Bromomethane or methyl bromide (CH3Br), coexists with life on Earth, is a substance that scientists should consider in worlds suspected of harboring extraterrestrial life.
Research led by Dr. Michaela Leung from the University of California, Riverside – USA, along with NASA’s “Alternative Earth†group and the NExSS virtual planetary laboratory, asserts that CH3Br could not only represent microbial life but may also indicate hiding places for advanced extraterrestrial life.
These may include large algae species, fungi, and plants, potentially similar to those present on Earth.
A world that may harbor extraterrestrial life orbiting an M-type dwarf star – (Graphic image: Ron Miller)
The Sci-News quoted Dr. Leung: “Methylation processes are very common on Earth, so we expect that life anywhere else might also perform it. Most cells have mechanisms to expel toxic substances.â€
CH3Br is produced through the methylation process, where living organisms incorporate one carbon atom and three hydrogen atoms into an unwanted chemical element, in this case, bromine, allowing them to safely escape into the atmosphere.
Therefore, if bromomethane or any methyl compounds are detected in the spectra of exoplanets, it could indicate potential hiding places for life.
CH3Br is favored because it has advantages over other methyl gases. It remains in the atmosphere for a shorter time compared to traditional biological gases, suggesting that life on that planet may still be ongoing.
This compound is also more likely to be produced by living organisms than through natural processes such as methane, which could result from volcanic activity or other geological processes.
Additionally, this gas absorbs light near a biologically relevant “cousin†compound, methyl chloride (CH3Cl), enhancing detection capabilities. Although methyl bromide is extremely common on Earth, it is not easily detectable in our atmosphere due to the intensity of the Sun’s UV rays breaking down water molecules in the atmosphere into harmful byproducts.
However, with an M-type dwarf star, which is prevalent in the Milky Way, cooler and with less radiation, this would be a strong biosignature and more easily detectable.
Despite the discovery of numerous planets that could potentially harbor life among over 5,000 identified exoplanets, Earth-based telescopes have yet to directly observe the surfaces of any worlds to see if anything is moving on them.
Nevertheless, life can be identified through biosignatures from atmospheric spectral data of exoplanets, such as oxygen, methane, and other substances closely related to life on Earth.
This research has been published in the scientific journal Astrophysical Journal.
