Pyrolysis experiment of simulated exogenous complex organics synthesized from the gas mixtures of CO, NH3, and H2O by 3 MeV proton irradiation.
High molecular weight organic matter synthesized from mixtures of carbon monoxide, ammonia and water gases similar to those found in the interstellar medium were irradiated with a 3 MeV proton beam and analyzed by Curie point pyrolysis with detection by gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer (Pyr-GC-MS). A wide variety of organic compounds, not only a number of amide compounds, but also heterocyclic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were detected among the products of the pyrolysis. The present data shows that primary and primitive organic matter serving as  precursors  to bioorganic compounds such as amino acids, nucleic acid bases and sugar might have been formed in a gaseous mixture of similar composition to that of the interstellar dust environment.
Takano
Yoshinori
Y
Institute for Marine Resources and Environment, National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Higashi, Tsukuba.
Tsuboi
Taiki
T
Tohnishi
Hisako
H
Kaneko
Takeo
T
Kobayashi
Kensei
K
Hashimoto
Hirofumi
H
Marumo
Katsumi
K
D000577:Amides / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D000641:Ammonia / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects; D019418:Evolution, Chemical; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects; D006358:Hot Temperature; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
D000577:Amides; D005740:Gases; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014867:Water; D000641:Ammonia; D002248:Carbon Monoxide