Outer space reactions

The chemical reactions which take place under the extreme conditions of outer space are complex and not always comparable to those which can be simulated under laboratory conditions Eric Herbst (1990) provides a survey. 

These reactions take place very slowly under the extreme ultra-high vacuum conditions present in outer space, so that the chemistry is different to that observed in the laboratory. Thus there are still some open questions regarding the mysterious interstellar ion H3+, particularly with respect to its occurrence in diffuse clouds and its rate of decomposition (Suzor-Weiner and Schneider, 2001 Kokoruline et al., 2001). 

Or perhaps there was a combination of the two substances from outer space undergoing further reactions on Earth. 

Note that we shall not introduce the idea that these and/or other required organic compounds found on the Earth came to the Earth from outer space although some are found there. Such additions to the Earth go no way in helping us to understand how an energised system of reactions evolved in confined volumes, cells). 

Cosmic rays Protons and a particles that enter Earth s atmosphere from outer space. When they collide with atoms or molecules of atmospheric gas, high-energy neutrons can be given off These neutrons can then undergo nuclear reactions with other atmospheric gas atoms and molecules. 

This book is about life, mostly about the molecules of life. Molecules are the focus of the science of chemistry, just as animals are the focus for zoology, plants are the focus for botany, and outer space is the focus for astronomy. A bit more broadly, chemistry is the science of the composition, structure, properties, and reactions of matter, especially of atomic and molecular systems. Let s talk a bit about chemistry, the molecular science. 

The word vacuum in the English language is the same as the Latin word meaning a completely empty space. In practice, the word vacuum is used to describe any space in which the pressure is less than atmospheric pressure. Further, in order to specify the quality of a vacuum, various adjectives are used. Table 1.1. lists a selection of these terms, the associated pressure range, and the number of molecules per cubic centimetre that such a vacuum contains. It is clear that even the best known vacuum, in outer space, is not absolute. A knowledge of the amount of gas in a reaction volume at the operating pressure allows an assessment to be made of its possible effect on the reaction taking place. 

For an outer-sphere reaction, given the translation mobility of the reactants, electron transfer may occur over a range of distances. The problem can be treated in a general way since from statistical mechanics the equilibrium distribution of intemuclear separations can be calculated based on pairwise distribution functions. Integration of the product of the distribution function and ket(r) over all space gives the total rate constant et-32b 48... 

Outer-sphere reactions occur with minimal electronic interaction through space. Their rates can be predicted by a classical statistical-mechanical approximation (see 12.2.3). Insuring a minimum of electronic interaction between the reagents often re-... 

---