The end of the late heavy bombardment era coincides with the emergence of life on the Earth 4 billion years ago. This coincidence suggests that the impacts of extraterrestrial bodies might have contributed to the formation of the first molecules involved in early living structures. We have simulated a high-energy synthesis of nucleic acid bases from formamide in the impact of an extraterrestrial body. The high-power laser system PALS was employed in simulation of impact plasma by inducing a laser dielectric breakdown in formamide. In hot and dense plasma, formamide decomposed producing reactive radicals. The radicals reacted with formamide and nucleic acid bases were produced. Formamide was pretreated with laser plasma in the presence of catalysts. The products were analyzed by FTIR spectrometry and GC-MS. Time-resolved emission spectra of formamide discharge plasma were measured. Kinetic models and formation pathways for nucleic acid bases were calculated. The results show that the nucleic acid bases can be synthesized in impact plasma involving CN and NH radicals and formamide.
- MeSH
- biogeneze organel MeSH
- formamidy * chemie MeSH
- katalýza MeSH
- lasery využití MeSH
- nukleové kyseliny * chemie MeSH
- plynová chromatografie s hmotnostně spektrometrickou detekcí přístrojové vybavení MeSH
- spektroskopie infračervená s Fourierovou transformací přístrojové vybavení MeSH
- Země (planeta) MeSH
This work concerns the role of formaldehyde in the environment and describes the basic indoor and outdoor detection techniques. One of the laboratory techniques, laser photoacoustic spectroscopy, was used for detection of formaldehyde based on its absorption spectrum in a region around 4350 cm-1. A new type of diode laser (GaInAsSb/AlGaAsSb - MQW (Multi-quantum well)) operating at room temperature in combination with a simple resonance photoacoustic cell provides the minimum detectable signal of formaldehyde, ca. 1250 µg m-3, at 4356 cm-1.
