DOI: 10.1126/science.168.3930.470. Shock Synthesis of Amino Acids in Simulated Primitive Environments

Shock Synthesis of Amino Acids in Simulated Primitive Environments

10.1126/science.168.3930.470

Crossref journal-article

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Science (221)

Abstract

A mixture of gases roughly simulating the primitive terrestrial atmosphere has been subjected to shock heating followed by a rapid thermal quench. Under strictly homogeneous conditions there is a very high efficiency of 5 × 10 10 molecules per erg of shock-injected energy for production of alpha-amino acids. Calculations suggest that rapid quenching bypasses the usual thermochemical barrier. The product of energy flux and efficiency implies the unexpected conclusion that shocks occurring on atmospheric entry of cometary meteors and micrometeorites and from thunder may have been the principal energy sources for prebiological organic synthesis on the primitive earth.

Bibliography

Bar-Nun, A., Bar-Nun, N., Bauer, S. H., & Sagan, C. (1970). Shock Synthesis of Amino Acids in Simulated Primitive Environments. Science, 168(3930), 470â473.

Authors 4

A. Bar-Nun (first)
N. Bar-Nun (additional)
S. H. Bauer (additional)
Carl Sagan (additional)

References 20 Referenced 188

Abelson, P. H., Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 69: 276 (1957). (10.1111/j.1749-6632.1957.tb49663.x) / Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (1957)
10.1126/science.141.3584.867
10.1126/science.153.3736.628
Dayhoff M. O. NASA Special Report SP-3040 (1967).
DUFF, R.E., EQUILIBRIUM COMPOSITION OF C/H SYSTEM AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES, JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS 36: 1754 (1962). (10.1063/1.1701262) / JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS (1962)
Fox S. W. The Origins of Prebiological Systems and of Their Molecular matrices (1965).
GROTH, W, PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE 2: 79 (1960). (10.1016/0032-0633(60)90001-5) / PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE (1960)
HAWKINS, G.S., INTERPLANETARY DEBRIS NEAR EARTH, ANNUAL REVIEW OF ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS 2: 149 (1964). (10.1146/annurev.aa.02.090164.001053) / ANNUAL REVIEW OF ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS (1964)
Nature 197:624 (1963). / Nature (1963)
HOCHSTIM, A.R., HYPERSONIC CHEMOSYNTHESIS AND POSSIBLE FORMATION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS FROM IMPACT OF METEORITES ON WATER, PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 50: 200 (1963). / PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1963)
HODGE, P.W., A SEMIEMPIRICAL ESTIMATE OF MICROMETEORITE FLUX AT EARTHS SURFACE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS, ICARUS 10: 214 (1969). (10.1016/0019-1035(69)90023-2) / ICARUS (1969)
HULETT, H.R., LIMITATIONS ON PREBIOLOGICAL SYNTHESIS, JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY 24: 56 (1969). (10.1016/S0022-5193(69)80006-8) / JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL BIOLOGY (1969)
Kenyon D. H. Biochemical Predestination (1969).
10.1063/1.1733933
LIFSHITZ A UNPUBLISHED DATA.
MILLER, S.L., PRODUCTION OF SOME ORGANIC COMPOUNDS UNDER POSSIBLE PRIMITIVE EARTH CONDITIONS, JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 77: 2351 (1955). (10.1021/ja01614a001) / JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY (1955)
10.1126/science.130.3370.245
Opik E. J. Physics of Meteor Flight in the Atmosphere (1958).
PONNAMPERUMA, C, SPACE LIFE SCI 1: 65 (1968). / SPACE LIFE SCI (1968)
SAGAN C Organic Matter and the Moon NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCE-NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL PUBLICATION 757 (1961).

Dates

Type	When
Created	18 years, 11 months ago (Oct. 5, 2006, 8:56 a.m.)
Deposited	1 year, 7 months ago (Jan. 11, 2024, 10:36 a.m.)
Indexed	2 weeks, 3 days ago (Aug. 19, 2025, 7:05 a.m.)
Issued	55 years, 4 months ago (April 24, 1970)
Published	55 years, 4 months ago (April 24, 1970)
Published Print	55 years, 4 months ago (April 24, 1970)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Bar_Nun_1970, title={Shock Synthesis of Amino Acids in Simulated Primitive Environments}, volume={168}, ISSN={1095-9203}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.168.3930.470}, DOI={10.1126/science.168.3930.470}, number={3930}, journal={Science}, publisher={American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}, author={Bar-Nun, A. and Bar-Nun, N. and Bauer, S. H. and Sagan, Carl}, year={1970}, month=apr, pages={470–473} }

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