OP‐4VUV PHOTOPHYSICS OF PREBIOTIC MOLECULES IN THE CONTEXTOF THE SEARCH FOR LIFE ON EXOPLANETSSydney LeachLaboratoire d’Etude du Rayonnement et de la Matière en AstrophysiqueObservatoire de Paris‐Meudon, 92195‐Meudon, FranceOne of the important aims of the study of extrasolar planets is to identify markers thatcould be associated with the presence or possible future existence of life on these far‐offobjects. Thus the identification of prebiotic molecules and elementary biotic building blocksis a valid objective [1]. Since the atmospheres of extrasolar planets is increasingly studied byspectroscopic means, permitting the prevailing physical environment, in particular themolecular and particulate content, and the local radiation field, to be determined, it isimperative to understand the viability of prebiotic and biotic molecules under theseconditions. Furthermore, these extrasolar planets will most probably also be subject toinflow of material from local comets and asteroids and these could give rise to observableeffects. These objects could also be sources for the molecular building blocks of life and theycould penetrate whatever atmosphere exists on an exoplanet and thus deliver these keymolecules to the atmosphere, the surface or any liquid haven. One must also include thepossibility that material can be transferred from one planet to another, as illustrated by theexistence of Martian and Lunar meteorites on Earth. In addition, cosmochemistry in theinterstellar medium (ISM) can be a source of prebiotic molecules that eventually aredeposited on planetary sites.I will present the results of extensive studies of the VUV spectroscopy and photophysicsof a number of molecules carried out in collaboration with the group of Helmut Baumgärtel,Free University, Berlin, at synchrotron radiation sources BESSY I and BESSY II, Berlin, andLURE, Orsay. Our studies have involved both optical spectroscopy (absorption, fluorescence)and photophysical studies such as photoion mass spectrometry (PIMS), including themeasurement of photoionization yields. Spectroscopic studies are essential for predictingobservational possibilities in astronomy and for the interpretation of laboratoryphotophysical results as well as astrophysical observational measurements. The speciesstudied fall into two groups: 1) small molecules, such as ammonia [2], formic acid [3,4],35
OP‐4acetic acid [5,6], acetonitrile [7,8], formamide [9] and its methyl derivatives [10], that areconsidered to be the reactants in a prebiotic chemistry which culminates in complexmolecules such as amino acids and nucleobases; 2) the monomeric building blocks ofbiopolymers, e.g. the aminoacids glycine, alanine, valine etc [11], which are the buildingblocks of proteins, and a number of purines and pyrimidines [12], including the nucleic acidbases adenine, thymine and uracil [13], which are part of the nucleotide building blocks ofthe informational molecules DNA and RNA. These results will be presented and discussed inthe context of the survivability of these species under various conditions of irradiation and insettings corresponding to (exo)‐planetary atmospheres and cometary and asteroidalenvironments.