Shocked meteorites can be used to probe the dynamics of the early Solar system. Carbonaceous chondrites are less shocked than ordinary chondrites, regardless of the degree of aqueous alteration.
Carbonaceous chondrites
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Interstellar Formation of Lactaldehyde, A Key Intermediate in the Methylglyoxal Pathway
Aldehydes are ubiquitous in star-forming regions and carbonaceous chondrites, serving as essential intermediates in metabolic pathways and molecular mass growth processes to vital biomolecules necessary for the origins of life.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
The Astrochemical Evolutionary Traits Of Phospholipid Membrane Homochirality
Compartmentalization is crucial for the evolution of life. Present-day phospholipid membranes exhibit a high level of complexity and species-dependent homochirality, the so-called lipid divide. It is possible that less stable, […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Meteorites & Asteroids, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Sample Return, Status Report
Asteroid Bennu: Properties Of The Sample Collected By OSIRIS-REx
On September 24, 2023, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission dropped a capsule to Earth containing ~120 g of pristine carbonaceous regolith from Bennu. We describe the delivery and initial allocation of this asteroid […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Source Regions of Carbonaceous Meteorites and NEOs
The present work aims to determine the source regions of carbonaceous chondrites (CM, CI, CO, CV, CK, CR, CH, CB, or C-ungrouped). We studied 38 individual asteroid families, including young […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Gamma-Ray-Induced Amino Acid Formation During Aqueous Alteration in Small Bodies: The Effects of Compositions of Starting Solutions
Organic compounds, such as amino acids, are essential for the origin of life, and they may have been delivered to the prebiotic Earth from extra-terrestrial sources, such as carbonaceous chondrites.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Investigating Organic Carbon and Thermal History of CM Carbonaceous Chondrites Using Spectroscopy and Laboratory Techniques
The CM chondrites are characterized as primary accretionary rocks which originate from primitive water-rich asteroids formed during the early Solar System.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Grain Size Effects on UV-MIR (0.2-14 micron) Spectra of Carbonaceous Chondrite Groups
Carbonaceous chondrites are among the most important meteorite types and have played a vital role in deciphering the origin and evolution of our solar system.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Meteorites & Asteroids, Status Report
Near-mid Infrared Spectroscopy Of Carbonaceous Chondrites: Insights Into Spectral Variation Due To Aqueous Alteration And Thermal Metamorphism In Asteroids
Carbonaceous chondrites (CCs) are windows into the early Solar system and the histories of their parent bodies. Their infrared spectral signatures are powerful proxies for deciphering their composition and evolution […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
The Fate of Primary Iron Sulfides in the CM1 Carbonaceous Chondrites: Effects of Advanced Aqueous Alteration on Primary Components
We have carried out a SEM-EPMA-TEM study to determine the textures and compositions of relict primary iron sulfides and their alteration products in a suite of moderately to heavily-altered CM1 […]