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Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
Published on: July 1, 2019
A 15N-poor isotopic composition for the solar system as shown by Genesis solar wind samples
B Marty1, M Chaussidon, R C Wiens
1Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques (CRPG), Nancy Université, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France. bmarty@crpg.cnrs-nancy.fr
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 25, 2011
Summary
The Genesis mission found solar wind nitrogen is depleted in Nitrogen-15 (¹⁵N). This reveals extreme isotopic variations in the early solar system, explaining ¹⁵N-depleted materials found elsewhere.
Area of Science:
- Cosmochemistry
- Planetary Science
- Astrophysics
Background:
- Nitrogen's isotopic composition in the solar system is poorly understood.
- Solar wind provides a sample of the Sun and protosolar nebula.
- Genesis mission aimed to analyze solar wind elemental and isotopic compositions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the Nitrogen-15/Nitrogen-14 (¹⁵N/¹⁴N) ratio in solar wind nitrogen.
- To investigate the origin of nitrogen isotopic variations in the solar system.
- To characterize the protosolar nebula's nitrogen isotopic composition.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of nitrogen isotopes implanted in Genesis Solar Wind Concentrator target materials.
- Mass spectrometry for precise isotopic ratio measurements.
Main Results:
- Solar wind nitrogen exhibits a ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratio of 2.18 ± 0.02 × 10⁻³.
- This ratio is approximately 40% lower in ¹⁵N compared to Earth's atmosphere.
- The protosolar nebula's ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratio is determined to be 2.27 ± 0.03 × 10⁻³, the lowest known in the solar system.
Conclusions:
- The early solar system possessed extreme nitrogen isotopic heterogeneity.
- The ¹⁵N-depleted solar wind accounts for ¹⁵N-depleted components found in other solar system materials.
- This finding provides crucial insights into the chemical evolution of the nascent solar system.
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