[1]. S.Leach, I.W.M.Smith, C.S.Cockell, Phil.Trans.Roy.Soc. B, 361, 1675‐1679 (2006)[2]. S.Leach, H.‐W.Jochims, H.Baumgärtel, Phys.Chem.Chem.Phys. 7, 900 ‐911 (2005)[3]. S.Leach, M.Schwell, F.Dulieu, J.‐L.Chotin, H.‐W.Jochims, H.Baumgärtel, Phys.Chem.Chem.Phys., 4, 5025 ‐5039 (2002)[4]. M.Schwell, F.Dulieu, H.‐W.Jochims, J.‐H.Fillion, J.‐L.Lemaire, H.Baumgärtel, S.Leach, J.Phys.Chem.A., 106,10908‐10918 (2002)[5]. S.Leach, M.Schwell, S.Un, H.‐W.Jochims, H.Baumgärtel, Chem.Phys. 321, 159‐170 (2006)[6]. S.Leach, M.Schwell, H.‐W.Jochims, H.Baumgärtel, Chem.Phys. 321, 171‐182 (2006)[7]. S.Leach, M.Schwell, S.Un, H.‐W.Jochims, H.Baumgärtel, Chem.Phys. 344, 147‐163 (2008)[8]. M.Schwell, H.‐W.Jochims, H.Baumgärtel, S.Leach, Chem.Phys. 344, 164‐175 (2008)[9]. S.Leach, H.‐W.Jochims, H.Baumgärtel, J. Phys.Chem. A, 114, 4847‐4856 (2010)[10]. S.Leach, N.Champion, H.‐W.Jochims, H.Baumgärtel, Chem.Phys., 376, 10-22 (2010)[11]. H.‐W.Jochims, M.Schwell, J.‐L.Chotin, M.Clemino, F.Dulieu, H.Baumgärtel, S.Leach, Chem.Phys., 298, 279‐297 (2004)[12]. M.Schwell, H.‐W.Jochims, H.Baumgärtel, S.Leach, Chem.Phys. 353, 145‐162 (2008)[13]. H.‐W.Jochims, M.Schwell, H.Baumgärtel, S.Leach, Chem.Phys., 314, 263‐282 (2005)36
- Page 2 and 3: Boreskov Institute of Catalysis of
- Page 4 and 5: INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEEA
- Page 6 and 7: PLENARY LECTURES
- Page 8 and 9: PL‐1first planetesimals (embryos
- Page 10 and 11: PL‐2case the primary Earth substa
- Page 12 and 13: PL‐310. If the high‐carbon rock
- Page 14 and 15: PL‐5ON THE COMPLEXITY OF PRIMORDI
- Page 16 and 17: MICROFOSSILS, BIOMOLECULES AND BIOM
- Page 19 and 20: PL‐8MOLECULAR COLONIES AS A PRE
- Page 21 and 22: PL‐9GENE NETWORKS AND THE EVOLUTI
- Page 25 and 26: EMERGENT LIFE DRINKS ORDERLINESS FR
- Page 27 and 28: PROTOBIOLOGICAL STRUCTURES, PREBIOL
- Page 29 and 30: ORAL PRESENTATIONS
- Page 31 and 32: OP‐1developed a theory of the gre
- Page 33 and 34: OP‐2field of the Sun and the fiel
- Page 35: OP‐3HOT ABIOGENESIS AND EARLY BIO
- Page 40 and 41: OP‐6processes. Mentioned above as
- Page 42: OP‐7polymerization of simple mole
- Page 45: OP‐9SYNTHESIS OF BIOLOGICALLY IMP
- Page 48 and 49: OP‐11threshold is reached the sel
- Page 50 and 51: OP‐12nanoparticles of polysilicic
- Page 52 and 53: OP‐13We aimed to relate entropy m
- Page 54 and 55: OP‐14gene sequence as about 100 M
- Page 56 and 57: OP‐15of photochemical transformat
- Page 58 and 59: OP‐16modeled by the varying of in
- Page 60 and 61: OP‐17[2]. Mulkidjanian, A. Y., Ko
- Page 62 and 63: OP‐19LIFE ORIGINATION HYDRATE HYP
- Page 64 and 65: OP‐20PREBIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF M
