Abstract:
The frequency of meteorite impacts was significantly high in the Hadean period. In previous works, synthesis of amino acids and amines was demonstrated by analog shock recovery experiments simulating Hadean oceanic impacts. However, these experiments assumed a high concentration of NH3 in the Hadean environment. The atmosphere of the Earth at this time was mostly CO2 and N2. NH3 in the hydrosphere at this time is assumed to have been present, however in very low concentrations. Previous experiments also did not study the synthesis of these organic molecules over a measurable duration of time. We constructed a gas flow line experiment to test this impact-induced hypothesis in NH3-free conditions. We also tested these conditions over different measured durations of time.

These gas flow line experiments showed that impact-induced synthesis of glycine and amines was possible in an NH3-free model of the early atmosphere and hydrosphere, starting with N2 as a nitrogen source. These experiments also showed that CO2 present in the atmosphere, as well as carbon native to meteorites could have been a source of carbon for glycine and amines. 

Speaker: Dr. Jonathan Stimmer, Tohoku University, Department of Earth Science

Date: 4 October, 15:30-16:30 at Mishima Hall (ELSI-1)

Host: Tony Jia