How could PAHs originate from non-life?

"Wretch Fossil" wrote in message
...
Numerous meteorites, including Meteorite ALH84001, contain PAHs. Dr.
Allan H. Treiman claimed the PAHs could come from heating almost any
organic or carbon-rich material (Ref. 1). Wikipedia says "PAHs occur
in oil, coal, and tar deposits, and are produced as byproducts of fuel
burning (whether fossil fuel or biomass)."(Ref. 2) Is there any
abiogenic origin for PAHs?

Ref. 1:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpi/meteorites/life.html Quote from Ref. 1:
"The organic compounds that McKay and co-workers found in ALH 84001
are called "polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons," or PAHs for short.
These compounds form easily by heating almost any organic or carbon-
rich material;"
Ref. 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycyc...ic_hydrocarbon
......................


Insights into the formation of Fe- and Mg-rich aqueous solutions
on early Mars provided by the ALH 84001 carbonates


"Exposure of CO2-rich subsurface fluids to a low pressure early
martian near-surface could create an environment that is consistent
with the formation of the chemical, isotopic and mineralogic
characteristics of the ALH 84001 carbonates through the evaporation
of water from the solution and CO2 degassing."
http://zolotov.faculty.asu.edu/publ/Niles-EPSL-2009.pdf


Note that the paper above seems to indicate the conditions
the ALH rock formed under would be also be habitable
conditions. Warm subsurface water.


Here's a slew of papers on the subject. Looks like
there are plenty of opportunities for simple life in the
solar system.

"Publications on inorganic-organic interactions and habitability
of solar system objects"
http://zolotov.faculty.asu.edu/astrobio.html