Organic matter and water from asteroid Itokawa
Abstract Understanding the true nature of extra-terrestrial water and organic matter that were present at the birth of our solar system, and their subsequent evolution, necessitates the study of pristine astromaterials. In this study, we have studied both the water and organic contents from a dust p...
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doaj-a0736d739c944492a1cace4b1676c8212021-03-11T12:25:06ZengNature Publishing GroupScientific Reports2045-23222021-03-0111111210.1038/s41598-021-84517-xOrganic matter and water from asteroid ItokawaQ. H. S. Chan0A. Stephant1I. A. Franchi2X. Zhao3R. Brunetto4Y. Kebukawa5T. Noguchi6D. Johnson7M. C. Price8K. H. Harriss9M. E. Zolensky10M. M. Grady11Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway University of LondonThe Open UniversityThe Open UniversityThe Open UniversityCNRS, Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris-SaclayYokohama National UniversityFaculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University 744The Open UniversityCAPS, School of Physical Sciences, University of KentCAPS, School of Physical Sciences, University of KentAstromaterials Research and Exploration Science, NASA Johnson Space CenterThe Open UniversityAbstract Understanding the true nature of extra-terrestrial water and organic matter that were present at the birth of our solar system, and their subsequent evolution, necessitates the study of pristine astromaterials. In this study, we have studied both the water and organic contents from a dust particle recovered from the surface of near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa by the Hayabusa mission, which was the first mission that brought pristine asteroidal materials to Earth’s astromaterial collection. The organic matter is presented as both nanocrystalline graphite and disordered polyaromatic carbon with high D/H and 15N/14N ratios (δD = + 4868 ± 2288‰; δ15N = + 344 ± 20‰) signifying an explicit extra-terrestrial origin. The contrasting organic feature (graphitic and disordered) substantiates the rubble-pile asteroid model of Itokawa, and offers support for material mixing in the asteroid belt that occurred in scales from small dust infall to catastrophic impacts of large asteroidal parent bodies. Our analysis of Itokawa water indicates that the asteroid has incorporated D-poor water ice at the abundance on par with inner solar system bodies. The asteroid was metamorphosed and dehydrated on the formerly large asteroid, and was subsequently evolved via late-stage hydration, modified by D-enriched exogenous organics and water derived from a carbonaceous parent body.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84517-x |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Q. H. S. Chan A. Stephant I. A. Franchi X. Zhao R. Brunetto Y. Kebukawa T. Noguchi D. Johnson M. C. Price K. H. Harriss M. E. Zolensky M. M. Grady |
spellingShingle |
Q. H. S. Chan A. Stephant I. A. Franchi X. Zhao R. Brunetto Y. Kebukawa T. Noguchi D. Johnson M. C. Price K. H. Harriss M. E. Zolensky M. M. Grady Organic matter and water from asteroid Itokawa Scientific Reports |
author_facet |
Q. H. S. Chan A. Stephant I. A. Franchi X. Zhao R. Brunetto Y. Kebukawa T. Noguchi D. Johnson M. C. Price K. H. Harriss M. E. Zolensky M. M. Grady |
author_sort |
Q. H. S. Chan |
title |
Organic matter and water from asteroid Itokawa |
title_short |
Organic matter and water from asteroid Itokawa |
title_full |
Organic matter and water from asteroid Itokawa |
title_fullStr |
Organic matter and water from asteroid Itokawa |
title_full_unstemmed |
Organic matter and water from asteroid Itokawa |
title_sort |
organic matter and water from asteroid itokawa |
publisher |
Nature Publishing Group |
series |
Scientific Reports |
issn |
2045-2322 |
publishDate |
2021-03-01 |
description |
Abstract Understanding the true nature of extra-terrestrial water and organic matter that were present at the birth of our solar system, and their subsequent evolution, necessitates the study of pristine astromaterials. In this study, we have studied both the water and organic contents from a dust particle recovered from the surface of near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa by the Hayabusa mission, which was the first mission that brought pristine asteroidal materials to Earth’s astromaterial collection. The organic matter is presented as both nanocrystalline graphite and disordered polyaromatic carbon with high D/H and 15N/14N ratios (δD = + 4868 ± 2288‰; δ15N = + 344 ± 20‰) signifying an explicit extra-terrestrial origin. The contrasting organic feature (graphitic and disordered) substantiates the rubble-pile asteroid model of Itokawa, and offers support for material mixing in the asteroid belt that occurred in scales from small dust infall to catastrophic impacts of large asteroidal parent bodies. Our analysis of Itokawa water indicates that the asteroid has incorporated D-poor water ice at the abundance on par with inner solar system bodies. The asteroid was metamorphosed and dehydrated on the formerly large asteroid, and was subsequently evolved via late-stage hydration, modified by D-enriched exogenous organics and water derived from a carbonaceous parent body. |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84517-x |
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