Richard N Boyd, Michael A Famiano

Creating the Molecules of Life (eBook, ePUB)

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

How were the molecules of life, the amino acids and the nucleobases, created? This question has continued to perplex scientists for centuries. Evidence suggests that the amino acids, at least, were made in outer space and delivered to Earth by meteorites. Experiments performed in the 1950s showed that the amino acids could be made in a spark discharge in appropriate chemicals, and this has been the longstanding textbook explanation of their origin. However, earthly amino acids have a handedness, or chirality, where each molecule can exist in two forms that are mirror images of each other. These are nearly totally of one chirality, called left-handed, which cannot be explained by earlier experiments.

Creating the Molecules of Life discusses origins, including the Big Bang and the origin of the elements. With a complete presentation and explanation, this book provides evidence that the molecules of life are produced in outer space and how the SNAAP model purports to explain that origin. Extremophiles, which explain that evolution is robust enough to create life forms in a wide variety of conditions, are also presented. This book is suitable for those at the upper undergraduate level, with mathematics associated with coupling the nuclear spins to the molecular chirality. An accompanying appendix is provided to support mathematics.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Institute of Physics Publishing
• Seitenzahl: 300
• Erscheinungstermin: 22. Oktober 2018
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9780750319935
• Artikelnr.: 56798580

Autorenporträt

Richard Boyd received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in nuclear physics. His interest in astrophysics has developed over the years and he is currently an emeritus professor at The Ohio State University where he also works in the astronomy department. Boyd has collaborated on more than 200 scientific publications with colleagues around the world.
Michael Famiano received his PhD in nuclear physics from The Ohio State University and is currently an associate professor of of nuclear astrophysics in the Department of Physics at Western Michigan University. Famiano's primary research interest is in stellar nucleosynthesis, which involves theoretical modeling of astrophysical sites and experimental measurements of nuclear properties.