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

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

Journal Article (2020)

Author(s)

N. F.W. Ligterink (Universiteit Leiden, University of Bern)

J. Terwisscha Van Scheltinga (Universiteit Leiden)

V. Kofman (Universiteit Leiden)

V. Taquet (INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri)

S. Cazaux (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)

J. K. Jørgensen (University of Copenhagen)

E. F. Van Dishoeck (Universiteit Leiden, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics Garching)

H. Linnartz (Universiteit Leiden)

Research Group

Astrodynamics & Space Missions

Astrobiology Astrochemistry Methods: Laboratory

DOI related publication

https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921320000010 Final published version

To reference this document use

https://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:18392f19-7440-4a5f-ba3f-29430a3f7639

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Publication Year

2020

Language

English

Research Group

Astrodynamics & Space Missions

Journal title

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

Issue number

350

Volume number

15

Pages (from-to)

216-219

Event

White Dwarfs as Probes of Fundamental Physics: Tracers of Planetary, Stellar and Galactic Evolution (2019-10-21 - 2019-10-25), Hilo, United States

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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.