Possibility of production of amino acids by impact reaction using a light-gas gun as a simulation of asteroid impacts

Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere : the Journal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life
Kazuki OkochiKosuke Kurosawa

Abstract

In order to investigate impact production of carbonaceous products by asteroids on Titan and other satellites and planets, simulation experiments were carried out using a 2-stage light gas gun. A small polycarbonate or metal bullet with about 6.5 km/s was injected into a pressurized target chamber filled with 1 atm of nitrogen gas, to collide with a ice + iron target or an iron target or a ice + hexane + iron target. After the impact, black soot including fine particles was deposited on the chamber wall. The soot was carefully collected and analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Laser Desorption Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (LD-ToF-MS). As a result of the HPLC analysis, about 0.04-8 pmol of glycine, and a lesser amount of alanine were found in the samples when the ice + hexane + iron target was used. In case of the ice + iron target and the iron target, less amino acids were produced. The identification of the amino acids was also supported by FTIR and LD-ToF-MS analysis.

References

Jan 1, 1983·Journal of Molecular Evolution·G Schlesinger, S L Miller
Apr 18, 1997·Science·C P McKay, W J Borucki
Jan 1, 1992·Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere : the Journal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life·J F Kasting
Apr 10, 1981·Science·R HanelC Ponnamperuma
Jul 24, 2013·Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere : the Journal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life·Kosuke KurosawaTakafumi Matsui
Aug 13, 2013·Analytical Sciences : the International Journal of the Japan Society for Analytical Chemistry·Toshinori TaniuchiKensei Kobayashi

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