The chemical element sulphur is essential for all life forms and is a building block of proteins and amino acids. By studying sulphur-based molecules in space, scientists are working to understand the chemical processes that might have led to the formation of life on Earth.
German researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics recently discovered a special type of molecule called singly deuterated methyl mercaptan (CH2DSH). They found it near a young star, similar to our Sun.
Using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), Dr. Hayley Bunn and colleagues were able to create a “fingerprint” of the molecule by analyzing how it shakes and rotates in response to ultrabright synchrotron light. Now, other researchers on the international team are using this fingerprint or signature to look for more of the same molecules in distant space. This could enable them to piece together how the molecules for life formed on Earth, billions of years ago.
“We are really trying to understand how far we can go, chemically, toward larger biological molecules and what environments are needed to form them,” says Bunn. “Ultimately it would be nice to answer one day, how is this then inherited into planets and hopefully life?”
The CLS synchrotron was pivotal to the success of Bunn’s research, since the vibrational signals of this basic molecule are extremely hard to detect. Synchrotron light is vastly brighter than conventional sources, making it possible to identify even the faintest signals.
Read more on CLS website