Origin and Evolution of Prebiotic Organic Matter As Inferred from the Tagish Lake Meteorite

Herd, Christopher D. K.; Blinova, A.; Simkus, Danielle N.; Huang, Yongsong; Tarozo, Rafael; Alexander, Conel M. O'd.; Gyngard, F.; Cody, George D.; Fogel, Marilyn L.; Kebukawa, Yoko; Kilcoyne, A. L. D.; Hilts, Robert W.; Slater, G. F.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Callahan, Michael P.; Elsila, Jamie E.; Gregorio, B. T. De; Stroud, Rhonda M.

doi:10.1126/science.1203290

Cited by 200 publications

(299 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…CR2s are the most primitive, least altered chondrites (Cody and Alexander, 2005;Alexander et al, 2010) and generally have a higher concentration of amino acids than chondrites that experienced more severe aqueous or thermal alteration in meteorite parent bodies (Burton et al, 2012). Organic matter in carbonaceous chondrites and comets has been inferred to be formed from a common precursor material that formed in the outer Solar System and/or in the interstellar medium (Alexander et al, 2007;Herd et al, 2011). Therefore, amino acid concentration in comets could be as high as 24,000 ppm.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polymerization of Building Blocks of Life on Europa and Other Icy Moons

Kimura

Kitadai

2015

Astrobiology

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The outer Solar System may provide a potential habitat for extraterrestrial life. Remote sensing data from the Galileo spacecraft suggest that the jovian icy moons-Europa, Ganymede, and possibly Callisto-may harbor liquid water oceans underneath their icy crusts. Although compositional information required for the discussion of habitability is limited because of significantly restricted observation data, organic molecules are ubiquitous in the Universe. Recently, in situ spacecraft measurements and experiments suggest that amino acids can be formed abiotically on interstellar ices and comets. These amino acids could be continuously delivered by meteorite or comet impacts to icy moons. Here, we show that polymerization of organic monomers, in particular amino acids and nucleotides, could proceed spontaneously in the cold environment of icy moons, in particular the jovian icy moon Europa as a typical example, based on thermodynamic calculations, though kinetics of formation are not addressed. Observed surface temperature on Europa is 120 and 80 K in the equatorial region and polar region, respectively. At such low temperatures, Gibbs energies of polymerization become negative, and the estimated thermal structure of the icy crust should contain a shallow region (i.e., at a depth of only a few kilometers) favorable for polymerization. Investigation of the possibility of organic monomer polymerization on icy moons could provide good constraints on the origin and early evolution of extraterrestrial life.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polymerization of Building Blocks of Life on Europa and Other Icy Moons

Kimura

Kitadai

2015

Astrobiology

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“…One possibility is that glycine is formed by the hydration of the nitrile derivatives inside asteroids, where it is presumed that a liquid water phase has occurred (Abramov et al 2011;Herd et al 2011). In these conditions, a wide range of amino acids could be formed in interplanetary (asteroidal) environments, as detected on Earth inside carbonaceous meteorites (Herd et al 2011;Pizzarello 2004Pizzarello , 2007.…”

Section: Astrophysical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On Earth, meteorites are regarded as interesting objects because they are the remains of various examples of these small bodies (Herd et al 2011). Therefore, their analyses provide invaluable insight into the original composition of the organic matter in these objects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental investigation of aminoacetonitrile formation through the Strecker synthesis in astrophysical-like conditions: reactivity of methanimine (CH₂NH), ammonia (NH₃), and hydrogen cyanide (HCN)

