Buckyballs Detected In Space 117
Rhodin writes "Fullerenes, also known as buckminsterfullerenes or 'buckyballs,' were detected about 6,500 light years from Earth in the cosmic dust of Tc 1 (PDF; abstract), an object known as a planetary nebula. 'We found what are now the largest molecules known to exist in space,' said astronomer Jan Cami of the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and the SETI Institute in Mountain View, Calif. 'We are particularly excited because they have unique properties that make them important players for all sorts of physical and chemical processes going on in space.'"
(More, below.)
These results hark directly back to the experiments that originally identified Buckminsterfullerene, which mimicked the outer atmospheric chemistry of red giant carbon stars. Harry Kroto, who jointly won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1996, is excited by the findings' clarity. 'The spectrum is incredibly convincing,' the Florida State University academic said. 'I thought I would never be as convinced as I am. The fact that the four lines are there, and C70 is there, is just unbelievable. It's a spectacular paper.'"
Cellulose Detected in Space, too (Score:4, Informative)
The molecular weight of cellulose in deep space might not surpass C70, but it *might* exceed C70... see one of the questions in this TED talk:
http://blog.ted.com/2009/10/qa_with_garik_i.php [ted.com]
Actually (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, the C-60 has been known to exist (albeit in extremely limited number) in nature on earth. Fullerenes have later been found to exist also in very "short" chains, AFAIK down to like 20-30 atoms.
The real challenge is making stuff like tubing in desired lengths and thickness. Though the ball that is the C-60 is also very intresting, because like some of the molecular medical delivery systems invested recently, you may be able to contain smaller molecules within. This is very helpfull for nano weaponry and medicines, where all you'd need is a molecular glue that will attach (only) to your target, a container (like the buckyball) something within the container, and some sort of trigger, as presumably the fulerenes are very very stable.
Re:Dark matter? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Actually (Score:4, Informative)
Given that a single molecule of C-60 contains 60 carbon atoms, you probably meant to put "molecules" there.
GP was referring to buckytubes.
Re:We can detect tiny, molecules... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Cool (Score:3, Informative)
As others have noted buckyballs are a significant component of common soot. They form naturally in almost any high temperature carbon vapor. The surprising thing is that they had been overlooked by scientists for so long.
Apparently there are no lab conditions on earth that are not duplicated somewhere else in the universe.
Actually there is a pretty easy example of conditions that are not duplicated anywhere in the universe (except perhaps within some alien scientist's lab). Science experiments can't even begin to compete with the natural universe on the high end, the bigger hotter faster high energy stuff. However in the laboratory we have nature beat cold in.... cold. Space is filled with thermal radiation from the big bang. This radiation has a temperature of about 2.7 degrees above absolute zero and it constantly shines from all directions. An object floating in the deepest emptiest intergalactic space will not cool below 2.7 degrees. In fact any object colder than that would be soon be warmed to at least 2.7 degrees because of the thermal radiation from every direction in space.
A expanding gas cloud in space can cool below that temperature because a gas cools as it expands, but that cooling won't go very far. Background thermal radiation will shine into the expanding gas and quickly warm things back up.
In the laboratory we can actively cool stuff. We have gotten temperatures down to a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero. We are pretty dang certain that these conditions have never existed in the history of the universe, unless some alien science lab beat us to it. At these temperatures you can achieve an entirely new state of matter called a Bose-Einstein condensate.
A superfluid (sort of a liquid equivalent of a superconductor) is another example state of matter that has probably never existed outside a lab. Helium becomes a superfluid at about 2.1 degrees above zero. Expanding gaseous nebulae are known to cool below this temperature, however they would never have the pressure to maintain a fluid in the near vacuum of space.
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Incorrect Geometrical Assumptions (Score:3, Informative)
The interior of a buckyball (even the larger variants with C70+) is too small to hold any molecule of pharmacological interest. One or two metal ions, yes, even ammonia, methane and similar small molecules (all known), but nothing beyond that. The only payload with some potential usefulness are radioactive metal atoms for radiation therapy, but certainly not normal drugs.
Re:Cool (Score:5, Informative)
I think I spent way too much time tracking this down ;)
I finally found a version of it in a Japanese folktale called The Wise Old Woman by Yoshiko Uchida. Here's a version of it that looks like it was formatted for a play, but at least it's an easy read: The Wise Old Woman [usu.edu].
Interesting story, thank you!