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Hot Hydrogen Atoms: Initiators of Reactions of Interest in Interstellar Chemistry and Evolution

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Cosmochemical Evolution and the Origins of Life

Abstract

Photochemically generated hot hydrogen atoms initiate reactions with simple molecular substrates including methane to produce organic alcohols, amines, acids, amino acids, and other compounds. The typical quantum yields for the formation of amino acids are 2 × 10−5 to 4 × 10−5. Hot hydrogen atoms may be important initiators of reactions in interstellar space and in planetary atmospheres.

A complete discussion regarding molecular formation in interstellar space, hot hydrogen atom reactions, meaning of temperature etc. will appear elsewhere, J. Molec. Evolution, in press.

Reprinted by permission from Science (1974) © American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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References

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© 1974 D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland

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Hong, KY., Hong, JH., Becker, R.S. (1974). Hot Hydrogen Atoms: Initiators of Reactions of Interest in Interstellar Chemistry and Evolution. In: Oró, J., Miller, S.L., Ponnamperuma, C., Young, R.S. (eds) Cosmochemical Evolution and the Origins of Life. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-2282-8_34

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-2282-8_34

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-2284-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-010-2282-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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