Meteorites reveal unexpected organic complexity
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Researchers from the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory analysed fragments of two meteorites, the Murchison meteorite, which fell in Australia in 1969, and the Aguas Zarcas meteorite, which fell in Costa Rica in 2019, to understand the building blocks of our solar system.
Joseph Frye-Jones led the research using advanced spectrometry to identify tens of thousands of carbon-based molecules within the small meteorite samples.
The team discovered the meteorites contained a far greater chemical diversity than previously known, even matching the complexity of petroleum deposits on Earth. The analysis revealed that the two meteorites, despite belonging to the same cosmic family, have significantly different chemical compositions. This suggests that environments within the early solar system varied greatly, leading to a wide range of organic chemistry.
Frye-Jones and his team used a 21-tesla FT-ICR spectrometer to achieve this detailed analysis, a tool capable of identifying the composition of complex mixtures. To further understand the molecules, researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory used high-resolution noncontact atomic force microscopy to image the structures of individual molecules from the meteorites. This technique, used only three times before on meteorite material, allowed scientists to visualise how atoms linked together within the molecules.
The collaboration between the two laboratories, dubbed “Stardust,” aims to reveal the origins of these materials and their potential role in the development of life, both on Earth and elsewhere in the universe.
