Year: 1971
Type: article
Abstract: Amino acids are produced under possible primitive Earth conditions by irradiation of gas mixtures with long-wavelength ultraviolet light, representing the most abundant useful energy source for prebiological organic synthesis. Hydrogen sulfide is the initial photon acceptor in this work; superthermal atomic hydrogen photodissociation products appear to initiate reactions leading to amino acid synthesis with an overall quantum yield on the order of 5X10(-5).
Source: Science
Authors: Carl Sagan, Bishun N. Khare
Institutions: Harvard University, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1976836799