Miller and Urey in the Universe: detecting prebiotic molecules in star-forming regions

Astronomical observations have revealed that the simple molecules used in the Miller and Urey experiments (H2O, CH4, NH3, and H2), along with methanol, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, among many others, are abundant in solid form in molecular clouds and proto-stellar disks. It is through chemical reactions between these simple species that the synthesis of complex organic molecules is expected to occur in these objects. Therefore, this paper aims to detect the precursor molecules for the abiotic synthesis of nucleobases – H2O, CO, NH3, and CH3OH – in pre-stellar regions. To achieve this, an infrared spectrum of an interstellar ice analog constituted by H2O, CO, NH3, and CH3OH (5:2:2:2) was obtained in the laboratory. Subsequently, the infrared bands observed in the laboratory spectrum were identified in observational spectra of eight class 0 protostars collected by the Spitzer Space Telescope. Finally, a comparative analysis was carried out, correlating the laboratory spectra with the observational spectra. A strong correlation was observed between the laboratory data and those collected by the Spitzer Space Telescope. In other words, reliable models for detecting chemical species in the interstellar medium can be successfully reproduced in the laboratory.