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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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550402001167 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1473550402001167 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s1473550402001167 2024-05-19T07:49:19+00:00 Hollow organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite as possible products of primitive organic reactions Nakamura, Kelko Zolensky, Michael E. Tomita, Satoshi Nakashima, Satoru Tomeoka, Kazushige 2002 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550402001167 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1473550402001167 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms International Journal of Astrobiology volume 1, issue 3, page 179-189 ISSN 1473-5504 1475-3006 journal-article 2002 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550402001167 2024-04-25T06:51:53Z 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. Article in Journal/Newspaper Tagish Cambridge University Press International Journal of Astrobiology 1 3 179 189 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
description |
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. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nakamura, Kelko Zolensky, Michael E. Tomita, Satoshi Nakashima, Satoru Tomeoka, Kazushige |
spellingShingle |
Nakamura, Kelko Zolensky, Michael E. Tomita, Satoshi Nakashima, Satoru Tomeoka, Kazushige Hollow organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite as possible products of primitive organic reactions |
author_facet |
Nakamura, Kelko Zolensky, Michael E. Tomita, Satoshi Nakashima, Satoru Tomeoka, Kazushige |
author_sort |
Nakamura, Kelko |
title |
Hollow organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite as possible products of primitive organic reactions |
title_short |
Hollow organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite as possible products of primitive organic reactions |
title_full |
Hollow organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite as possible products of primitive organic reactions |
title_fullStr |
Hollow organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite as possible products of primitive organic reactions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Hollow organic globules in the Tagish Lake meteorite as possible products of primitive organic reactions |
title_sort |
hollow organic globules in the tagish lake meteorite as possible products of primitive organic reactions |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550402001167 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1473550402001167 |
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Tagish |
genre_facet |
Tagish |
op_source |
International Journal of Astrobiology volume 1, issue 3, page 179-189 ISSN 1473-5504 1475-3006 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550402001167 |
container_title |
International Journal of Astrobiology |
container_volume |
1 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
179 |
op_container_end_page |
189 |
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1799467809559805952 |