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The rule of synchrotron radiation in the prebiotic evolution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2012

A. Naves de Brito*
Affiliation:
Instituto de Física ‘Gleb Wataghin’, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-859, Campinas-SP, Brazil
A. Miranda da Silva
Affiliation:
Instituto de Física, Universidade de Brasília, Box 04455, 70919-970, Brasília-DF, Brazil
A. Mocellin
Affiliation:
Instituto de Física, Universidade de Brasília, Box 04455, 70919-970, Brasília-DF, Brazil

Abstract

Synchrotron radiation-based spectroscopic techniques are discussed. Their relevance to obtain information regarding the prebiotic evolution problem is pointed out. We present photoelectron–photoion coincidence (PEPICO) spectra of adenine and glycine obtained using 12 and 21 eV photons. The fragmentation pattern belonging to these molecules was found to present striking differences, which are discussed. Adenine partial ion yield in the energy region 12–21 eV is also presented. The neutral fragments were found to have very simple assignment. The importance of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) as a building block of these molecules is confirmed. A special instrumentation allowing precise comparisons between photon-induced desorption and energetic ion bombardment desorption is described. As an example, we show, for the first time, the frozen CO2 ice mass spectra bombarded by photons and energetic ions, under the same experimental conditions. The comparison shows that prebiotic evolution may only be properly understood if more than one particle, as energy source, is considered.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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