UV Irradiation and Near Infrared Characterization of Laboratory Mars Soil Analog Samples

Fornaro, Teresa; Brucato, J. R.; Poggiali, Giovanni; Corazzi, Maria Angela; Biczysko, Małgorzata; Jaber, Maguy; Foustoukos, Dionysis I.; Hazen, Robert M.; Steele, A.

doi:10.3389/fspas.2020.539289

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 62 publications

(65 reference statements)

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“…The time required to scan one IR spectrum was 60 s. The irradiation setup consisted of the Harrick High Temperature Reaction Chamber (vacuum chamber, Fig. S1) inserted in the Harrick Praying Mantis ™ Diffuse Reflectance Accessory, interfaced to the Brucker VERTEX 70v FTIR (Fornaro et al, 2020), where lichen samples were irradiated and monitored in situ with infrared spectroscopy. The technique used to obtain the infrared spectra was the FTIR -Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy.…”

Section: Spectroscopic Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Survival of Xanthoria parietina in simulated space conditions: vitality assessment and spectroscopic analysis

Lorenz

Bianchi

Benesperi

et al. 2022

International Journal of Astrobiology

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Xanthoria parietina is a widespread foliose lichen growing on barks and rocks showing a broad spectrum of tolerance to air pollutants such as NOX and heavy metals, and resistance to UV-radiation because of the screening properties provided by the secondary metabolite parietin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of this lichen species to survive in the following simulated space conditions, UV-radiation in N2 atmosphere and UV-radiation in vacuum. The efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus was used as an indicator of vitality, and was expressed in terms of chlorophyll a fluorescence (FV/FM) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which were measured within 72 h from the exposure. Additionally, during the irradiation, the IR reflectance spectrum of the lichen was monitored in situ to assess changes in spectral bands. The results showed significant differences in physiological recovery trends between the treatments, highlighting that UV-radiation in vacuum causes stronger effects on FV/FM values. The IR analysis revealed several spectral band changes in the fingerprint region. The most visible variation was the 5200 cm−1 water band that disappeared in the overtone region. Nevertheless, X. parietina was able to survive UV-radiation in N2 atmosphere and in vacuum, and for this reason it may be considered a candidate for further evaluations on its survival capacity in extreme conditions.

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Section: Spectroscopic Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Survival of Xanthoria parietina in simulated space conditions: vitality assessment and spectroscopic analysis

Lorenz

Bianchi

Benesperi

et al. 2022

International Journal of Astrobiology

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“…The reliability of simulated spectra can be exploited to provide data for situations where the experimental observations have not been performed or are not feasible, with their potential applications supporting astrochemical studies. In this work, we have selected some possible cases, such as the analysis of infrared spectra of "Tholins", the nearinfrared spectra of samples from the Mars missions or the photoelectron spectra in cold and hot environments, from 0 to 1000 K. These examples have been selected due to the increasing role of the analysis of vibrational features in astrochemical studies, and can be extended toward more complex cases, as for instance the simulation of spectra of planet soil mixtures (Fornaro et al, 2014;Fornaro et al, 2020) or molecules absorbed on grains or ices (Barone et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such investigations target molecular spectroscopic features in NIR, which is less congested in comparison to MIR one. Nevertheless, it requires assignments of molecular vibrational modes in the NIR spectral region, which are very scarce in the literature (Fornaro et al, 2020). Indeed, the analysis of the astrochemical samples needs accurate reference for the assignment and identification of plausible molecules.…”

Section: Astrochemical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2019, (Oba et al, 2019) demonstrated that all DNA/RNA nucleobases, except guanine, can be also formed from a mixture of simple, abundant molecules (H 2 O, CO, NH 3 and CH 3 OH) exposed to UV photons at 10 K. So far, none of nucleobases have been detected in the interstellar medium (ISM), but other complex molecules exist in ISM, including two simplest nitrogen-bearing aromatic molecules: benzonitrile (c-C 6 H 5 CN) (McGuire et al, 2018) and 1-cyano-1,3-cyclopentadiene (c-C 5 H 5 CN) (McCarthy et al, 2021). Analysis of chemical composition and structure of any type of astrochemical "samples" (meteorites, comets, planetary atmosphere or soil, ISM) and search for prebiotic organic matter in extraterrestrial materials is a very challenging task (Callahan et al, 2011;Fornaro et al, 2020). The detection is usually performed employing spectroscopic measurements and their comparison with the data available from the laboratory experiments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Identification of DNA Bases and Their Cations in Astrochemical Environments: Computational Spectroscopy of Thymine as a Test Case

Zhao

Hochlaf

Biczysko

2021

Front. Astron. Space Sci.

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Increased importance of vibrational fingerprints in the identification of molecular systems, can be highlighted by the upcoming interstellar medium (ISM) observations by the James Webb Space Telescope, or in a context of other astrochemical environments as meteorites or exoplanets, Mars robotic missions, such as instruments on board of Perseverance rover. These observations can be supported by combination of laboratory experiments and theoretical calculations, essential to verify and predict the spectral assignments. Astrochemical laboratory simulations have shown that complex organic molecules (COMs) can be formed from simple species by vacuum ultraviolet or X-ray irradiation expanding interest in searching for organic biological and prebiotic compounds. In this work an example of nucleobase, thymine, is selected as a test case for highlighting the utility of computational spectroscopic methods in astrochemical studies. We consider mid-infrared (MIR) and near-infrared (NIR) vibrational spectra of neutral (T) and cationic (T+) thymine ground states, and vibrationally-resolved photoelectron (PE) spectra in the far UV range from 8.7 to 9.4 eV. The theoretical framework is based on anharmonic calculations including overtones and combination bands. The same anharmonic wavenumbers are applied into the simulations of vibrationally-resolved photoelectron spectra based on Franck-Condon computations. The infrared and vibrationally-resolved photoelectron spectra are compared with the available experimental counterparts to verify their accuracy and provide assignment of the observed transitions. Finally, reliable predictions of spectra, going beyond currently available experimental data, either dealing with energy ranges, resolution or temperature, which can support astrochemistry studies are provided.

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“…While molecular probes like CO and N 2 H + have been used for decades as proxies for H 2 and N 2 , respectively, direct observation of nonpolar species will require new wavelengths and new observatories. Additionally, while robotic rovers on Mars , and probes to the gas giants − have provided additional chemical insights into these regions, remote sensing will still play a huge role in astrochemistry . Luckily, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is here.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Vision for the Future of Astrochemistry in the Interstellar Medium by 2050

Fortenberry

2023

ACS Phys. Chem Au

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By 2050, many, but not nearly all, unattributed astronomical spectral features will be conclusively linked to molecular carriers (as opposed to nearly none today in the visible and IR); amino acids will have been observed remotely beyond our solar system; the largest observatories ever constructed on the surface of the Earth or launched beyond it will be operational; high-throughput computation either from brute force or machine learning will provide unprecedented amounts of reference spectral and chemical reaction data; and the chemical fingerprints of the universe delivered by those of us who call ourselves astrochemists will provide astrophysicists with unprecedented resolution for determining how the stars evolve, planets form, and molecules that lead to life originate. Astrochemistry is a relatively young field, but with the entire universe as its playground, the discipline promises to persist as long as telescopic observations are made that require reference data and complementary chemical modeling. While the recent commissionings of the James Webb Space Telescope and Atacama Large Millimeter Array are ushering in the second "golden age" of astrochemistry (with the first being the radio telescopic boom period of the 1970s), this current period of discovery should facilitate unprecedented advances within the next 25 years. Astrochemistry forces the asking of hard questions beyond the physical conditions of our "pale blue dot", and such questions require creative solutions that are influential beyond astrophysics. By 2050, more creative solutions will have been provided, but even more will be needed to answer the continuing question of our astrochemical ignorance.

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UV Irradiation and Near Infrared Characterization of Laboratory Mars Soil Analog Samples

Cited by 11 publications

References 62 publications

Survival of Xanthoria parietina in simulated space conditions: vitality assessment and spectroscopic analysis

Survival of Xanthoria parietina in simulated space conditions: vitality assessment and spectroscopic analysis

Identification of DNA Bases and Their Cations in Astrochemical Environments: Computational Spectroscopy of Thymine as a Test Case

A Vision for the Future of Astrochemistry in the Interstellar Medium by 2050

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