American researchers concluded that nitric oxide (I) or laughing gas in the exoplanet atmosphere can serve as a sign of the existence of life. These data will be taken into account when the James Webb Space Telescope acquires atmospheric information from rocky exoplanets similar

American researchers concluded that nitric oxide (I) or laughing gas in the atmosphere of the exoplanet can be used as a sign of the existence of life. These data will be taken into account when the James Webb Space Telescope acquires atmospheric information from rocky exoplanets similar to Earth. Scientists at the University of California, Riverside (USA) said that nitric oxide (I) or laughing gas (N₂O) is missing from the list of typical chemicals used by astrobiologists to find life in other planets. The results that led them to this conclusion have been published in the Journal of Astrophysics.

The list of compounds in the Earth's atmosphere that can indicate the existence of life usually includes the abundant gases in the Earth's atmosphere today. However, laughter has always received little attention.

Now researchers have estimated how many nitrous oxide organisms can be produced on an -type terrestrial planet . They then created this computer model of planets orbiting various stars and determined the amount of N₂O that an observatory like the James Webb Space Telescope could detect.

For example, the authors of this work considered the stellar system TRAPPIST-1, which is located in Aquarius and is ideal for studying rocky planets within the habitable zone of the star. The scientists concluded that nitrous oxide comparable to carbon dioxide or methane may be detected in TRAPPIST-1.

In the Earth's atmosphere, N₂O is the result of various bacterial life activities, but this is not the only way. The authors took this into account during the simulation. For example, lightning produces a small amount of nitrous oxide. However, in addition to N₂O, lightning also produces nitrogen dioxide , which can help astrobiologists distinguish between weather conditions and the biological processes that produce this gas.

In addition, N₂O is believed to be difficult to detect at very long distances. But this conclusion is based on the concentration of N₂O in the Earth's atmosphere today: it does not take into account the period when conditions in the history of Earth favor more organisms of N₂O.

The authors also reported that radiation from stars with spectral categories K and M (the latter including the star TRAPPIST-1) destroys N₂O molecules much less efficient than the Sun. The combination of these two effects can significantly increase the concentration of N₂O in the atmosphere of potentially habitable planets.