Past work in our laboratory has examined the low-temperature radiolytic formation of amino acids and other molecules from relatively simple molecular precursors.  More recently we have turned to the opposite problem, the survival rate of amino acids in assorted radiation and chemical environments.  Despite the fact that NASA spacecraft missions sought amino acids, and other organic molecules, on Mars nearly 40 years ago, the available laboratory data on molecular survival there remain surprisingly uneven.  This presentation will focus on the in-situ determination of life-times and rates of radiolytic destruction for glycine and other molecules in several icy solids at multiple temperatures and concentrations.  Our results shed light on the chemistry of Mars and other astronomical objects, and on molecular responses in extreme environments involving ionizing radiation.  Comparisons and cautions with respect to earlier work also will be provided. References: Gerakines, Hudson, Moore, and Bell, Icarus, 2012, 220, 647-659; Gerakines and Hudson, Astrobiology, 2013, 13, 647-655.

Radiolytic destruction of amino acids from Mars to the interstellar medium

248th National Meeting (2014)

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