models suggest cosmic rays can trigger reactions in interstellar ice balls causing formation of more complex molecules /

(Phys.org)—A team of researchers with affiliations to several universities in the U.
S. has found evidence that suggests that cosmic rays striking balls of ice floating around in interstellar clouds can cause the formation of more complex molecules,possibly including those that are believed to be precursors to life. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team describes their systematic approach to the study of the ice balls that exist between stars, or what they found,and other evidence that supports their ideas.

Source: phys.org