- Page 66 and 67: OP‐21The manifestation of this ge
- Page 68 and 69: OP‐22dominated by ostracodes, fir
- Page 70 and 71: OP‐23present as Fe 0 , Fe +2 , an
- Page 72 and 73: PROCARYOTIC ASSEMBLAGES OF EARLY PR
- Page 74 and 75: OP‐26OPTIMIZATION OF STRESS RESPO
- Page 76 and 77: OP‐27LICHENS COULD BE RESPONSIBLE
- Page 78 and 79: OP‐28ROLE OF CYANOBACTERIA FROM D
- Page 80 and 81: OP‐29COMPUTER TOOL FOR MODELING T
- Page 82 and 83: OP‐30EVOLUTION OF TRANSLATION TER
- Page 84 and 85: WHY WE NEED NEW EVIDENCES FOR DEEP
- Page 86 and 87:
ENDEMIC GENERA IN LATITUDINAL FAUNI
- Page 88 and 89:
OP‐33Taxonomic structure (alpha d
- Page 90 and 91:
OP‐34populations of different gas
- Page 94 and 95:
OP‐36in the reef frame, thus incr
- Page 96 and 97:
OP‐37extracorporeal digestion. Pl
- Page 98 and 99:
97OP‐38
- Page 100 and 101:
OP‐39one of the major generalized
- Page 102 and 103:
OP‐40geological history was favor
- Page 104 and 105:
“BUTTERFLY EFFECT” IN PLANETESI
- Page 106 and 107:
OP‐44COEVOLUTION OF MAMMALIAN FAU
- Page 108 and 109:
FRAMEWORKS OF LIFE ORIGIN RESEARCH
- Page 110 and 111:
OP‐45[8]. Lincoln T.A., Joyce G.F
- Page 112 and 113:
to run the analysis. Lifeless conde
- Page 114 and 115:
the pairs of the “very first” (
- Page 116 and 117:
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and th
- Page 118 and 119:
Results: Considering the changes be
- Page 120 and 121:
PP‐67ADAPTATION OF THE PYROCOCCUS
- Page 122 and 123:
GROWTH OF MICROORGANISMS IN MARTIAN
- Page 124 and 125:
2.3. Cellular thalli (or colonies?)
- Page 126 and 127:
Under methodical mistakes I mean fi
- Page 128 and 129:
A FRACTAL SPATIOTEMPORAL STRUCTURE
- Page 130 and 131:
[13]. Gusev, V.A., Arithmetic and a
- Page 132 and 133:
ABIOGENIC SELF‐ASSEMBLAGE OF THE
- Page 134 and 135:
PP‐2FLUID INCLUSION IN QUARTZ FRO
- Page 136 and 137:
PP‐3PALEOZOIC APOCALYPSE: WHAT CA
- Page 138 and 139:
PP‐4BIOCHEMICAL REACTION OF EARLY
- Page 140 and 141:
PP‐5EDIACARAN SOFT‐BODIED ORGAN
- Page 142 and 143:
PP‐6SOFTWARE MODELLER OF EVOLUTIO
- Page 144 and 145:
PP‐8THE EARLIEST STEPS OF ORGANIS
- Page 146 and 147:
PP‐9MODELING THE CONFIGURATIONS O
- Page 148 and 149:
PP‐9Acknowledgement. This work wa
- Page 150 and 151:
PP‐10that are much darker (probab
- Page 152 and 153:
PP‐12GTF2I DOMAIN: STRUCTURE, EVO
- Page 154 and 155:
PP‐13DEEP INSIDE INTO VERTEBRATES
- Page 156 and 157:
GENERATION OF MODERN MINERAL‐BIOL
- Page 158 and 159:
ADSORPTION OF RIBOSE NUCLEOTIDES ON
- Page 160 and 161:
PP‐16cells. Thus, in addition to
- Page 162 and 163:
PP‐17organizing photosynthetic pi
- Page 164 and 165:
PP‐19YOUNGEST OIL OF PLANET EARTH
- Page 166 and 167:
PP‐20MID‐CHAIN BRANCHED MONOMET
- Page 168 and 169:
PP‐21BIOMARKER HYDROCARBON COMPOS
- Page 170 and 171:
PP‐22BIOMARKER HYDROCARBONS IN KA
- Page 172 and 173:
PP‐23EVOLUTION OF TRILOBITE BIOFA
- Page 174 and 175:
