Abundant ammonia and nitrogen-rich soluble organic matter in samples from asteroid (101955) Bennu
Goddard Space Flight Center · Carnegie Institution for Science · +36 more institutions
Abstract
Abstract Organic matter in meteorites reveals clues about early Solar System chemistry and the origin of molecules important to life, but terrestrial exposure complicates interpretation. Samples returned from the B-type asteroid Bennu by the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer mission enabled us to study pristine carbonaceous astromaterial without uncontrolled exposure to Earth’s biosphere. Here we show that Bennu samples are volatile rich, with more carbon, nitrogen and ammonia than samples from asteroid Ryugu and most meteorites. Nitrogen-15 isotopic enrichments indicate that ammonia and other N-containing soluble molecules formed in a cold molecular…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 105.90
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 64
Authors
62Topics & keywords
- Asteroid
- Nitrogen
- Astrobiology
- Organic matter
- Chemistry
- Ammonia
- Environmental chemistry
- Nitrogen cycle
Funding
- UDU.S. Department of EnergyAwards: -AC02-05CH11231, 05CH11231, AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC02, DE-AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC02-
- NANational Aeronautics and Space AdministrationAwards: DE-AC02-05CH11231, 80NM0018D0004, 80GSFC24M0006, 80NSSC22K1692, 80NSSC20K0344, 80NSSC21K0654, NNH09ZDA007O, NNM10AA11C, 80NSSC21K0485
- CICarnegie Institution of Washington
- TFTawani Foundation
- BUBrown University
- UOUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County
- CICalifornia Institute of TechnologyAward: 80NM0018D0004
- ASArizona State University
- SRSouthwest Research Institute
- DFDeutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftAwards: 521256690, 364653263, 364653263-TRR 235, CRC 235, DE-AC02-05CH11231, ID 521256690, CRC 392, 364653263 TRR-235
- NSNuclear Safety and Security Commission
- UOUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- OOOffice of ScienceAwards: AC02-05CH11231, -AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC02
- JPJet Propulsion LaboratoryAward: 80NM0018D0004
- GSGoddard Space Flight CenterAwards: NNM10AA11C, NNH09ZDA007O, 80GSFC24M0006
- JSJohnson Space Center
- CSCalifornia State University San Marcos
- NHNASA HeadquartersAward: 80NM0018D0004
- JSJapan Society for the Promotion of ScienceAwards: 21H04501, 23H039380, 23H03980
- BEBasic Energy SciencesAwards: DE-AC02, AC02-05CH11231, DE-AC02-05CH11231, -AC02-05CH11231
- LBLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryAwards: DE-AC02-05CH11231, 05CH11231, AC02-05CH11231