A team of scientists investigating a region of our galaxy in which there is intense cosmic activity, and in particular the birth of new stars, has detected traces of a chemical substance that is likely to be the precursor to life.
The essence
Using the CARMA radio telescope array, the researchers studied the L1157-B1 region, located a thousand light-years from Earth. This is a region where new stars are constantly being born.
Researchers have detected traces of a chemical called hydroxylamine, which is made up of nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. They are now trying to confirm the existence of the substance in the interstellar void. If that happens, hydroxylamine automatically goes to the top of the list of candidates for creating the building blocks of life.
In the L1157-B1 region where new stars are born, scientists are searching for the "mother" of the building blocks of life
The theory
"One of the theories about the ingredients of life is that they are created in cold clouds of gas, dust and plasma that exist in the interstellar void. Comets, asteroids and meteorites that form in these clouds contain these ingredients. So when these bodies fall on planets, the ingredients of life are dispersed. Although one of the most popular theories is that life on Earth first appeared in hydrothermal vents in the depths of the oceans, the molecules that were the catalyst for the formation of the first forms of life had to come from somewhere else and not from the areas of hydrothermal vents. And this somewhere else could be Space," says Anthony Remizhan, of the US National Astronomy Observatory, who led the research team.
The discovery
To test this theory, the researchers looked for chemical traces of simple inorganic compounds formed in interstellar clouds. These compounds do not contain carbon and are not associated with life, but they can interact with other chemical elements to create some of the building blocks of life, such as amino acids and nucleotides, which make up DNA.
In recent years, scientists have identified many different probiotic molecules in space. The research team searched for such molecules in the L1157-B1 region. They detected faint "signals" of hydroxylamine there, the presence of which is expected based on the conditions prevailing in this particular region, according to experts.
The cosmic process
Gas beams from the interior of the region violently slam into the interstellar void. The impact of the gas beams on the interstellar void is powerful enough to trigger chemical reactions in an essentially stagnant, frozen world. The result of these reactions is the production of hydroxylamine. The interaction of hydroxylamine with other elements such as acetic acid produces amino acids, which are the building blocks of life.
"We have a first indication of the presence of hydroxylamine in the area. But we cannot say with certainty that the substance exists. Every molecule has 'fingerprints'. We have identified a fingerprint from... a thumb, we need the prints from the other 'fingers' to verify its existence," Remizhan said. The discovery was presented at the American Astronomical Society conference in Long Beach, California.
