Researchers from the University of California, Riverside have proposed a new way to search for life on
Similar gases are formed when living organismsadd carbon and three hydrogen atoms (a methyl group) to an unwanted chemical element, the scientists explain. This process, called methylation, allows us to turn substances toxic to life into volatile gases, which are painlessly removed into the atmosphere.
Artistic illustration of traces of bromine chloride in the spectrum of atmospheric radiation. Image: Michaela Leung et al., The Astrophysical Journal
Scientists have identified three benefits of bromidemethyl, one of these methylated gases, as a biosignature. First, it breaks down faster in the atmosphere. This means that the discovery of this gas shows the presence of life in the present, and not sometime in the distant past.
Second, many other chemicalsused to search for life, can be synthesized both in organic cells and as a result of inorganic processes. For example, methane can be released during volcanic eruptions. For methyl bromide, there are a limited number of synthesis routes, and almost all of them involve the activities of living organisms.
Finally, the spectrum of this gas is close to another -methyl chloride, which is also used to search for life. This means that scientific instruments can be set to search for both gases, which increases the likelihood of success.
Artistic illustration of a planetary system in an M-class dwarf. Image: NASA/JPL/Caltech
Researchers note that in star systems,like ours, this gas will be quite difficult to detect. The ultraviolet radiation from a Sun-like star rapidly destroys methyl bromide in the atmosphere. But on planets orbiting M-class dwarfs, it should persist. In fact, this is good news, since such stars are 10 times more common than such as the Sun, the authors of the study conclude.
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