Ryugu Asteroid Contains Complex Organic Molecules with Nitrogen

Analysis of returned samples from the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu identifies the chemical signature of uncommon globular and nitrogen-containing diffuse composite organic matter. Coordinated analyses using chemically non-destructive techniques at the finest length-scales on pristine samples reveal the distribution of biorelevant molecules with unprecedented detail. Electron-microscopy-based combination of vibrational and core-level spectroscopy disentangles the chemistry and nanoscale petrography of these organics. Some of these organics contain soluble and highly aliphatic components as well as NHx functional groups, that have formed in outer solar nebula environments before parent body incorporation or were synthesized by subtle fluid reactions on the final Ryugu asteroid. These findings open up new avenues of research on these types of precious and rare asteroidal dust samples, providing insights into the role of extraterrestrial organics in the evolution of life.

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