Weird Quantum Tunneling Enables 'Impossible' Space Chemistry

[Starman, Moderator]

A weird quirk of quantum mechanics is allowing a chemical reaction thought to be impossible to occur in cold gas in outer space.

In the harsh environment of space, where the temperature is about minus 350 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 210 degrees Celsius), scientists had thought a certain reaction involving alcohol molecules couldn't take place, because at such low temperatures, there shouldn't be enough energy to rearrange chemical bonds. But surprisingly, research has shown that the reaction occurs at a rate 50 times greater in space than at room temperature.

Now, by simulating the conditions of space in a laboratory, scientists have found a possible explanation for how the reaction occurs: quantum tunneling.

Tunneling depends on the odd rules of quantum mechanics, which state that particles don't usually have decided states, positions and speeds, but exist in hazes of probability. This means that a particle might have a strong probability of being located on one side of a wall, but still retain a very small chance of actually being on the other side of it, allowing it, occasionally, to "tunnel" through a wall that would otherwise be an impassable barrier.

[Chris]

What reaction is occurring? Is there more to this post than I am seeing? Quantum Mechanics does some very peculiar things, and I remember some very lively discussions, and a great deal of semi-genteel "cussing," about "tunneling," Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and the infamous Schroedinger Wave Equation in various classes, all of which was a lot of fun!
Does the reaction mentioned above involve those huge clouds of alcohol, out floating in the depths of space and complicating the lives of Astrobiologists so much in their quest for the origins of life?

[Starman, Moderator]

Hello Chris , Yes This post talks about reaction involving alcoholic compounds in the Dust Clouds. It is very fascinating, Scientists were almost certain that these chemical reactions involving bond energies can never take place in those harsh temperatures but they couldn't explain the presence of many alcoholic compounds detected in most of the gas clouds.
Now the mystery is solved -Quantum Tunneling
I always find Quantum Tunneling a bit Weird yet such an interesting topic all thanks to wave nature of particles.

[Marco]

Interesting discussion, indeed. It's worth to remember that quantum tunneling is something very real, it's something extremely important for us, since we are alive exactly for this!

How it is possible? Just remember that stars like the Sun cannot burn chemical elements such H and He if they worked fully according to the rules of classical mechanics. Any text of stellar evolution can persuade you that temperature and density of stellar interior are not strong enough to allow particles to be so near to ignite termonuclear fusion. Here it comes quantum tunneling, allowing a small but significant fraction of particles to maintain nuclear fusion, from which it comes light and heat and the very possibility of life.

Sorry for this little digression from the main topic of the post... it's only that quantum tunneling led me to recall this ;-)

[Arko]

This is indeed very interesting to record quantum behaviour in molecules and how far such probabilistic features of quantum mechanics holds sway.
Even quantum tunneling plays significant role in mechanism behind the action of enzyme to catalyze biochemical reactions as shown by Klinman group of Berkeley in the 1980s and also work done in UK on this.
Strikingly it is also speculated that a protein named cryptochrome is responsible for geomagnetic reception in European robins because of quantum entanglement among its electrons.
More so even genetic mutations may occur due to this entangled nature of particles of nanoscale and lower range of length.
Be it quantum tunneling or entanglement , these are due to a state of superposition of the concerned tiny entities (subatomic particles and molecules upto a certain size). Strange it is how this spooky or non-classical feature gives way to our accustomed classical word governed by different set of principles.
Such chemical reactions of the subject of this thread, would help shed more light on this area of transition from quantum to classical domain. What I am so far aware about the quantum effects on molecules was the work of Markus Arndt , Anton Zeilinger and his team with Phthalocyanine molecules (atomic wt of abt 10,000) to succeed in finding interference pattern through multiple slit experiment.

We are in an exciting era of scientific experimentation to probe about the fundamental nature of our reality and questioning the very laws be it quantum or classical both of which require to be compromised to certain extent to be weaved together or turn out to be completely revised. Cheers to all the scientists and enthusiasts like the members of groups like this to keep up questioning and learning these wonderful reality of which we are a part of.