Phosphine gas could be the key to determining alien life

Phosphine is a chemical compound between phosphorus and hydrogen, the chemical formula is PH₃. This is a colorless, very poisonous gas with a garlic smell. Recently scientists have suggested that this gas could be a typical compound for life on distant planets.

How do you search for life in other worlds? While the gases we normally associate with life, like oxygen or methane, are often found on other planets, that doesn't necessarily indicate that living things are there.

The existence of phosphine is thought to be an opportunity to detect alien life.

Quizzes on the level of methane fluctuate on Mars, for example. The Curiosity self-propelled ship has detected high levels of methane, but scientists think this is likely caused by geological forces, not biology. Therefore, the presence of these gases does not give a positive sign of the presence of life.

On Earth, oxygen is a truly impressive sign of life, Dr. Clara Sousa-Silva, a scientist at MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, explained in a statement. .

Some things other than life also produce oxygen. This is why research focuses on trying to identify signs that can only come from life. It is important to consider strange molecules that may not be generated regularly, but if you find them on another planet, there is only one explanation.

Phosphine is one of such anomalous molecules. It is found in the Earth's atmosphere, although only in very low concentrations. That's probably also good for us because it has a particularly foul smell that is often compared to rotting garlic or fish. It is also highly toxic, attacking the respiratory system, and it has been known to cause accidental death.

Despite its toxic nature, however, phosphine can be an invaluable biological marker for life. A team from MIT has found that phosphine can only be produced in anaerobic (oxygen-independent) environments. The team looked at as many phosphine sources as possible they could think of, including chemical reactions and geological anomalies.

Future tests of exoplanets using tools such as the upcoming James Webb Telescope will be able to detect the presence of phosphine, even in small quantities, from as far as 16 years ago. shining. If such a signal were detected, it would be the strongest sign of the presence of life in another world.