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Complex organosulfur molecules on comet 67P: Evidence from the ROSINA measurements and insights from laboratory
Ahmed Mahjoub1,2, Kathrin Altwegg3, Michael J Poston4
1Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
Science Advances
|June 7, 2023
Summary
The Rosetta mission detected complex organosulfur compounds in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko dust. Laboratory simulations suggest these formed from irradiated ices, highlighting sulfur
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Astrochemistry
- Cometary Science
Background:
- The Rosetta mission's ROSINA instrument provided unprecedented data on cometary composition.
- Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko exhibits a complex material composition.
- Previous studies indicated the presence of sulfurous species in the comet's coma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze volatilized dust particles from a September 2016 dust event on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
- To identify and characterize organosulfur species within cometary dust.
- To investigate the formation pathways of these sulfur-bearing organic compounds.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from the ROSINA (Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis) instrument.
- Investigation of dust particles volatilized during a specific cometary dust event.
- Laboratory simulations of ice irradiation to replicate potential formation mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Detection of large organosulfur species in the volatilized dust.
- Observed increase in abundances of previously detected sulfurous species in the coma.
- Data support the presence of complex sulfur-bearing organic materials on the comet's surface.
Conclusions:
- Sulfur chemistry plays a crucial role in cometary and precometary materials.
- Irradiation of mixed ices containing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) can initiate reactions forming these organosulfur compounds.
- Future observations with the James Webb Space Telescope can characterize similar materials on other icy bodies.
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