Pyrolysis of complex organics following high-energy proton irradiation of a simple inorganic gas mixture

Complex organics formed by 3 MeV proton irradiation of a simple inorganic gas mixture with a composition representative of the primitive earth atmosphere (carbon monoxide, nitrogen, and water) were characterized by application of Curie-point pyrolysis. Pyrolysis products consisted of a wide variety of organic compounds including amide compounds, heterocyclic, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The present data showed that primary and primitive organic matter serving as "precursors" to fundamental building blocks associated with life might have been formed in a gaseous mixture of a similar composition to that of the primitive earth atmosphere. Large numbers of endogenous organic compounds and protocatalysis components produced by cosmic rays may have contributed significantly to the early stages of chemical evolution on the primitive earth. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.