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The young hard active Sun: soft X-ray irradiation of tryptophan in water solutions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 August 2010

A. Ciaravella ,
D. Bongiorno ,
C. Cecchi-Pestellini ,
M.L. Testa ,
S. Indelicato ,
M. Barbera ,
A. Collura ,
A. La Barbera  and
F. Mingoia
A. Ciaravella*
Affiliation:
INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, P.za Parlamento 1, I–90134 Palermo, Italy
D. Bongiorno
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche, UNIPA, via Archirafi 32, I–90123 Palermo, Italy
C. Cecchi-Pestellini
Affiliation:
INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, St. 54 Loc. Poggio dei Pini, I–09012 Capoterra (CA), Italy
M.L. Testa
Affiliation:
Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, CNR, via U. La Malfa 153, I–90146 Palermo, Italy
S. Indelicato
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche, UNIPA, via Archirafi 32, I–90123 Palermo, Italy
M. Barbera
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche ed Astronomiche, UNIPA, via Archirafi 36, I–90123 Palermo, Italy
A. Collura
Affiliation:
INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, P.za Parlamento 1, I–90134 Palermo, Italy
A. La Barbera
Affiliation:
INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, via U. La Malfa 153, I–90146 Palermo, Italy
F. Mingoia
Affiliation:
Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati, CNR, via U. La Malfa 153, I–90146 Palermo, Italy
*
e-mail: aciaravella@astropa.unipa.it
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Abstract

The X-ray emission of the young Sun was much harder and intense than today and might have played a significant role in the evolution of complex organics in protoplanetary environments. We investigate the effects of soft X-rays on tryptophan molecules in aqueous solutions at room temperature. As results of the irradiation experiments we detect several light species indicative of fragmentation, together with large molecular structures such as tryptophan dipeptide and tripeptide. Complexification is more evident in H2O solution than in D2O, probably due to isotopic effects. The abundances of peptides depend on the irradiation dose and decrease with increasing energy deposition. Radicals such as D, OD, H and OH, induced by the X-ray interaction with solvents, play a major role in determining the final products.

Keywords

amino acidsastrobiologychemical evolutionorigin of lifeX-ray irradiation of amino acids
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , January 2011 , pp. 67 - 75
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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