Scientists think cosmic ice is where prebiotic molecules — the building blocks of life — form. Here on Earth, researchers replicated particles of space ice and bombarded them with electrons and photons to simulate the conditions in dark, dense clouds found in deep space. They saw that hydrogen peroxide was released from water ice after electron bombardment, an experimental finding that could illuminate the role hydrogen peroxide plays in the chemical processes known to support life in the universe.
“Extraterrestrial synthesis of prebiotic molecules”
Presented at ACS Fall 2024 on Aug. 20, 2024
Presenter: Kennedy Barnes
Principal investigator: Christopher Arumainayagam, Ph.D.
Probing space ice for clues to the origin of life | Headline Science
To read an ACS press release about this research, go to https://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2024/august/extraterrestrial-chemistry-with-earthbound-possibilities.html
Credits:
Written and edited by Vangie Koonce
Produced by Kerri Jansen and Andrew Sobey
Narrated by Allison Tau
Executive produced by Matthew Radcliff
Sarah Michaud contributed research for this video.
Special thanks to Jason Dworkin, Ph.D., for helpful scientific discussion.
Research videos from Christopher Arumainayagam, Ph.D., James Battat, Ph.D., Kennedy Barnes, Amber Celletti and William Hoffeditz
Additional video and images: Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, Jet Propulsion Laboratory: California Institute of Technology, MolView, NASA, Space Science Institute, Space Telescope Science Institute and Shutterstock
Music: “Magic in the Mist” by Flouw and “Observations” by From Now On from Epidemic Sound
Sound effects: Soundsnap
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