title: Sulfur and hydrogen isotope anomalies in meteorite sulfonic acids.
abstract: Intramolecular carbon, hydrogen, and sulfur isotope ratios were measured on a homologous series of organic sulfonic acids discovered in the Murchison meteorite. Mass-independent sulfur isotope fractionations were observed along with high deuterium/hydrogen ratios. The deuterium enrichments indicate formation of the hydrocarbon portion of these compounds in a low-temperature environment that is consistent with that of interstellar clouds. Sulfur-33 enrichments observed in methanesulfonic acid could have resulted from gas-phase ultraviolet irradiation of a precursor, carbon disulfide. The source of the sulfonic acid precursors may have been the reactive interstellar molecule carbon monosulfide.
authors.affiliation: SETI Institute and NASA Ames Research Center, MS 239-4, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Thiemens
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; D003903:Deuterium / Q000032:analysis*; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D008698:Mesylates / Q000737:chemistry; D019110:Meteoroids; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry; D013460:Sulfur Isotopes; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; D008698:Mesylates; D013440:Sulfides; D013460:Sulfur Isotopes; C045880:methanesulfonic acid; C092035:carbon sulfide; D002244:Carbon; D006859:Hydrogen; D003903:Deuterium