THz Spectroscopy of Candidate Prebiotic Species: Exploring the Conformational Energy Landscape of Flexible Molecules and the Limits of Interstellar Molecular Complexity

候选生命起源物种的太赫兹光谱：探索柔性分子的构象能量景观和星际分子复杂性的极限

• 批准号: 0415745
• 负责人: Geoffrey Blake
• 金额: $ 45万
• 依托单位: California Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-08-01 至 2008-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0415745&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: THz; Spectroscopy; Candidate; Prebiotic; Species

In this project, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division and the Galactic Astronomy Program of the Division of Astronomical Sciences, Prof. Geoffrey Blake of the California Institute of Technology will conduct a research program in Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy of prebiotic species, including 3C sugars, amino acids, and dipeptides. Specific target molecules are glyceraldehyde, 1,3-dihydroxy-2-propanone, glycine (gly), and alanine (ala). Also to be investigated is the structurally related 3C compound dimethylcarbonate. These investigations form the basis for subsequent studies of the simplest dipeptides namely gly-gly, gly-ala, ala-gly, and ala-ala. The results of the laboratory studies will be used to undertake astronomical searches for these species. The results of quantum chemical calculations will be used to narrow down the THz search windows and also to construct accurate models of intramolecular force fields. The sensitivity of the available THz spectrometers will be improved to enable the observation the spectral signatures of the most complex species to be studied in the program. This research will be conducted with the assistance of graduate and undergraduate students, including women and members of underrepresented minorities. In addition to these activities, the group headed by Prof. Blake is strongly involved in the Caltech SEED and CAPSIK-12 educational programs, and is developing new teaching modules in spectroscopy and astronomy for a variety of grade levels.

在这个项目中，由化学部实验物理化学计划和天文科学部银河天文学计划资助，加州理工学院的Geoffrey Blake教授将进行一项太赫兹（THz）光谱的研究计划，包括3C糖，氨基酸和二肽。 特异性靶分子是甘油醛、1，3-二羟基-2-丙酮、甘氨酸（gly）和丙氨酸（ala）。 还将研究结构相关的3C化合物碳酸二甲酯。 这些研究为随后研究最简单的二肽，即gly-gly、gly-ala、ala-gly和ala-ala奠定了基础。 实验室研究的结果将用于对这些物种进行天文搜索。 量子化学计算的结果将用于缩小太赫兹搜索窗口，并构建分子内力场的精确模型。 现有太赫兹光谱仪的灵敏度将得到提高，以便能够观察到该计划中要研究的最复杂物种的光谱特征。 这项研究将在研究生和本科生的协助下进行，包括妇女和代表性不足的少数民族成员。 除了这些活动外，由Blake教授领导的小组还积极参与加州理工学院的SEED和CAPSIK-12教育计划，并正在为各种年级开发光谱学和天文学的新教学模块。