From atoms to prebiotic molecules on the surface of cosmic dust grains

• Applicant: Dr. Cornelia Jäger
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy ; Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 504825294

The re-submitted research project will deal with the formation of important organic as well as prebiotic molecules that could serve as precursor materials for the formation of more complex biological building blocks of life on Earth or exoplanets. The generation of prebiotic molecules in the interstellar medium and protoplanetary disks and their final delivery and accumulation to planets by comets and meteorites represents an interesting scenario for the evolution of complex organics by astrochemical processes. Amino acids and sugar molecules can be considered as important biological-relevant molecules, because they are the building blocks of proteins and nucleosides, respectively. Precursors of amino acids and sugar molecules have been identified in different astrophysical environments. Glycine, the simplest amino acid, has been detected in comets and meteorites. This research proposal is devoted to systematic experimental studies on the formation of complex organic molecules on the surface of cosmic grain analogs including carbonaceous and siliceous dust grains at conditions prevailing in the ISM. A series of experiments will focus on the interaction of refractory carbon surfaces with atomic beams consisting of H and O, N and H, as well as N and O atoms. The formation of prebiotic molecules including important hydrogen- oxygen- and nitrogen-bearing molecules by the contribution and erosion of carbon grains will be studied. The second part of the research project will be dedicated to the hydrogenation reactions of CO and HCN on the surface of silicates and carbon particles. The main goals of the project concentrate on a better understanding of the astrochemical evolution of grains and molecules and the study of the astrochemical origins of COMs detected in the ISM. In addition, we want to investigate the environmental conditions that favor the formation of prebiotic molecules such as amino acids or precursors of sugar molecules on dust grains. The results will provide important information on the synthesis of biomolecules in different areas of the interstellar medium.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants