Hostname: page-component-7bb8b95d7b-2h6rp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-09-06T22:05:01.514Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

PAHS AND ASTROBIOLOGY

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2011

C. Joblin ,
A.G.G.M. Tielens  and
L.J. Allamandola
L.J. Allamandola*
Affiliation:
NASA Ames Research Center, Space Science & Astrobiology Division, MS 245-6, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In dense molecular clouds, the birthplace of stars and planets, interstellar atoms and molecules freeze onto extremely cold dust and ice particles. These ices are processed by ultraviolet light and cosmic rays forming hundreds of far more complex species, some of astrobiological interest. Eventually, these rain down on primordial planets where they take part in the young chemistry on these new worlds.

Although the IR spectroscopy and energetic processing of interstellar ice analogs have been studied for nearly 30 years, similar studies of PAH containing ices have only just begun. This paper presents recent results from laboratory studies on the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photochemistry of PAHs in water ice at low temperatures to assess the roles they play in the photochemical evolution of interstellar ices and their relevance to astrobiology. A number of “surprises” were found in these studies on PAH containing water-rich ices, indicating that PAHs likely play very important, unexpected roles in cosmic ice chemistry, physics and astrobiology.

Type
Research Article
Information
European Astronomical Society Publications Series , Volume 46: PAHs and the Universe: A Symposium to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the PAH Hypothesis , 2011 , pp. 305 - 317
Copyright
© EAS, EDP Sciences 2011

References

Agarwal, V.K., Schutte, W., Greenberg, J.M., Ferris, J.P., et al., 1985, Orig. Life, 16, 21 CrossRef
Allamandola, L.J., Sandford, S.A., & Valero, G.J., 1988, Icarus, 76, 225 CrossRef
Allamandola, L.J., Bernstein, M.P., & Sandlord, S.A., 1997, IAU Colloq. 161: Astron. Bioch. Orig. Search Life Universe, 23
Bernstein, M.P., Sandford, S.A., Allamandola, L.J., Chang, S., & Scharberg, M.A., 1995, ApJ, 454, 327 CrossRef
Bernstein, M.P., Sandford, S.A., & Allamandola, L.J., 1999a, Scient. Amer., 281, 26 CrossRef
Bernstein, M.P., Sandford, S.A., Allamandola, L.J., et al., 1999b, Science, 283, 1135 CrossRef
Bernstein, M.P., Dworkin, J.P., Sandford, S.A., & Allamandola, L.J., 2001, Meteor. Planet. Sci., 36, 351 CrossRef
Bernstein, M.P., Dworkin, J.P., Sandford, S.A., Cooper, G.W., & Allamandola, L.J., 2002, Nature, 416, 401 CrossRef
Bernstein, M.P., Elsila, J.E., Dworkin, J.P., et al., 2002, ApJ, 576, 1115 CrossRef
Bernstein, M.P., Moore, M.H., Elsila, J.E., et al., 2003, ApJ, 582, L25 CrossRef
Bernstein, M.P., Sandford, S.A., & Allamandola, L.J., 2005, ApJS, 161, 53 CrossRef
Boogert, A.C.A., et al., 2008, ApJ, 678, 985 CrossRef
Bouwman, J., Paardekooper, D.M., Cuppen, H.M., Linnartz, H., & Allamandola, L.J., 2009, ApJ, 700, 56 CrossRef
Bouwman, J., Cuppen, H.M., Bakker, A., Allamandola, L.J., & Linnartz, H., 2010, A&A, 511, A33
Bouwman, J., Mattioda, A.L., Linnartz, H., & Allamandola, L.J., 2010, A&A, 511, A33
Cheung, A.C., Rank, D.M., Townes, C.H., Thornton, D.D., & Welch, W.J., 1968, Phys. Rev. Lett., 21, 1701 CrossRef
Deamer, D., Dworkin, J.P., Sandford, S.A., Bernstein, M.P., & Allamandola, L.J., 2002, Astrobiology, 2, 371 CrossRef
Dworkin, J.P., Deamer, D.W., Sandford, S.A., & Allamandola, L.J., 2001, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 98, 815 CrossRef
Dworkin, J.P., Seb Gillette, J., Bernstein, M.P., et al., 2004, Adv. Space Res., 33, 67 CrossRef
Gerakines, P.A., Schutte, W.A., & Ehrenfreund, P., 1996, A&A, 312, 289
Gerakines, P.A., Moore, M.H., & Hudson, R.L., 2001, J. Geophys. Res., 106, 33381 CrossRef
Gibb, E.L., & Whittet, D.C.B., 2002, ApJ, 566, L113 CrossRef
Greenberg, J.M., Li, A., Mendoza-Gomez, C.X., et al., 1995, ApJ, 455, L177 CrossRef
Greenberg, J.M., et al., 2000, ApJ, 531, L71 CrossRef
Gudipati, M.S., & Allamandola, L.J., 2003, ApJ, 596, L195 CrossRef
Gudipati, M.S., & Allamandola, L.J., 2004, ApJ, 615, L177 CrossRef
Gudipati, M.S., & Allamandola, L.J., 2006, ApJ, 638, 286 CrossRef
Keane, J.V., Tielens, A.G.G.M., Boogert, A.C.A., Schutte, W.A., & Whittet, D.C.B., 2001, A&A, 376, 254
Love, S.G., & Brownlee, D.E., 1993, Science, 262, 550 CrossRef
Muñoz Caro, G.M., et al., 2002, Nature, 416, 403 CrossRef
Nuevo, M., Milam, S.N., Sandford, S.A., Elsila, J.E., & Dworkin, J.P., 2009, Astrobiology, 9, 683 CrossRef
Pizzarello, S., & Huang, Y., 2005, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 69, 599 CrossRef
Rubin, R.H., Swenson, G.W. Jr., Benson, R.C., Tigelaar, H.L., & Flygare, W.H., 1971, ApJ, 169, L39 CrossRef
Sandford, S.A., Bernstein, M.P., & Allamandola, L.J., 2004, ApJ, 607, 346 CrossRef
Snyder, L.E., Buhl, D., Zuckerman, B., & Palmer, P., 1969, Phys. Rev. Lett., 22, 679 CrossRef
van Dishoeck, E.F., 2004, ARA&A, 42, 119 CrossRef
Wilson, R.W., Jefferts, K.B., & Penzias, A.A., 1970, ApJ, 161, L43 CrossRef
Woon, D.E., & Park, J.-Y., 2004, ApJ, 607, 342 CrossRef