𝐻1

1 → 𝐵58 +𝛾

𝐵→57 𝐵𝑒+ ¿4

8 𝑒+¿+𝜈𝑒 ¿¿

𝐵𝑒48 →2 𝐻𝑒2

4

𝐶612 + 𝐻1

1 → 𝑁713 +𝛾

𝑁713 → 𝐶6

13 +𝑒+¿+𝜈𝑒¿𝐶6

13 + 𝐻11 → 𝑁7

14 +𝛾

𝑁714 + 𝐻1

1 → 𝑂815 +𝛾

𝑂815 →𝑁+ ¿7

15 𝑒+¿+𝜈𝑒¿ ¿

𝑁715 + 𝐻1

1 → 𝐶612 + 𝐻𝑒2

4

𝑁715 + 𝐻1

1 → 𝑂816 +𝛾

𝑂816 + 𝐻1

1 → 𝐹917 +𝛾

𝐹917 → 𝑂8

17 +𝑒+¿+𝜈𝑒 ¿

𝑂817 + 𝐻1

1 → 𝑁714 + 𝐻𝑒2

4

𝐻𝑒24 + 𝐻𝑒2

4 ↔ 𝐵𝑒48

𝐵𝑒48 + 𝐻𝑒2

4 → 𝐶612 +𝛾

𝐶612 + 𝐻𝑒2

4 → 𝑂816 +𝛾

𝑂816 + 𝐻𝑒2

4 → 𝑁𝑒1020 +𝛾

𝐶612 + 𝐶6

12 →¿

𝑂816 + 𝑂8

16 →¿

OverviewSetting the stage

„In the beginnning...“

The spectroscopy„He saw the light was good and separated it

from darkness.“

The implications“Then the eyes of both of them were opened.”

1968 – Interstellar NH3.1

1969 – Interstellar H2O vapour2 & H2CO.3

1970 – Interstellar CO.4

1Cheung, A. C., Rank, D. M. Townes, C. H., Thornton, D. D., and Welch, W. J. 1969, Phys. Rev. Letters. 21, 1701.2Cheung, A. C., Rank, D. M., Townes, C. H., Thornton, D.D. And Welch, W. J. 1969, Nature. 221, 626.3Snyder, L.E., Buhl, D., Zuckerman, B., and Palmer, P. 1969, Phys. Rev. Lett., 22, 679.4Wilson, R. W., Jefferts, K. B. And Penzias, A. A. 1970, Astrophys. J. Lett. 161, L43.

White, G. J., Araki, M., Greaves, J. S., Ohishi, M., and Higginbottom, N. S. 2003. A&A, 407, 589.

Walmsley, C. M., & Ungerecths, H. 1983, A&A, 122, 164.

Infrared spectroscopy

What if we compile all of the interstellar and circumstellar molecules that have been detected with these spectroscopic techniques?

Well... According toWikipedia...43 Diatomics, 41 triatomics, 26 with four atoms, 19

with five atoms, 15 with six atoms, 9 with seven atoms, 10 with eight atoms, 9 with nine atoms, 15 with ten or more atoms and 17 deuterated molecules.

204 different molecules altogether who‘s ingredients include H, C, N, O, F, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ti, Fe, I.

Then what???

„Mixtures of free molecular PAHs dominated by PAH ions, can account for the global appearance of interstellar emission spectra and the variations of those spectra.“

-Allamandola & Hudgins. Solid State Astrochemistry. 2000, pp.263.

THE NASA Ames PAH Spectral Database580 theoretically computed and

200 laboratory measured spectra of PAHs ranging in size from C10H8 to C130H28.

Spectra of PAHs in neutral and singly charged (+/–) states. Spectra of a few multiply charged species also included.

www.astrochem.org/pahdb

-Allamandola & Hudgins. Solid State Astrochemistry. 2000, pp.265-267.

H2O:CH3OH:NH3:CO:C3H8 (100:50:10:10:10) interstellar ice analogs as traced by infrared spectra measured at 10 K.

Note the ready formation of CO2, H2CO, CH4 and XCN at the expense of CH3OH.

Allamandola, L. J., Sandford, S. A., and Valero, G. (1988), Icarus, 76, 225.

Bernstein, M. P., Sandford S. A., Allamandola L. J., Chang S., and Scharberg M. A. (1995), Ap. J., 454, 327.

Interstellar/Precometary Ice Photolysis: Abiotic synthesis of Important Prebiotic OrganicsN-Formyl glycineCycloserineHydantoinAmino malonic acidUreaEthanolamineSerineGlyeric AcidGlycerol

Bernstein, et al.(2002), Nature, 416, 401.

All the necessary components to make an RNA world.

Sugar precursorsAmino acidsMolecules capable

of vesicle formation.

Deamer, D. W. Evolution: Ivestigating the Evidence, Paleontological Society Special Publication. 1999, 9.

Deamer, D. W. 2012, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2012, 41, 5375.

OverviewSetting the stage

„In the beginnning...“

The spectroscopy„He saw the light was good and separated it from

darkness.“

The implications“Then the eyes of both of them were

opened.”

ConclusionMicrowave and infrared spectroscopy have

been used to detect a wide variety of interstellar molecules and illuminate properties of their stellar environments.

Infrared spectroscopy utilized in chemical simulations of reactions on interstellar ices.

Various studies have been performed on amphiphilic vesicle forming molecules.

Thank you for your attention!