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Acronyms
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Acronyms
AU
astronomical unit;
BIF
banded iron formation; alternating layers of iron-rich
and iron-poor rocks. Most rocks of this type are older than about 2 billion
years old and indicate the presence of oxygen
DNA
deoxyribonucleic acid
FMQ
fayalite-magnetite-quartz geological buffer;
indicative of an oxidized condition in the mantle/magma/melt
GMC
giant molecular cloud; large, massive clouds
that is an active site of star formation
HPLC
high pressure liquid chromatography;
a method for separating mixtures of organic molecules dissolved in
a solvent
IDP
interplanetary dust particle; found in Earth's
upper atmosphere and thought to be cometary or asteroidal in origin;
some show evidence of coagulation
ImpA
imidazole monophosphoadenylic acid;
one of several nucleotides that has had its phosphate activated
(with an imidazole group) with respect to substitution and polymerization
ISM
interstellar medium; The gas and dust particles
that exists between the stars everywhere in a galaxy. In most places
it is extremely tenuous; the average density of atoms is only about
1 per cubic cm. The elemental composition of the gas is roughly 75% H
and 25% He (this came out of the Big Bang), plus small amounts of O, C, N,
and heavier atoms (all of which have been manufactured in stars).
Astronomers like to refer to elements heavier than He as "metals".
IW
iron-wustite (Fe/FeO) buffer; indicative of a reduced
environment (Fe(0) and Fe(II))
NAI
NASA Astrobiology Institute
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
MS
main sequence; defines the evolutionary track of
normal-sized stars
NSCoRT
NASA Specialized Center of Research
and Training
PAH
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
PNA
peptide nucleic acid
ROS
reduced organic species
RNA
ribonucleic acid
YSO
young stellar object; generic term for
a young star which is contracting to the Main Sequence (MS).
Much of the energy emission from these objects is as much from
thermal compression / gravitational contraction as it is from
nuclear burning in the center of the star.
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Center for Studies of Origins of
Life, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY 12180
http://www.origins.rpi.edu
Email: Origins of Life