A primordial 15N-depleted organic component detected within the carbonaceous chondrite Maribo

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77190-z

Authors: Christian Vollmer (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität) , Jan Leitner (Max Plank Institute for Chemistry) , Demie Kepaptsoglou (SuperSTEM Laboratory; University of York) , Quentin M. Ramasse (SuperSTEM Laboratory; University of Leeds) , Ashley J. King (Natural History Museum) , Paul F. Schofield (Natural History Museum) , Addi Bischoff (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität) , Tohru Araki (Diamond Light Source) , Peter Hoppe (Max Planck Institute for Chemistry)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Scientific Reports , VOL 10

State: Published (Approved)
Published: November 2020
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 20900

Abstract: We report on the detection of primordial organic matter within the carbonaceous chondrite Maribo that is distinct from the majority of organics found in extraterrestrial samples. We have applied high-spatial resolution techniques to obtain C-N isotopic compositions, chemical, and structural information of this material. The organic matter is depleted in 15N relative to the terrestrial value at around δ15N ~ -200‰, close to compositions in the local interstellar medium. Morphological investigations by electron microscopy revealed that the material consists of µm- to sub-µm-sized diffuse particles dispersed within the meteorite matrix. Electron energy loss and synchrotron X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopies show that the carbon functional chemistry is dominated by aromatic and C=O bonding environments similar to primordial organics from other carbonaceous chondrites. The nitrogen functional chemistry is characterized by C-N double and triple bonding environments distinct from what is usually found in 15N-enriched organics from aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites. Our investigations demonstrate that Maribo represents one of the least altered CM chondrite breccias found to date and contains primordial organic matter, probably originating in the interstellar medium.

Journal Keywords: Asteroids, comets and Kuiper belt; Early solar system; Meteoritics

Diamond Keywords: Meteorites

Subject Areas: Earth Science, Chemistry


Instruments: I08-Scanning X-ray Microscopy beamline (SXM)

Added On: 23/11/2020 13:41

Documents:
s41598-020-77190-z.pdf

Discipline Tags:

Earth Sciences & Environment Mineralogy Chemistry Organic Chemistry Geology Geochemistry Planetary Geology

Technical Tags:

Microscopy Spectroscopy X-ray Microscopy Scanning X-ray Microscopy X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES)