The discovery, made by specialists NASA in the course of processing data of the comet mission Stardust, became sequential confirmation of the "comet" theory of the origin of life on the Earth.
The analysis of the models of comet substance, assembled by probe StarDust with the flight near the nucleus of comet Wild 2 in, 2004, and delivered to the earth in the descent vehicle on 15 January, 2006, led scientists to the discovery of organic matter, the possibility of existence of which out of the Earth earlier was not assumed.
The comets, which consist of the dust and ice and travelling along our solar system, as it is assumed, are unique containers for the transfer of the organic molecules, which are the components of living material. Discovery two it is specific organic molecules in the comet substance of comet Wild-2 it became sequential confirmation of the "comet" theory of the origin of life.
"the obtained results show that the comets could deliver the organic nitrogen-bearing components to the earth at the early stage of its existence and thus to contribute to the origin of life on the planet", stated the representative of the space center im. Goddard Of dzheyson Dworkin.
Two molecules of methylamine and ethylamine, discovered in comet Wild-2, are the sources of connected nitrogen - sufficiently rare product on the ancient Earth. Nitrogen fixation - process of the binding of molecular nitrogen (N2) of the atmosphere and its transfer into the biologically useful form (amine or nitrate), which is present, for example, in the fertilizers.
"we established that the comets, at least, one type could deliver to the earth a significant quantity of stable connected nitrogen in the form of methylamine and ethylamine", counts Dworkin.
Similar nitrogen-bearing molecules are for the first time discovered in the comet substance. Space probe Stardust at a high speed crossed comet tail, and the collection of containers with the aerogel located on board the probe made it possible to grasp the particles of comet dust without the evaporation of their components. Although the objective of mission Stardust consisted in the return to comet dust to the earth, scientists attempted to find organic molecules in the aerogel itself, but not in the particles of dust.
It turned out that the aerogel acted as sponge, absorbing organic gases from the comet nucleus. Scientists revealed organic molecules, analyzing the tests of water, in which were processed the particles of aerogel, with the aid of the chromatographic mass spectrometer.
Then the control models of aerogel, which did not accomplish space flight, were thoroughly studied, this was made in order to exclude the possibility of accidental entry into the aerogel of the organic molecules of planetary origin.
As a result the scientists revealed organic molecules only in the models of aerogel, returned from space, and in the quantities, which confirm their comet origin, reports CNews.
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