Organics captured from comet 81P/Wild 2 by the Stardust spacecraft.
Organics found in comet 81P/Wild 2 samples show a heterogeneous and unequilibrated distribution in abundance and composition. Some organics are similar, but not identical, to those in interplanetary dust particles and carbonaceous meteorites. A class of aromatic-poor organic material is also present. The organics are rich in oxygen and nitrogen compared with meteoritic organics. Aromatic compounds are present, but the samples tend to be relatively poorer in aromatics than are meteorites and interplanetary dust particles. The presence of deuterium and nitrogen-15 excesses suggest that some organics have an interstellar/protostellar heritage. Although the variable extent of modification of these materials by impact capture is not yet fully constrained, a diverse suite of organic compounds is present and identifiable within the returned samples.
Sandford
Scott A
SA
Astrophysics Branch, NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA. ssandford@mail.arc.nasa.gov
Aléon
Jérôme
J
Alexander
Conel M O'd
CM
Araki
Tohru
T
Bajt
Sasa
S
Baratta
Giuseppe A
GA
Borg
Janet
J
Bradley
John P
JP
Brownlee
Donald E
DE
Brucato
John R
JR
Burchell
Mark J
MJ
Busemann
Henner
H
Butterworth
Anna
A
Clemett
Simon J
SJ
Cody
George
G
Colangeli
Luigi
L
Cooper
George
G
D'Hendecourt
Louis
L
Djouadi
Zahia
Z
Dworkin
Jason P
JP
Ferrini
Gianluca
G
Fleckenstein
Holger
H
Flynn
George J
GJ
Franchi
Ian A
IA
Fries
Marc
M
Gilles
Mary K
MK
Glavin
Daniel P
DP
Gounelle
Matthieu
M
Grossemy
Faustine
F
Jacobsen
Chris
C
Keller
Lindsay P
LP
Kilcoyne
A L David
AL
Leitner
Jan
J
Matrajt
Graciela
G
Meibom
Anders
A
Mennella
Vito
V
Mostefaoui
Smail
S
Nittler
Larry R
LR
Palumbo
Maria E
ME
Papanastassiou
Dimitri A
DA
Robert
François
F
Rotundi
Alessandra
A
Snead
Christopher J
CJ
Spencer
Maegan K
MK
Stadermann
Frank J
FJ
Steele
Andrew
A
Stephan
Thomas
T
Tsou
Peter
P
Tyliszczak
Tolek
T
Westphal
Andrew J
AJ
Wirick
Sue
S
Wopenka
Brigitte
B
Yabuta
Hikaru
H
Zare
Richard N
RN
Zolensky
Michael E
ME
D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis; D019443:Cosmic Dust / Q000032:analysis; D003903:Deuterium / Q000032:analysis; D019110:Meteoroids; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D018531:Spacecraft
D019443:Cosmic Dust; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D002244:Carbon; D003903:Deuterium; D009584:Nitrogen; D010100:Oxygen