The researchers concluded that the molecules of chloromethane, also known as Freon-40, cannot be used as an “identification mark” for the existence of an advanced civilization outside the Earth. Thus, the task of finding "brothers in mind" turned out to be even more difficult than expected.
At different times, researchers have proposed various, sometimes very extraordinary, options for markers of the existence of hypothetical extraterrestrial civilizations. One of the most reliable methods, many scientists considered the analysis of the atmosphere of distant planets and the identification of molecules there that could hardly have arisen by themselves, without the intervention of technical progress.
As one of these markers, the researchers considered chloromethane, an organic substance that belongs to the group of haloalkanes. It was first received by French chemists Jean Baptiste Dumas and Eugene Peligot in 1835. Chloromethane is a colorless, highly volatile gas with a sweet odor.
American researcher Karin Oeberg and her colleagues decided to test whether the thesis according to which chloromethane can be perceived as a reliable "identifying sign" of the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence is valid. To do this, scientists studied the composition of two completely different objects: the famous comet Churyumov - Gerasimenko and the binary protostar IRAS 16293-2422, located at a distance of 460 light years from us. In the first case, we used the data obtained by the ROSINA spectrometer installed on board the Rosetta spacecraft. The ALMA microwave telescope was used to observe the distant star.
Inside IRAS 16293-2422, researchers found chloromethane, and its amount exceeded the original forecasts by tens of times. The data obtained prompted scientists to analyze the tail of the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet, because such objects, according to experts, are partially or completely composed of matter, which served as a building material for the luminaries. To the surprise of the researchers, it turned out that the gas tail of the comet contains the same proportion of chloromethane in the matter as in the interior of the embryo of stars. According to experts, the widespread use of Freon-40 does not allow us to consider it a marker of the activity of hypothetical aliens.
Earlier, we recall that Japanese experts found a ring of large organic molecules that revolves around the star IRAS 16293-2422A. This discovery could be the key to new knowledge about the emergence of the solar system. The ring of these molecules is direct evidence that the latter fall into the rotating disk structure, due to which the formation of the planetary system occurs.