Organic Globules in the Tagish Lake Meteorite: Remnants of the Protosolar Disk

Coordinated transmission electron microscopy and isotopic measurements of organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite shows that they have elevated ratios of nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14 (1.2 to 2 times terrestrial) and of deuterium to hydrogen (2.5 to 9 times terrestrial). These isotopic anomalies...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2006-12, Vol.314 (5804), p.1439-1442
Main Authors: Nakamura-Messenger, Keiko, Messenger, Scott, Keller, Lindsay P, Clemett, Simon J, Zolensky, Michael E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Carbon
Carbon - analysis
Carbon Isotopes - analysis
Chemical composition
Deuterium - analysis
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Fractionation
Freshwater
Globules
Hydrogen - analysis
Ice
Interplanetary space
Isotopes
Materials
Matrix materials
Meteorites
Meteoroids
Meteors & meteorites
Meteors, meteoroids and meteor streams
Molecular clouds
Nitrogen
Nitrogen - analysis
Nitrogen Isotopes - analysis
Oxygen - analysis
Protostars
Solar system
Solar systems
Temperature
Ultraviolet Rays
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Summary:Coordinated transmission electron microscopy and isotopic measurements of organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite shows that they have elevated ratios of nitrogen-15 to nitrogen-14 (1.2 to 2 times terrestrial) and of deuterium to hydrogen (2.5 to 9 times terrestrial). These isotopic anomalies are indicative of mass fractionation during chemical reactions at extremely low temperatures (10 to 20 kelvin), characteristic of cold molecular clouds and the outer protosolar disk. The globules probably originated as organic ice coatings on preexisting grains that were photochemically processed into refractory organic matter. The globules resemble cometary carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (CHON) particles, suggesting that such grains were important constituents of the solar system starting materials.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1132175