Uv Irradiation of Carbonaceous Meteorites May Synthesize Small Organic Acids on Mars
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Organics are required for life as we know it and are ubiquitous to primitive abiotic exogenous materials, including carbonaceous chondrites [1,2]. Since biotic and abiotic synthesis mechanisms differ, organics bear molecular structures, distributions, and isotopic signatures that can indicate biological vs astrochemical/geological origin, making organics high-priority targets in astrobiological exploration of Mars [1]. Deconvolving the origin of Martian carbon is complex: multiple sources are expected, including exogenous delivery [2], abiotic in situ production [3], and potentially life [1]. Post depositional alteration via ionizing cosmic radiation and UV can complicate the signal [4]. Photochemical reactions can destroy, transform, or synthesize organics; radiolysis rates vary by molecule, functional group, and mineral associations [5]. Meteoritic organics are well-understood on Earth [2], but their evolution on Mars has not been constrained: characterizing UV alteration of exogenous organics is key to deconvolving the abiotic background for Mars life detection, especially compared to cosmic radiation, which alters organics differently [4,5]. Toward this goal, we exposed powdered Aguas Zarcas (AZ) meteorite and SiO2 blanks to Mars-like UV under analog conditions in the Planetary Atmospheres Chamber (PAC) [6] for ~100 sols equivalent.
DOI: 10.13016/m2e2ll-o04u
Authors: Buckner, D. K., Wilhelm, M. B., Cooper, G., Williams, A. J., Schuerger, A. C., Aponte, J. C., Foustoukos, D., Seguin, Frederic
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6884883881
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