Tag: Astrochemistry
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Phosphine in Brown Dwarf Atmospheres: Biosignature Clues
Introduction: Phosphine and the hunt for life beyond Earth Scientists seeking life beyond our planet often focus on biosignatures—molecules that hint at biological processes. Phosphine, a gas produced by anaerobic microbes on Earth, has long been proposed as a potential marker of life. Yet before any molecule can be treated as a true biosignature, researchers…
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Mysterious phosphine in a brown dwarf casts doubt on Venus biosignature claims
A mysterious molecule in a brown dwarf challenges our ideas about life signals A new study published in Science reports the detection of phosphine, a simple phosphorus-bearing molecule, in the atmosphere of a brown dwarf named Wolf 1130C. The finding is provocative because phosphine has long been touted as a potential sign of life when…
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Phosphine on a Brown Dwarf Complicates Venus Biosignature Claims
What this finding means A team of astronomers reporting in Science has detected phosphine, a simple phosphorus-hydrogen molecule, in the atmosphere of a brown dwarf named Wolf 1130C. The result is intriguing because phosphine has long been discussed as a potential biosignature—an indirect hint of life—when found in Venus’ clouds. The new observation shows that…
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Phosphine in a Brown Dwarf Casts Doubt on Venus Biosignature Claims
Introducing a puzzling finding A new study published in Science reports a surprising detection: phosphine, a simple molecule made of a phosphorus atom and three hydrogen atoms, in the atmosphere of a brown dwarf known as Wolf 1130C. This brown dwarf, an object that sits between a planet and a star in size and temperature,…
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Extreme NiI/FeI Abundance in 3I/ATLAS Comet’s Coma
Overview Emission lines from neutral nickel (NiI) and neutral iron (FeI) are commonly seen in the comae of solar system comets, even when the Sun’s heat is far from sublimating refractory materials. The interstellar journey of comets preserves chemical fingerprints from their parent systems, and recent work on the interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS has highlighted an…
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Extreme NiI/FeI Abundance in the Coma of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
Introduction: Extreme metal signatures in an interstellar visitor Spectroscopic observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS have unveiled an extraordinary metal signature in its coma. Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) with the UVES spectrograph, researchers tracked six epochs as 3I traversed from 3.14 to 2.14 astronomical units from the Sun. In these…
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A Billion-Year Secret: Liquid Water Shaped Ryugu, Shocking Scientists
New Evidence That Liquid Water Traveled Through Ryugu A storm of new findings from a team including researchers at the University of Tokyo suggests that liquid water once moved through the body of the asteroid that became the near-Earth Ryugu. What makes the discovery remarkable is the timing: this activity appears to have persisted more…
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VUV Spectra of Ice Isoprene Reveal ISM Signatures at 10 K
New findings on the VUV spectra of icy isoprene and terpenes Isoprene and its related terpenes are key organic molecules in many astrochemical environments. From the vastness of the interstellar medium (ISM) to the icy surfaces of solar system bodies, these compounds are expected to exist but have remained only partially characterized. A recent study…
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Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoabsorption Spectra of Isoprene Ices and Terpenes at 10 K
Overview and significance Isoprene and its oligomers, including limonene, α-pinene and β-pinene, are volatile organics of interest in interstellar chemistry and planetary environments. However, spectral fingerprints for these molecules when frozen as icy mantles on dust grains — conditions common in dense interstellar clouds and outer solar system bodies — have been insufficiently characterized at…
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White Dwarf Engulfs Pluto-Like Icy World, Exoplanet Clues
Discovery: A White Dwarf and an Icy Pluto-Like World Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have identified a white dwarf in the Milky Way that carries chemical traces of having swallowed an icy body similar to Pluto. The star sits about 255 light-years from Earth and weighs roughly 0.57 solar masses. White dwarfs are the…