Danger

Borget

Chomat

et al. 2011

A&A

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Context. Studing chemical reactivity in astrophysical environments is an important means for improving our understanding of the origin of the organic matter in molecular clouds, in protoplanetary disks, and possibly, as a final destination, in our solar system. Laboratory simulations of the reactivity of ice analogs provide important insight into the reactivity in these environments. Here, we use these experimental simulations to investigate the Strecker synthesis leading to the formation of aminoacetonitrile in astrophysicallike conditions. The aminoacetonitrile is an interesting compound because it was detected in SgrB2, hence could be a precursor of the smallest amino acid molecule, glycine, in astrophysical environments. Aims. We present the first experimental investigation of the formation of aminoacetonitrile NH 2 CH 2 CN from the thermal processing of ices including methanimine (CH 2 NH), ammonia (NH 3 ), and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) in interstellar-like conditions without VUV photons or particules. Methods. We use Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy to monitor the ice evolution during its warming. Infrared spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy are then used to identify the aminoacetonitrile formation. Results. We demonstrate that methanimine can react with − CN during the warming of ice analogs containing at 20 K methanimine, ammonia, and [NH + 4− CN] salt. During the ice warming, this reaction leads to the formation of poly(methylene-imine) polymers. The polymer length depend on the initial ratio of mass contained in methanimine to that in the [NH + 4− CN] salt. In a methanimine excess, long polymers are formed. As the methanimine is progressively diluted in the [NH + 4− CN] salt, the polymer length decreases until the aminoacetonitrile formation at 135 K. Therefore, these results demonstrate that aminoacetonitrile can be formed through the second step of the Strecker synthesis in astrophysical-like conditions.

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“…Therefore, the lower amount of D-rich organic matter in Murchison than in NWA 801 suggests that modification of H isotopic composition occurred during aqueous alteration on the parent body of Murchison. Similar D-enrichment decreasing processes have been considered to occur in the Tagish Lake meteorite (Herd et al, 2011), in which the IOM from a less altered fragment has not only a higher average D/H ratio, but also a much higher abundance of very D-rich submicrometer-sized isotopic hot spots, than the IOM from a more altered fragment.…”

Section: Modification Of the Isotopic Compositions In Isotopically Anmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Therefore, while some degree of modification of D-rich organic matter would have occurred by the mixing processes, the different abundances of D-rich/ 15 N-rich organic matter between Murchison and NWA 801 are not attributed to it. D-rich organic matter has also been suggested to be modified by aqueous alteration on the parent body (e.g., Herd et al, 2011). Although both CM2 and CR2 chondrites exhibit evidence of various degrees of alteration, most CR chondrites have experienced significantly less alteration than Murchison, which is one of the typical CM2 chondrites (Brearley, 2006).…”

Section: Modification Of the Isotopic Compositions In Isotopically Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deuterium- and <sup>15</sup>N-signatures of organic globules in Murchison and Northwest Africa 801 meteorites

2015

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Origin and Evolution of Prebiotic Organic Matter As Inferred from the Tagish Lake Meteorite

Abstract: The study of organic matter in a well-preserved meteorite provides insight into processes that affected its parent asteroids.

Cited by 200 publications

References 44 publications

Polymerization of Building Blocks of Life on Europa and Other Icy Moons

Polymerization of Building Blocks of Life on Europa and Other Icy Moons

Experimental investigation of aminoacetonitrile formation through the Strecker synthesis in astrophysical-like conditions: reactivity of methanimine (CH₂NH), ammonia (NH₃), and hydrogen cyanide (HCN)

Deuterium- and <sup>15</sup>N-signatures of organic globules in Murchison and Northwest Africa 801 meteorites

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Origin and Evolution of Prebiotic Organic Matter As Inferred from the Tagish Lake Meteorite

Abstract: The study of organic matter in a well-preserved meteorite provides insight into processes that affected its parent asteroids.

Cited by 200 publications

References 44 publications

Polymerization of Building Blocks of Life on Europa and Other Icy Moons

Polymerization of Building Blocks of Life on Europa and Other Icy Moons

Experimental investigation of aminoacetonitrile formation through the Strecker synthesis in astrophysical-like conditions: reactivity of methanimine (CH2NH), ammonia (NH3), and hydrogen cyanide (HCN)

Deuterium- and <sup>15</sup>N-signatures of organic globules in Murchison and Northwest Africa 801 meteorites

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Experimental investigation of aminoacetonitrile formation through the Strecker synthesis in astrophysical-like conditions: reactivity of methanimine (CH₂NH), ammonia (NH₃), and hydrogen cyanide (HCN)