Hollow organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite as possible products of primitive organic reactions

We report the first in situ observation of hollow organic globules in any extraterrestrial material using the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite. Data from analytical transmission electron microscopy, Raman and micro-Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicate that the globules consist o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International Journal of Astrobiology
Main Authors: Nakamura, Kelko, Zolensky, Michael E., Tomita, Satoshi, Nakashima, Satoru, Tomeoka, Kazushige
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2002
Subjects:
Tagish
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550402001167
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1473550402001167
Description
Summary:We report the first in situ observation of hollow organic globules in any extraterrestrial material using the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite. Data from analytical transmission electron microscopy, Raman and micro-Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicate that the globules consist of aliphatic and oxygenated functions. The hollow spherical morphologies are strikingly similar to the material produced by the laboratory simulation of ultraviolet photolysis of interstellar ice analogues and subsequent aqueous processing, suggesting that the organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite may be extremely primitive organic material that formed before or during the formation of the solar system. The FTIR organic signatures also show strong similarities to the membrane-like products formed from hydrothermal reaction of an OH-bearing amino acid in the presence of hydrous minerals. The survival of the structures in the Tagish Lake sample indicates that primitive meteorites must have delivered these structures to the early Earth as a possible precursor to life.

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