The international team of astrophysics found significant reserves of large organic molecules in four of the five protoplanetic disks of the Milky Way. According to scientists, this suggests that the chemical conditions that led to the emergence of life on Earth can be widespread in the galaxy. 20 Dedicated to the observations of the Molecules WITH ALMA AT Planet-Forming Scales projects (MAPS) are taken to the publication in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement SERIES. The project is posted on arxiv.org.
With the ALMA radio telescope complex (Atacama Large Millimeter Array) of astrophysics from 16 universities tracked organic molecules in protoplanetary disks of five stars – Im Wolf, AS 209, GM, HD 163296 and MWC 480 – a place where signs have already been found The origin of the planets. Scientists managed to track simple organic molecules – such as blue acid, ethylin radical and formaldehyde – in the inner areas of the disk, where the planets are probably formed. At the same time, it turned out that molecules are unevenly distributed in disks. The planets in different disks – and even in the same thing – can be formed in completely different chemical conditions – what can explain why life arose on some planets, and there is no.
researchers managed to detect the signatures of three much larger organic molecules: cyanoacetylene, acetonitrile and cyclopropenylidene. According to laboratory research and theoretical calculations, under the necessary conditions to serve “building blocks” for substances of earth biochemistry: sugars, amino acids, and even RNA components.
Researchers managed to find these molecules in three of the five protoplanetic discs in much more – from ten to 100 times – quantities than previously assumed in models. What is important, protoplanetic discs are places where planets are not only formed, but also comets with asteroids, bombing that at the early stage of the formation of the solar system, as it is believed to play an important role in the appearance of life on earth.
Previously, scientists have proven that life on Earth occurred as a result of chemical reactions. To do this, they created the AllChemy program and put six simple molecules into it. Already at the third stage of synthesis, the program has demonstrated known amino acids and biochemical compounds that make up the basis of life.