Attosecond dynamics simulations of glycine irradiated by α-particle: Comment on “A never-ending story in the sky: The secrets of chemical evolution” by C. Puzzarini and V. Barone

Thereview of Puzzarini and Barone offers an exhaustive and convincing scenario of modern computational astro-chemistry. Particular emphasis has been devoted to the sophisticated quantum-chemical tools that are able to reproduce and predict, with chemical accuracy, molecular structures, relative energies, rotational, vibrational and electronic spec-troscopies as well as thermochemical and kinetic constants. The complex phenomena that occurs in the interstellar spaces, planet and comets as well as the “big one” on the origin of life and the role of prebiotic molecules present in the space [1–3]require the consideration of other important events such as those originated by the collision between high energy radiation with matter. Cosmic rays energies range from 1 to 104MeV and are essentially formed by H+(85%) and He2+(13%) particles. Since their flux strongly decreases with increasing energy only those with low energy are important in the chemical processes that take place in the astronomical environment [4]. Inelastic collisions between cosmic ray and charged and neutral chemical species occurs in an attosecond time scale and can be considered as the main driving forces in a huge number of radiation induced chemical transformations.