The formation of the building blocks of peptides on interstellar dust grains

Journal article (2020)

Authors

N. F.W. Ligterink University of Bern, Universiteit Leiden
J. Terwisscha van Scheltinga Universiteit Leiden
V. Kofman Universiteit Leiden
V. Taquet INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri
S.M. Cazaux Astrodynamics & Space Missions - Aerospace Engineering
J. K. Jørgensen University of Copenhagen
Ewine van Dishoeck Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics Garching, Universiteit Leiden
H. Linnartz Universiteit Leiden
Research Group
Astrodynamics & Space Missions (Aerospace Engineering) (TU Delft)
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Published Date

2020

Language

English

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Faculty

Aerospace Engineering

Department

Space Engineering

Research Group

Astrodynamics & Space Missions

Abstract

The emergence of life on Earth may have its origin in organic molecules formed in the interstellar medium. Molecules with amide and isocyanate groups resemble structures found in peptides and nucleobases and are necessary for their formation. Their formation is expected to take place in the solid state, on icy dust grains, and is studied here by far-UV irradiating a CH4:HNCO mixture at 20 K in the laboratory. Reaction products are detected by means of infrared spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption-mass spectrometry. Various simple amides and isocyanates are formed, showing the importance of ice chemistry for their interstellar formation. Constrained by experimental conditions, a reaction network is derived, showing possible formation pathways of these species under interstellar conditions.

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