Scientists from Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics reported this week that complex organic molecules were found in the protoplanetary disk of a young star, similar to those found on comets in our solar system. The findings were published in Nature, citation below. They show that chemical building blocks which lead to life may also be found in other star systems. Recent observations by the state-of-the-art telescope – Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) – showed that the protoplanetary disc surrounding MWC 480, a one-million-year-old star, contains large amounts of CH3CN (methyl cyanide), a complex carbon-based molecule. MWC 480 seems young compared to the Sun which is more than four billion years old. Artist impression of MWC 480.’s protoplanetary disk. (Credit to B. Saxton AAI/NSF) The protoplanetary disc is a rotating, dense-gaseous disk that surrounds young stars. This dense gas may eventually form planets or is in process of doing so. The authors noted that there is plenty of methylcyanide in the MWC 480’s prototypeplanetary disk. This could provide enough CH3CN to cover all oceans on Earth. HCN (hydrogencyanide), its more simple cousin, and methyl cyanide were both detected in the outer regions of the newly formed star disk. Astronomers believe this region is equivalent to the Kuiper Belt in our solar system. It’s a space beyond the planets and the realm of planetesimals, which are objects made from rock and dust. The Solar System’s earlier chemistry is preserved by comets, which date back to the time when they formed planets. Researchers believe asteroids from the outer Solar System sowed organic molecules and water into the Earth’s young, which helped set the scene for primordial life. Karin Oberg is an Astronomer at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts. She said that MWC 480 molecules were found in comparable concentrations as those from the Solar System’s comets. MWC 480 has a mass about twice that of the Sun. It is located 455 in the Taurus star formation region. It is still in its early stages of development, having recently fused from a dark, cold nebula filled with dust and gas. ALMA, and other telescopes, have yet to detect any signs that planet formation is occurring within the disk. Higher resolution images might show structures that are similar to HL Tauri which, at the same time, could be revealed. Scientists know that cyanides are essential for creating life as we know. Scientists have long known that interstellar clouds, which can be cold and dark, provide excellent facilities for complex organic molecules, including cyanides. The formation of living organisms is dependent on cyanides and methyl cyanide. These cyanides contain carbon-nitrogen bonding, essential for the formation amino acids. This latest research confirmed that these complex organic molecules can survive in an energetic solar system. Radiation and shocks are capable of breaking chemical bonds. ALMA’s findings show that these molecules not only thrive but also survive. These molecules were found to be much more common than in interstellar cloud clouds. This suggests that protoplanetary disks provide excellent conditions for organic molecules formation and can form them quickly. Oberg and his colleagues believe that organic molecules currently locked up in comets or other icy bodies may be released into environments that are more conducive to living. Oberg stated: “From studying exoplanets we know that the Solar System doesn’t have a unique number of planets and an abundance of water. We now know that organic chemistry is not a unique field. We have learned that we are not unique in organic chemistry. This is great news from a Life in the Universe perspective.” Citation: Geoffrey A. Blake and Edwin A. Bergin, “Planetary Science: Prebiotic Chemistry on the Rocks,” Geoffrey A. Blake. Nature. Publication 2015., 8 April DOI: 10. 1038/520161a.
Complex organic molecules discovered in distant star systems
