Organic Compounds in Lunar Samples: Pyrolysis Products, Hydrocarbons, Amino Acids
- 30 January 1970
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 167 (3918), 770-773
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.167.3918.770
Abstract
Lunar fines and a chip from inside a rock pyrolyzed in helium at 700 degrees C gave methane, other gases, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Benzene/methanol extracts of fines yielded traces of high molecular weight alkanes and sulfur. Traces of glycine, alanine, ethanolamine, and urea were found in aqueous extracts. Biological controls and a terrestrial rock, dunite, subjected to exhaust from the lunar module descent engine showed a different amino acid distribution. Interpretation of the origin of the carbon compounds requires extreme care, because of possible contamination acquired during initial sample processing.Keywords
This publication has 8 references indexed in Scilit:
- Apollo Lunar Module Engine Exhaust ProductsScience, 1969
- Preliminary Examination of Lunar Samples from Apollo 11Science, 1969
- Combined gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric method for identifying n- and branched-chain alkanes in sedimentary rocksAnalytical Chemistry, 1968
- Application of Combined Chromatography--Mass Spectrometry to the Analysis of Aromatic Hydrocarbons Formed by Pyrolysis of MethaneJournal of Chromatographic Science, 1967
- Identification of elementary sulfur and sulfur compounds in lipid extracts by thin‐layer chromatographyJournal of Oil & Fat Industries, 1965
- Ion Exchange Chromatography of Amino Acids. A Single Column, High Resolving, Fully Automatic Procedure.Analytical Chemistry, 1963
- Organic Compound Synthesis on the Primitive EarthScience, 1959
- Production of Some Organic Compounds under Possible Primitive Earth Conditions1Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1955