Sydney Scientists Recreate Cosmic Dust to Probe Life’s Origins

Scientists believe cosmic dust helped deliver life’s building blocks to Earth.
Thousands of tonnes reach the planet yearly, though most burn up in the atmosphere.
At the University of Sydney, researchers now recreate cosmic dust in the laboratory.
PhD candidate Linda Losurdo produces dust by energising gases inside a vacuum tube.
The process mimics conditions around dying stars that eject carbon-rich material.
Cosmic dust contains CHON molecules, key ingredients for life.
Recreating it may explain how meteorites gained organic matter.
Experts say the work could inform future experiments on early life formation.
The study appeared in the Astrophysical Journal.