Prebiotic Matter in Space

AbstractA significant number of molecules that are used in contemporary biochemistry on Earth are found in interstellar and circumstellar regions as well as solar system environments. In particular small solar system bodies hold clues to processes that formed our solar system. Comets, asteroids, and meteorite delivered extraterrestrial material during the heavy bombardment phase ~3.9 billion years ago to the young planets, a process that made carbonaceous material available to the early Earth. In-depth understanding of the organic reservoir in different space environments as well as data on the stability of organic and prebiotic material in solar system environments are vital to assess and quantify the extraterrestrial contribution of prebiotic sources available to the young Earth.

Download Full-text

Stability of Alfvén wings in uniform plasmas

Journal of Plasma Physics ◽

10.1017/s0022377807006460 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 73 (6) ◽

pp. 957-966

Author(s):

P. A. SALLAGO ◽

A. M. PLATZECK

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Normal Modes ◽

Background Field ◽

Alfven Waves ◽

Magnetized Plasma ◽

Alfvén Waves ◽

Solar System Bodies ◽

Uniform Background ◽

The Stability ◽

Magnetohydrodynamic System

AbstractA conducting source moving uniformly through a magnetized plasma generates, among a variety of perturbations, Alfvén waves. An interesting characteristic of Alfvén waves is that they can build up structures in the plasma called Alfvén wings. These wings have been detected and measured in many solar system bodies, and their existence has also been theoretically proven. However, their stability remains to be studied. The aim of this paper is to analyze the stability of an Alfvén wing developed in a uniform background field, in the presence of an incompressible perturbation that has the same symmetry as the Alfvén wing, in the magnetohydrodynamic approximation. The study of the stability of a magnetohydrodynamic system is often performed by linearizing the equations and using either the normal modes method or the energy method. In spite of being applicable for many problems, both methods become algebraically complicated if the structure under analysis is a highly non-uniform one. Palumbo has developed an analytical method for the study of the stability of static structures with a symmetry in magnetized plasmas, in the presence of incompressible perturbations with the same symmetry as the structure (Palumbo 1998 Thesis, Universidad de Firenze, Italia). In the present paper we extend this method for Alfvén wings that are stationary structures, and conclude that in the presence of this kind of perturbation they are stable.

Download Full-text

STABILITY OF ALFVEN WINGS IN HMHD

Anales AFA ◽

10.31527/analesafa.2021.32.1.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

P. A. Sallago ◽

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Analytical Method ◽

Alfven Waves ◽

Magnetized Plasma ◽

Alfvén Waves ◽

Magnetized Plasmas ◽

Ohm’S Law ◽

Electronic Pressure ◽

Solar System Bodies ◽

The Stability

A conducting source moving uniformly through a magnetized plasma generates, among a variety of perturbations,Alfvén waves. Alfvén waves can build up structures in the plasma called Alfvén wings. The wings have been detec-ted and measured in many solar system bodies, and their existence have been theoretically proved also. Under certainconditions, Hall and electronic pressure must be taken into account in the Ohm’s law and so one gets Hall Magne-tohydrodynamics (HMHD). In spite of Sallago and Platzeck have shown the existence of Alfvén wings in HMHD, theirstability under such conditions remains to be studied. The aim of this paper is to analyze the stability of an Alfvén wing,in the presence of an incompressible perturbation that has the same symmetry than the structure and polarization, inHMHD. Palumbo has developed an analytical method for the study of the stability of static structures with a symmetryin magnetized plasmas, in the presence of incompressible perturbations with the same symmetry than the structure.Since Alfvén wings are stationary structures, Sallago and Platzeck have shown the stability of such Alfvén wings in MHD conditions by extending Palumbo’s method. In the present paper this method is extended for Alfvén wings in HMHD conditions, and one concludes that in the presence of this kind of perturbations they are stable.

Download Full-text

Spectropolarimetric device for overatmospheric investigations of Solar system bodies

Kosmìčna nauka ì tehnologìâ ◽

10.15407/knit2008.02.056 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 56-67

Author(s):

Ya.S. Yatskiv ◽

◽

A.P. Vidmachenko ◽

O.V. Morozhenko ◽

M.G. Sosonkin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Solar System Bodies

Download Full-text

Organic matter and water from asteroid Itokawa

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-84517-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Q. H. S. Chan ◽

