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32 -- Stardust: Organic Matter in Comet 81P/Wild 2
TUESDAY, April 15, 2008: AFTERNOON
George Flynn
State Univeristy of New York at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY, USA
Sue Wirick
State University of New York at StonyBrook
StonyBrook, NY, USA
Description
Infrared spectroscopy indicates comets contain a significant quantity of carbon-bearing molecules, and it has been suggested that the impact of comets (Chyba et al., 1990) or cometary dust particles have contributed organic matter important for the origin of life on Earth. However, most of the nonvolatile carbon compounds in comets cannot be characterized by remote sensing.On January 15, 2006 NASA’s Stardust mission delivered samples of dust collected from the coma of Comet 81P/Wild 2. The mission returned over 10,000 particles in the 1-300 micron size range. For the first time in the history of mankind, scientists are able to analyze cometary particles using high-sensitivity laboratory instruments.
Preliminary examination of less then 10 percent of the total sample mass returned uncovered a variety of organic matter ranging from aromatic hydrocarbons with atomic mass units of 78-800 to low mass, simple aliphatic compounds such as alcohols or ethers as well as organic compounds rich in both nitrogen and oxygen (Sandford et al., Science 2006).
With the end of the preliminary examination in August 2006, scientists can now obtain samples through the curatorial facility at the Johnson Space Center. This session hopes to cover new results from the analysis of organics in the Stardust samples not analyzed during the preliminary examination period as well as new techniques not used during the preliminary examination period.
ORAL SESSION
3:15 32-07-O. Overview of the Results of the Organics Preliminary Examination of
Stardust Samples [invited] S. Sandford
3:30 32-01-O. Contribution to a Better Understanding of Organics in Cometary
Material, by an IR and Raman Combined Analysis of New Stardust Samples
[invited] J. Borg, L. D'Hendecourt, E. Dartois, Z. Djouadi, F. Grossemy, G. Montagnac,
F.-R. Orthous-Daunay, E. Quirico, B. Reynard, B. Schmitt
3:55 32-03-O. Cometary "everything cookie": A Unique Carbonaceous Stardust
Particle Containing Various Nanoscale Particles [invited] B. De Gregorio,
R.M. Stroud, L.R. Nittler, A.L.D. Kilcoyne, G.D. Cody
4:20 32-04-O. Stardust Amines [invited] J. Dworkin, J. Elsila, D. Glavin, J. Stern
4:45 32-06-O. Organic Carbonaceous Phases in Two Cometary Particles Collected by
Stardust G. Matrajt, S. Wirick, S. Messenger, B. Wopenka, S. Bajt, D. Joswiak, D. Brownlee
5:00 32-05-O. Comparison of the Organic Matter in Wild 2 Fragments with Organic
Matter in Anhydrous IDPs G. Flynn, S. Wirick, L. Keller, C. Jacobsen
5:15 32-02-O. Isotopic Fractionation in Prestellar Cores: The Interstellar Heritage
of Solar System Material S. Charnley, S. Rodgers
POSTER
32-08-P. Organic Matter Associated with Iron Sulfide from Comet Wild 2 and an
Interplanetary Dust ParticleS. Wirick, G. Flynn, L. Keller, C. Jacobsen, S.Sandford