Definition
An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength in the range of 0.01–10 nm, corresponding to energies in the range 120 eV–120 keV. These ranges are intermediate between vacuum ultraviolet light and gamma rays. Neutron stars, white dwarf stars, supernova remnants, cluster of galaxies, and black holes in active galaxy nuclei are sources of intense X-rays. X-rays and cosmic rays may be implicated in the prebiotic formation of organic compounds in the primitive Earth atmosphere.
Overview
From the standpoint of astrobiology, it has been proposed that electromagnetic radiation or cosmic rays are the effective energy sources for synthesizing the precursors of terrestrial organic compounds in the primitive Earth environment. Experiments designed to verify this hypothesis have been conducted using photon beams from synchrotron-radiation light sources and proton, ion, or electron beams from high-energy particle accelerators, simulating electromagnetic radiation and...
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References and Further Reading
Kobayashi K, Ogawa S, Tonishi H, Kaneko T, Takano Y, Takahashi J, Saito T, Muramatsu Y, Yoshida S, Utsumi Y (2007) Synthesis of amino acid precursors from simulated interstellar media by high-energy particles or photons. IEE J Trans Electron Inf Syst 127-C:293–298
Takahashi J, Hosokawa T, Masuda H, Kaneko T, Kobayashi K, Saito T, Utsumi Y (1999) Abiotic synthesis of amino acids by X-ray irradiation of simple inorganic gases. Appl Phys Lett 74:877–879
Takahashi J, Masuda H, Kaneko T, Kobayashi K, Saito T, Hosokawa T (2005) Photochemical abiotic synthesis of amino-acid precursors from simulated planetary atmospheres by vacuum ultraviolet light. J Appl Phys 98:024907
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Takahashi, JI. (2014). X-Rays (Organic Synthesis). In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1696-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1696-2
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4
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Latest
X-Rays (Organic Synthesis)- Published:
- 22 December 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1696-3
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Original
X-Rays (Organic Synthesis)- Published:
- 24 April 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1696-2