Anomalous thermal fluctuation distribution sustains proto-metabolic cycles and biomolecule synthesis

Anomalous thermal fluctuation distribution may reflect transient non-Boltzmann populations of internal quantized modes and favour primordial chemical evolution.

Finding Cosmic Fossils

A short “video” of everything important THAT ever happened, played back and forth. The production of the “primordial chemical elements.” “Recombination” and the emission of what we now see as the at microwave wavelengths as the cosmic background radiation (CMB).

An Interferometric Study of CO and CS in Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1)

We used the BIMA Array to observe CO and CS molecules in Comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1) during the 1997 apparition. A spur-like structure around the cometary nucleus is observed. These molecular spurs may be attributed to gas or dust jets. Using Haser model, we find the theoretically predicted CO scale length agrees well with observations. A large fraction of CO is sublimated directly from the nucleus, with the remaining CO coming from icy dust grains in cometary coma. The [CO/H2O] abundance ratio of Hale-Bopp is consistent with that of icy dust grains in star forming regions. We conclude that Hale-Bopp was likely formed at the stage when there were still ample of icy grains in Solar Nebula; therefore, abundances of parent molecules in a comet may reflect the primordial chemical composition of the Nebula.

The Special Case of ω Centauri

Abstractω Cen is unique among the Galactic globular clusters. It exhibits not only classical mixing signatures, but also those of primordial chemical enrichment by both massive and intermediate-mass stars: the abundances of all elements vary, not just those of the C, N, O, Na, Mg, and Al. The challenge is to disentangle the roles of mixing and primordial phenomena. We discuss here what sets ω Cen apart from the other clusters.

Globular Clusters and Primordial Composition

So much has been learned already, during these last four days, about globulars that I shall start by addressing the second part of my topic first: the primordial chemical composition. Then I shall review the abundance of the primordial elements in globulars, or more generally in Population II. Actually if the globulars are the oldest stars ever observed in the Universe one could hope that the subject is over and that there is no need to speak about elements synthesized in stellar interiors for globulars. Unfortunately these rascals show always some amount of stellar nucleosynthesis products and this may very well be the central problem raised by their chemical composition. We shall discuss in turn the amount of the stellar synthesized elements in globulars and then the clues given by the pecularities of the abundance ratios, which may help in understanding their origin. The last section summarized the present knowledge of the subject.