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Organic synthesis in space

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 August 2009

Scott A. Sandford
Affiliation:
NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 245-6, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
Mario Livio
Affiliation:
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore
I. Neill Reid
Affiliation:
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore
William B. Sparks
Affiliation:
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore
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Summary

It is becoming increasingly clear, based on a combination of observational, theoretical, and laboratory studies, that the interstellar medium (ISM) is not chemically “inert.” Instead, it contains a variety of distinct environments in which chemical synthesis and alteration are constantly occurring under the aegis of a number of different processes. The result of these different processes is an interstellar medium rich in chemical diversity. The discussion found here will concentrate on those materials and molecular species built from the elements C, H, O, and N, with particular emphasis on those compounds that may be of prebiotic interest. Furthermore, there is excellent evidence that the products of interstellar chemistry are not restricted solely to the ISM, but that some fraction of these materials survive the transition from interstellar dense clouds to planetary surfaces when new stars and planets form in these clouds. This raises the interesting possibility that molecules created in the interstellar medium may play a role in the origin and evolution of life on planetary surfaces.

Introduction

A variety of organic and volatile compounds are now known or suspected to exist in a number of different space environments including stellar outflows, the diffuse interstellar medium, dense molecular clouds, and protostellar nebulae.

Type
Chapter
Information
Astrophysics of Life
Proceedings of the Space Telescope Science Institute Symposium, held in Baltimore, Maryland May 6–9, 2002
, pp. 54 - 66
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2005

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  • Organic synthesis in space
    • By Scott A. Sandford, NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 245-6, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
  • Edited by Mario Livio, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, I. Neill Reid, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, William B. Sparks, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore
  • Book: Astrophysics of Life
  • Online publication: 29 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511536113.007
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  • Organic synthesis in space
    • By Scott A. Sandford, NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 245-6, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
  • Edited by Mario Livio, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, I. Neill Reid, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, William B. Sparks, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore
  • Book: Astrophysics of Life
  • Online publication: 29 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511536113.007
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Organic synthesis in space
    • By Scott A. Sandford, NASA Ames Research Center, Mail Stop 245-6, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
  • Edited by Mario Livio, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, I. Neill Reid, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, William B. Sparks, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore
  • Book: Astrophysics of Life
  • Online publication: 29 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511536113.007
Available formats
×