Formation of Ammonia and Organic Molecules by Oceanic Impact of Meteorite

Abstract

High-pressure and high-temperature reactions in meteorite impact events were subjected to extensive research in order to resolve origin of organic molecules on the early Earth. In this article, I introduce several researches of impact chemical reactions synthesizing ammonia and organic molecules on the early Earth. Atmosphere of the early Earth is thought to be slightly oxidized from which organic molecules are difficult to be synthesized. Several hypotheses related to impact synthesis of organic molecules have been proposed. Recently, ammonia and several organic molecules were synthesized demonstrating meteoritic impact reactions experimentally and numerically. Progress about the impact-induced chemical reactions will be able to reveal more clearly the origin of biomolecules on the early Earth.