Rosetta space probe finds organic molecules on comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko

(ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM https://bit.ly/3yI4Ok5)

Researchers from the University of Bern found more than 40 organic molecules in the coma of the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet, like naphthalene and nonane.

The team was analyzing observational data from the Rosetta mission, which is close to the space object.

This suggests that the process of transport of organic matter from the interstellar medium to small bodies is much more complex and larger than previously thought.

Comets are generally thought to have formed from refractory dust and various frozen volatiles in the outer solar system.

However, the data collected by the Rosetta mission showed that such a representation needs to be improved.

The substance of the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko turned out to be very rich from a chemical point of view.

The comet of the Jupiter family was also rich in substances with varying degrees of volatility, for which the sublimation temperature range varies from 30 to more than 200 kelvin.

In addition, several complex organic compounds associated with dust were found, among which heptane (C7H16). These results are similar to the observations of Halley's comet.

However, it was not clear whether these were separate molecules or the result of fragmentation of complex compounds.

Now, a group of planetologists led by Nora Hänni reported the discovery of a set of more than 40 organic molecules in the substance of comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

The scientists were analyzing data collected by the DFMS mass spectrometer, part of Rosetta's ROSINA instrument.

The instrument was observing the comet's inner coma in August 2015, when it almost reached its perihelion.

The average composition of the found molecules can be described by the formula C1H1.56O0.134N0.046S0.017.

This is identical to soluble organic matter from chondrite meteorites and includes many chain, cyclic and aromatic hydrocarbons in an approximate ratio of 6:3:1.

Some molecules have been reliably detected for the first time in comet coma:

• nonane (C9H20)
• naphthalene (C10H8)
• benzylamine (C7H9N)
• benzoic acid (C7H6O2)
• ethylene (C2H4)
• propene (C3H6)

(University of Bern https://bit.ly/3Pzn3z2)

This means that the ratios of elemental abundances previously derived for the organic matter of the particles of Saturn's rings are in good agreement with the values obtained for the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet.

It is assumed that cometary ices are very similar to ices in the interstellar medium in their composition, despite the fact that comets are objects that have undergone evolution.

Also, the complex organic molecules found in the comet are probably not the product of changes in its substance under the influence of external factors.

They have been in the comet since the early solar system.

Sources:

• Nature Communications: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31346-9
• SciDaily: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/07/220705112248.htm
• University of Bern: https://www.unibe.ch/news/media_news/media_relations_e/media_releases/2022/media_releases_2022/shedding_light_on_comet_churys_unexpected_chemical_complexity/index_eng.html

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