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BIOMARKER H
- Page 176 and 177:
CYANO‐BACTERIAL MATS OF HOT SPRIN
- Page 178 and 179:
PP‐26THE BIOGEOGRAPHICAL EVOLUTIO
- Page 180 and 181:
PP‐27MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES OF OIL
- Page 182 and 183:
PP‐28MICROEVOLUTIONARY PROCESSES
- Page 184 and 185:
BIOGENIC AND ABIOGENIC BIOMORPHIC S
- Page 186 and 187:
PP‐29are combine nodules forming
- Page 188 and 189:
PP‐30have led to divergence of la
- Page 190 and 191:
PP‐31observed in the modern micro
- Page 192 and 193:
PP‐32by the ammonite Arctocephali
- Page 194 and 195:
PP‐33similarities in their three
- Page 196 and 197:
PP‐34been formed already in the e
- Page 198 and 199:
PP‐35The epochs of global cooling
- Page 200 and 201:
PP‐37MULTIPLE PATHS TO ENCEPHALIZ
- Page 202 and 203:
PP‐38FIRST MIKROIHNOFOSSILS FIND
- Page 204 and 205:
PP‐39THE ROLE OF ECHINOIDS IN SHA
- Page 206 and 207:
PP‐40BIOMARKER HYDROCARBONS OF TH
- Page 208 and 209:
THE STRUCTURE OF MICROBIAL COMMUNIT
- Page 210 and 211:
PP‐42Plate 1. Middle Ordovician,
- Page 212 and 213:
PP‐43ecosystems of large (up to 6
- Page 214 and 215:
PP‐44expansion goes through 40 °
- Page 216 and 217:
PP‐45(Ketris and Judovich, 2009),
- Page 218 and 219:
SURVIVAL OF HALOPHILES AT DIFFERENT
- Page 220 and 221:
PP‐47ISOPRENOID BIOMARKERS AND MI
- Page 222 and 223:
SOME PECULIARITIES IN THE DISTRIBUT
- Page 224 and 225:
PP‐51EVOLUTION OF INFAUNAL SCAVEN
- Page 226 and 227:
PP‐52EARLY PROTEROZOIC BIOMORPHIC
- Page 228 and 229:
PP‐53FROM OFFSHORE TO ONSHORE:A N
- Page 230 and 231:
PRODUCTS FROM BIRCH BARK FOR TREATI
- Page 232 and 233:
PP‐55THE STRUCTURE OF MICROBIAL C
- Page 234 and 235:
233PP‐56
- Page 236 and 237:
PP‐58EARLY CAMBRIAN EVOLUTION OF
- Page 238 and 239:
PP‐59matter (OM) of the Kuonamka
- Page 240 and 241:
PP‐60Fig. 1. Masschromatograms fo
- Page 242 and 243:
PP‐61multiply. According to prof.
- Page 244 and 245:
PP‐62investigation of dietary pat
- Page 246 and 247:
PP‐63for almost all discs. Radial
- Page 248 and 249:
PP‐64BIOMARKERS IN PRECAMBRIAN KA
- Page 250 and 251:
MICROFOSSILS OF BACTERIAL, MUSHROOM
- Page 252 and 253:
PP‐66BIOSTRUCTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES
- Page 254 and 255:
Abramson Natalia IosifovnaZoologica
- Page 256 and 257:
Gerasimov MikhailSpace Research Ins
- Page 258 and 259:
Lomakina AnnaLimnological institute
- Page 260 and 261:
Rogov Vladimir IgorevichTrofimuk In
- Page 262 and 263:
Zamulina Tatiana VladimirovnaBoresk
- Page 264 and 265:
PL‐9Kolchanov N.A., Afonnikov D.A
- Page 266 and 267:
OP‐15Gontareva N.B., Kuzicheva E.
- Page 268 and 269:
OP‐33Barskov I.S.TAXONOMICAL AND
- Page 270 and 271:
Nagovitsin K.COMPLEX HETEROTROPHIC
- Page 272 and 273:
PP‐17.PP‐18.PP‐19.PP‐20.PP
- Page 274 and 275:
PP‐35.Polishchuk Y.M., Yashchenko
- Page 276 and 277:
PP‐54.PP‐55.Kuznetsova S.A.PROD
- Page 278:
III INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCEBIOSPHE