Exploding
stars, random impacts involving comets and meteorites, and even near
misses between two bodies can create regions of great heat and high
pressure. Researchers from
Imperial College London have now developed a method for analysing the pressure experienced by tiny samples of
organic material
that may have been ejected from dying stars before making a long
journey through the cosmos. The researchers have investigated a type of
aromatic hydrocarbon called dimethylnaphthalene, which should enable them to identify violent events in the history of the universe.
The
team also believe that their new technique could be applied on Mars,
potentially using the existing technology on-board roving laboratories
such as the one on the
Mars Science Laboratory Mission
to glean information about sources of organic matter on the red planet.
Recognising the pressures recorded in the aromatic hydrocarbons can
help to reveal whether it came from processes generated from ancient
living organisms.Samples of dimethylnaphthalene are found in
meteorites. Previously, scientists have only had the ability to
investigate how they have been affected by heat. The Imperial
researchers say their method for detecting periods when
dimethylnaphthalenes have experienced high pressure will now allow for a
much more comprehensive analysis of organic materials.
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