Comets and Their Doubtful Role in the Origin of Life on Earth
Comets contain water and organic compounds, but new research questions their role in delivering essential materials for life on Earth. Many celestial bodies disintegrated upon entering the atmosphere, and high impact speeds could destroy molecules, including hydrogen cyanide — a crucial element for prebiotic reactions.
Before life could arise on Earth, simple chemical compounds needed to form, which through reactions could create more complex molecules. Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is used in laboratories to produce compounds that precede life, such as sugars and nucleotides.
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Researchers identify two scenarios for the appearance of HCN on early Earth: formation in the atmosphere and delivery by comets. However, calculations indicate that comets needed specific characteristics to successfully deliver HCN. Even if molecules survived impact, rain and groundwater could quickly dilute their concentration.
In 100,000 simulations, only one case of successful delivery of HCN at sufficient concentration was recorded. On Mars, comets might have been more effective in delivering hydrogen cyanide, but this does not prove that suitable conditions for life existed there.
The scientific work is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
