Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young Sun
Life most likely started during the Hadean Eon; however, the environmental conditions which contributed to the complexity of its chemistry are poorly known. A better understanding of various environmental conditions, including global (heliospheric) and local (atmospheric, surface, and oceanic), alon...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-04-01
|
| Series: | Life |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/5/1103 |
| _version_ | 1797599361602945024 |
|---|---|
| author | Kensei Kobayashi Jun-ichi Ise Ryohei Aoki Miei Kinoshita Koki Naito Takumi Udo Bhagawati Kunwar Jun-ichi Takahashi Hiromi Shibata Hajime Mita Hitoshi Fukuda Yoshiyuki Oguri Kimitaka Kawamura Yoko Kebukawa Vladimir S. Airapetian |
| author_facet | Kensei Kobayashi Jun-ichi Ise Ryohei Aoki Miei Kinoshita Koki Naito Takumi Udo Bhagawati Kunwar Jun-ichi Takahashi Hiromi Shibata Hajime Mita Hitoshi Fukuda Yoshiyuki Oguri Kimitaka Kawamura Yoko Kebukawa Vladimir S. Airapetian |
| author_sort | Kensei Kobayashi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Life most likely started during the Hadean Eon; however, the environmental conditions which contributed to the complexity of its chemistry are poorly known. A better understanding of various environmental conditions, including global (heliospheric) and local (atmospheric, surface, and oceanic), along with the internal dynamic conditions of the early Earth, are required to understand the onset of abiogenesis. Herein, we examine the contributions of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs) associated with superflares from the young Sun to the formation of amino acids and carboxylic acids in weakly reduced gas mixtures representing the early Earth’s atmosphere. We also compare the products with those introduced by lightning events and solar ultraviolet light (UV). In a series of laboratory experiments, we detected and characterized the formation of amino acids and carboxylic acids via proton irradiation of a mixture of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen, and water in various mixing ratios. These experiments show the detection of amino acids after acid hydrolysis when 0.5% (<i>v</i>/<i>v</i>) of initial methane was introduced to the gas mixture. In the set of experiments with spark discharges (simulation of lightning flashes) performed for the same gas mixture, we found that at least 15% methane was required to detect the formation of amino acids, and no amino acids were detected in experiments via UV irradiation, even when 50% methane was used. Carboxylic acids were formed in non-reducing gas mixtures (0% methane) by proton irradiation and spark discharges. Hence, we suggest that GCRs and SEP events from the young Sun represent the most effective energy sources for the prebiotic formation of biologically important organic compounds from weakly reducing atmospheres. Since the energy flux of space weather, which generated frequent SEPs from the young Sun in the first 600 million years after the birth of the solar system, was expected to be much greater than that of GCRs, we conclude that SEP-driven energetic protons are the most promising energy sources for the prebiotic production of bioorganic compounds in the atmosphere of the Hadean Earth. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:34:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-44544b1c44754d019b2c7aa9af3e3fb9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:34:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-44544b1c44754d019b2c7aa9af3e3fb92023-11-18T02:08:43ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292023-04-01135110310.3390/life13051103Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young SunKensei Kobayashi0Jun-ichi Ise1Ryohei Aoki2Miei Kinoshita3Koki Naito4Takumi Udo5Bhagawati Kunwar6Jun-ichi Takahashi7Hiromi Shibata8Hajime Mita9Hitoshi Fukuda10Yoshiyuki Oguri11Kimitaka Kawamura12Yoko Kebukawa13Vladimir S. Airapetian14Department of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, JapanDepartment of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, JapanDepartment of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, JapanDepartment of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, JapanDepartment of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, JapanDepartment of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, JapanChubu Institute of Advanced Studies, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, JapanDepartment of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, JapanSANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), Osaka University, Ibaraki 567-0047, JapanDepartment of Life, Environment and Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Fukuoka 811-0295, JapanOpen Facility Center, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, JapanInstitute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, JapanChubu Institute of Advanced Studies, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, JapanDepartment of Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Yokohama National University, 79-5 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501, JapanNASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Sellers Exoplanetary Environments Collaboration, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USALife most likely started during the Hadean Eon; however, the environmental conditions which contributed to the complexity of its chemistry are poorly known. A better understanding of various environmental conditions, including global (heliospheric) and local (atmospheric, surface, and oceanic), along with the internal dynamic conditions of the early Earth, are required to understand the onset of abiogenesis. Herein, we examine the contributions of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs) associated with superflares from the young Sun to the formation of amino acids and carboxylic acids in weakly reduced gas mixtures representing the early Earth’s atmosphere. We also compare the products with those introduced by lightning events and solar ultraviolet light (UV). In a series of laboratory experiments, we detected and characterized the formation of amino acids and carboxylic acids via proton irradiation of a mixture of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen, and water in various mixing ratios. These experiments show the detection of amino acids after acid hydrolysis when 0.5% (<i>v</i>/<i>v</i>) of initial methane was introduced to the gas mixture. In the set of experiments with spark discharges (simulation of lightning flashes) performed for the same gas mixture, we found that at least 15% methane was required to detect the formation of amino acids, and no amino acids were detected in experiments via UV irradiation, even when 50% methane was used. Carboxylic acids were formed in non-reducing gas mixtures (0% methane) by proton irradiation and spark discharges. Hence, we suggest that GCRs and SEP events from the young Sun represent the most effective energy sources for the prebiotic formation of biologically important organic compounds from weakly reducing atmospheres. Since the energy flux of space weather, which generated frequent SEPs from the young Sun in the first 600 million years after the birth of the solar system, was expected to be much greater than that of GCRs, we conclude that SEP-driven energetic protons are the most promising energy sources for the prebiotic production of bioorganic compounds in the atmosphere of the Hadean Earth.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/5/1103prebiotic synthesiscosmic rayssolar energetic particlesweakly reducing atmosphereearly Earthamino acids |
| spellingShingle | Kensei Kobayashi Jun-ichi Ise Ryohei Aoki Miei Kinoshita Koki Naito Takumi Udo Bhagawati Kunwar Jun-ichi Takahashi Hiromi Shibata Hajime Mita Hitoshi Fukuda Yoshiyuki Oguri Kimitaka Kawamura Yoko Kebukawa Vladimir S. Airapetian Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young Sun Life prebiotic synthesis cosmic rays solar energetic particles weakly reducing atmosphere early Earth amino acids |
| title | Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young Sun |
| title_full | Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young Sun |
| title_fullStr | Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young Sun |
| title_full_unstemmed | Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young Sun |
| title_short | Formation of Amino Acids and Carboxylic Acids in Weakly Reducing Planetary Atmospheres by Solar Energetic Particles from the Young Sun |
| title_sort | formation of amino acids and carboxylic acids in weakly reducing planetary atmospheres by solar energetic particles from the young sun |
| topic | prebiotic synthesis cosmic rays solar energetic particles weakly reducing atmosphere early Earth amino acids |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/13/5/1103 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kenseikobayashi formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT junichiise formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT ryoheiaoki formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT mieikinoshita formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT kokinaito formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT takumiudo formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT bhagawatikunwar formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT junichitakahashi formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT hiromishibata formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT hajimemita formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT hitoshifukuda formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT yoshiyukioguri formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT kimitakakawamura formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT yokokebukawa formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun AT vladimirsairapetian formationofaminoacidsandcarboxylicacidsinweaklyreducingplanetaryatmospheresbysolarenergeticparticlesfromtheyoungsun |