Astronomers from Copenhagen University in Denmark have denied the existence of alien civilizations, the presence of which could indicate the organohalogen freon. It turned out that this gas is located near the relatively recently incipient star IRAS 16293-2422 in the constellation Ophiuchus, as well as in the thin atmosphere of the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The article by scientists was published in the journal Nature Astronomy. This was announced in a press release on the EurekAlert! Website.
Organohalogens contain fluorine and chlorine, as well as carbon atoms. It has been shown that these compounds are formed in the course of some biological processes, including those that occur in fungi or in the human body. In addition, they are synthesized in the production of dyes and medicines. Scientists assumed that freons are a sign of the existence of alien life, as well as advanced civilizations.
The gas in objects where life is impossible was discovered using ALMA, a complex of telescopes located in the Chilean Atacama Desert, which was used to observe the IRAS 16293-2422 system, located 400 light-years from Earth. In addition, the researchers analyzed the data obtained by the instruments on the Rosetta spacecraft. This probe was designed to study comet 67P / Churyumov - Gerasimenko and take samples of the atmosphere of this celestial body.
According to scientists, the detection of Freon-40 in young stellar systems and in lifeless space objects shows that organohalogens can no longer be considered a sign of living things. However, these substances can participate in the processes necessary for the origin of life.