A. Stephant ◽

I. A. Franchi ◽

X. Zhao ◽

R. Brunetto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Solar System ◽

Parent Body ◽

Asteroid Belt ◽

True Nature ◽

Water Ice ◽

Nanocrystalline Graphite ◽

Terrestrial Water ◽

Solar System Bodies ◽

Small Dust

AbstractUnderstanding the true nature of extra-terrestrial water and organic matter that were present at the birth of our solar system, and their subsequent evolution, necessitates the study of pristine astromaterials. In this study, we have studied both the water and organic contents from a dust particle recovered from the surface of near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa by the Hayabusa mission, which was the first mission that brought pristine asteroidal materials to Earth’s astromaterial collection. The organic matter is presented as both nanocrystalline graphite and disordered polyaromatic carbon with high D/H and 15N/14N ratios (δD = + 4868 ± 2288‰; δ15N = + 344 ± 20‰) signifying an explicit extra-terrestrial origin. The contrasting organic feature (graphitic and disordered) substantiates the rubble-pile asteroid model of Itokawa, and offers support for material mixing in the asteroid belt that occurred in scales from small dust infall to catastrophic impacts of large asteroidal parent bodies. Our analysis of Itokawa water indicates that the asteroid has incorporated D-poor water ice at the abundance on par with inner solar system bodies. The asteroid was metamorphosed and dehydrated on the formerly large asteroid, and was subsequently evolved via late-stage hydration, modified by D-enriched exogenous organics and water derived from a carbonaceous parent body.

Download Full-text

Microstructural features in carbonates from Antarctic micrometeorites: Effective tools for analyzing the evolution of small Solar System bodies

Microscopy and Microanalysis ◽

10.1017/s1431927621009740 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 27 (S1) ◽

pp. 2778-2781

Author(s):

Elena Dobrica ◽

Kenta Ohtaki ◽

Cecile Engrand

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Solar System Bodies

Download Full-text

The Grand Tack model: a critical review

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921314008254 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (S310) ◽

pp. 194-203 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Sean N. Raymond ◽

Alessandro Morbidelli

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Building Blocks ◽

Protoplanetary Disk ◽

Giant Planets ◽

Asteroid Belt ◽

Terrestrial Planets ◽

Saturn’S Satellites ◽

Internal Inconsistency ◽

Solar System Bodies ◽

Gas Accretion

AbstractThe “Grand Tack” model proposes that the inner Solar System was sculpted by the giant planets' orbital migration in the gaseous protoplanetary disk. Jupiter first migrated inward then Jupiter and Saturn migrated back outward together. If Jupiter's turnaround or “tack” point was at ~ 1.5 AU the inner disk of terrestrial building blocks would have been truncated at ~ 1 AU, naturally producing the terrestrial planets' masses and spacing. During the gas giants' migration the asteroid belt is severely depleted but repopulated by distinct planetesimal reservoirs that can be associated with the present-day S and C types. The giant planets' orbits are consistent with the later evolution of the outer Solar System.Here we confront common criticisms of the Grand Tack model. We show that some uncertainties remain regarding the Tack mechanism itself; the most critical unknown is the timing and rate of gas accretion onto Saturn and Jupiter. Current isotopic and compositional measurements of Solar System bodies – including the D/H ratios of Saturn's satellites – do not refute the model. We discuss how alternate models for the formation of the terrestrial planets each suffer from an internal inconsistency and/or place a strong and very specific requirement on the properties of the protoplanetary disk.We conclude that the Grand Tack model remains viable and consistent with our current understanding of planet formation. Nonetheless, we encourage additional tests of the Grand Tack as well as the construction of alternate models.

Download Full-text

Equal-Area Projections of the Triaxial Ellipsoid: First Time Derivation and Implementation of Cylindrical and Azimuthal Projections for Small Solar System Bodies

The Cartographic Journal ◽

10.1080/00087041.2015.1119471 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 52 (2) ◽

pp. 114-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Maxim V. Nyrtsov ◽

Maria E. Fleis ◽

Michael M. Borisov ◽

Philip J. Stooke

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Triaxial Ellipsoid ◽

Equal Area ◽

Solar System Bodies ◽

First Time

Download Full-text

Interstellar and interplanetary solids in the laboratory

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921316005688 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (A29B) ◽

pp. 416-419 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Emmanuel Dartois ◽

Ivan Alata ◽

Cécile Engrand ◽

Rosario Brunetto ◽

Jean Duprat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Interstellar Medium ◽

Environmental Parameters ◽

Interstellar Matter ◽

Additional Information ◽

Set Constraints ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

Space Environments ◽

Chemical Conditions ◽

Extraterrestrial Material ◽

Shed Light

AbstractThe composition of interstellar matter is driven by environmental parameters and results from extreme interstellar medium physico-chemical conditions. Astrochemists must rely on remote observations to monitor and analyze the interstellar solids composition. They bring additional information from the study of analogues produced in the laboratory, placed in simulated space environments. Planetologists and cosmochemists access and spectroscopically examine collected extraterrestrial material in the laboratory. Diffuse interstellar medium and molecular clouds observations set constraints on the composition of organic solids that can then be compared with collected extraterrestrial materials analyses, to shed light on their possible links.

Download Full-text