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Formation of complex organic molecules in astrophysical environments: Sugars and derivatives

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 October 2020

Michel Nuevo Open the ORCID record for Michel Nuevo [Opens in a new window] ,
George Cooper ,
John M. Saunders ,
Christina E. Buffo  and
Scott A. Sandford
Michel Nuevo
Affiliation:
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA email: michel.nuevo-1@nasa.gov BAER Institute, NASA Research Park, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
George Cooper
Affiliation:
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA email: michel.nuevo-1@nasa.gov
John M. Saunders
Affiliation:
University of California, Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
Christina E. Buffo
Affiliation:
Wellesley College, Department of Chemistry, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481, USA
Scott A. Sandford
Affiliation:
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA email: michel.nuevo-1@nasa.gov
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Abstract

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Carbonaceous meteorites contain a large variety of complex organic molecules, including amino acids, nucleobases, sugar derivatives, amphiphiles, and other compounds of astrobiological interest. Photoprocessing of ices condensed on cold grains with ultraviolet (UV) photons was proposed as an efficient way to form such complex organics in astrophysical environments. This hypothesis was confirmed by laboratory experiments simulating photo-irradiation of ices containing H2O, CH3OH, CO, CO2, CH4, H2CO, NH3, HCN, etc., condensed on cold (~10–80 K) substrates. These experiments resulted in the formation of amino acids, nucleobases, sugar derivatives, amphiphilic compounds, and other organics comparable to those identified in carbonaceous meteorites. This work presents results for the formation of sugars, sugar alcohols, sugar acids, and their deoxy variants from the UV irradiation of ices containing H2O and CH3OH in relative proportions 2:1, and their comparison with meteoritic data. The formation mechanisms of these compounds and the astrobiological implications are also discussed.

Keywords

astrochemistryastrobiologymolecular processesmethods: laboratoryISM: molecules
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 15 , Symposium S350: Laboratory Astrophysics: From Observations to Interpretation , April 2019 , pp. 123 - 126
Copyright
© International Astronomical Union 2020

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