Search for Biological Precursor Molecules in Volcanic Volatile Systems Annual Status Report, Mar. 1965 - Mar. 1966
Volcanic gas system and composition and, thermodynamic equilibrium components
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Volcanic gas system and composition and, thermodynamic equilibrium components
Nucleic acid metabolism in Chinese hamster fibroblasts grown in vitro noting effects of concentrations of sodium azide
Theoretical analysis and quantitative measurements of shock tube precurser effects
Three dimensional flow field induced ahead of shock wave by radiation from shock layer over blunt body, determining perturbation velocity potential
Free electron formation ahead of strong shock waves traveling into nitrogen-oxygen mixtures in shock tube, observing electron densities
Electron density profiles in plasma ahead of shock waves determined with electrostatic probes in shock tubes
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Six amino acids (glycine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine) obtained by hydrolysis of extracts have been quantitatively determined in ten collections of fines from five Apollo missions. Although the amounts found, 7-45 ng/g, are small, the lunar amino acid/carbon ratios are comparable to those of the carbonaceous chondrites, Murchison and Murray, as analyzed by the same procedures. Since both the ratios of amino acid to carbon, and the four or five most common types of proteinous amino acid found, are comparable for the two extraterrestrial sources despite different cosmophysical histories of the moon and meteorites, common cosmochemical processes are suggested.
The consistent pattern is discussed of amino acids found in lunar dust from Apollo missions. The evidence indicates that compounds yielding amino acids were implanted into the surface of the moon by the solar wind, and the kind and amounts of amino acids found on the moon are closely similar to those found in meteorites. It is concluded that there is a common cosmochemical pattern for the moom and meteorites, and this offers evidence of a common course of cosmochemical reactions for carbon.
The effects of novel aromatic diamine structures on the adhesive properties of epoxy and polyurethane adhesives were studied. Aromatic diamines based on benzophenone and diphenyl-methane isomers were evaluated as curing agents for epoxy resins and benzophenone and diphenyl-methane based diamine isomers were evaluated as curing agents for polyurethane adhesives. Polyurethane adhesives were prepared based on m, m prime-diisocyanato-diphenyl-methane and m, m prime-diisocyanato-benzophenone. The m, m prime-diisocayanato-diphenyl-methane based adhesive had properties comparable to state-of-the-art adhesives. The m, m prime-diisocyanato-benzophenone based adhesive was extremely reactive.
A sample of lunar fines collected at a maximum distance, 6.5 km, from the descent engine on Apollo 17 has been analyzed for total amino acids obtainable by hydrolysis of aqueous extracts. The minimum amounts of amino acids, calculated for a disk of 6 km radius are 10,000 to 100,000 times those which could be contributed by the lunar module jet exhaust, on the basis of conservatively limiting assumptions. The amino acids thus obtained are not explainable as due to chemical or biological contamination; their source is accordingly inferred as lunar. Under the conditions of hydrolysis of lunar extracts, cyanide is found to be converted, almost exclusively to glycine, to an extent of 0.0001.
Aromatic diamines based on diphenyl sulfone and benzophenone were studied as epoxy adhesive curing agents. Previously found differences in adhesive strengths for meta vs para orientation were not found in these series. The use of aluminum and alumina as fillers in a m,m prime-methylene dianiline-cured epoxy adhesive was not found to be beneficial to adhesive strength. Alumina filled adhesives had much lower strength than unfilled adhesives. The unfilled m,m prime-methylene dianiline-based epoxy adhesive had excellent resistance to moisture relative to a p,p prime-methylene dianiline-based adhesive and maintained good strengths up to 250 F. A glass fiber composite based on a m,m prime-methylene dianiline-cured epoxy appeared to be equivalent to the p,p prime-methylene dianiline-cured epoxy as judged by short beam shear tests.
Specimens of pyrophyllite, which exhibits large anelastic deformation before brittle failure, were stressed to failure in a biaxial press to model stress accumulation prior to an earthquake. Optical holography, sound velocity measurements and photography through transparent pistons were used to study the specimens. A zone of preferential deformation around the incipient fault was monitored at 50% or more of ultimate failure strength; reversals of seismic velocities and formation of en echelon cracks near the coming macrocrack were also observed. The dependence of the seismic velocity reversals on moisture was noted.
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A computer study was performed with a photochemical box model, using a contemporary chemical mechanism and procedure, and a range of initial input pollutant concentrations thought to encompass those characteristic of the Southeastern Virginia region before a photochemical oxidant episode. The model predictions are consistent with the expectation of high summer afternoon ozone levels when initial nonmethane hydrocarbon (NMHC) levels are in the range 0.30-0.40 ppmC and NOx levels are in the range 0.02-0.05 ppm. Calculations made with a Lagrangian model, for one of the previously calculated cases, which had produced intermediate afternoon ozone levels, suggest that urban source additions of NMHC and NOx exacerbate the photochemical oxidant condition.
The same kerogen-like residue from the algal mats and oozes at Laguna Mormona, Baja California, is examined following degradation by saponification, alkaline KMnO4 oxidation, and HBr treatment. For comparison, pyrolytic degradation is performed for the residue and five others, two of which are obtained from algal mats at Baffin Bay, Texas. Major conclusions are that (1) Saponification of a residue specimen from the algal-ooze residue results in minor amounts of components bonded to it as esters; (2) Alkaline KMnO4 oxidation reveals that the same residue consists of a cross-linked aliphatic nucleus with additional components attached to it as esters; (3) the major products from pyrolysis of the residue include phytenes, pristenes, sterenes, and triterpenes; and (4) the HBr treatment yielded only one product, indicating the absence of a large number of ether-linkages readily cleaved by HBr.
Measurements were made of the aerosol size, height and geographical distribution, their composition and optical properties, and their temporal variation with season and following large volcanic eruptions. Sulfur-bearing gases were measured in situ in the stratosphere, and studied of the chemical and physical processes which control gas-to-particle conversion were carried out in the laboratory.
Multiple dust components are considered as a source of the observed anomalies in meteoritic oxygen isotope compositions. It is pointed out that these anomalies are not due to an incomplete mixing of several dust or gas-plus-dust components in the solar nebula. If they were, other elements would display similar anomalies. The anomalies must therefore stem from differing degrees of incomplete exchange of oxygen isotopes between the primordial gas and dust components of the nebula. The dust is more likely to have been the component which was enriched with 0-16. Since the isotopic difference between dust and gas probably could not have been preserved if the dust was ever completely vaporized in the nebula, the Ca,Al-rich inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites are unlikely to be condensates, but instead are distillation residues.