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Published February 24, 2023 | Version Supplemental material
Journal Article Open

Soluble organic molecules in samples of the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu

Creators

  • 1. ROR icon Kyushu University
  • 2. ROR icon Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
  • 3. ROR icon Goddard Space Flight Center
  • 4. ROR icon Hokkaido University
  • 5. ROR icon Nagoya University
  • 6. Helmholtz Munich, Analytical BioGeoChemistry, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
  • 7. ROR icon Technical University of Munich
  • 8. ROR icon Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
  • 9. ROR icon Catholic University of America
  • 10. ROR icon California Institute of Technology
  • 11. ROR icon Délégation Alpes
  • 12. ROR icon Tokyo Institute of Technology
  • 13. ROR icon Chiba Institute of Technology
  • 14. ROR icon French National Centre for Scientific Research
  • 15. ROR icon Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
  • 16. ROR icon Fukuoka Institute of Technology
  • 17. ROR icon Tohoku University
  • 18. ROR icon Physics of Ionic and Molecular Interactions
  • 19. ROR icon Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
  • 20. ROR icon Excellence Cluster Origins
  • 21. ROR icon Kyoto University
  • 22. ROR icon Hiroshima University
  • 23. ROR icon University of Tokyo
  • 24. ROR icon Rowan University
  • 25. ROR icon University of Arizona
  • 26. ROR icon The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI
  • 27. Marine Works Japan Ltd., Yokosuka 237-0063, Japan.
  • 28. ROR icon University of Aizu
  • 29. ROR icon National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
  • 30. ROR icon Kobe University
  • 31. ROR icon Seoul National University
  • 32. ROR icon Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • 33. ROR icon Niigata University
  • 34. ROR icon Rikkyo University
  • 35. ROR icon Ehime University
  • 36. ROR icon Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
  • 37. ROR icon Kanagawa Institute of Technology

Abstract

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft collected samples from the surface of the carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu and brought them to Earth. The samples were expected to contain organic molecules, which record processes that occurred in the early Solar System. We analyzed organic molecules extracted from the Ryugu surface samples. We identified a variety of molecules containing the atoms CHNOS, formed by methylation, hydration, hydroxylation, and sulfurization reactions. Amino acids, aliphatic amines, carboxylic acids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and nitrogen-heterocyclic compounds were detected, which had properties consistent with an abiotic origin. These compounds likely arose from an aqueous reaction on Ryugu's parent body and are similar to the organics in Ivuna-type meteorites. These molecules can survive on the surfaces of asteroids and be transported throughout the Solar System.

Copyright and License

© 2023 the authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original US government works. https://www.science.org/about/science-licenses-journal-article-reuse.

Acknowledgement

The Hayabusa2 project has been led by JAXA (the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in collaboration with DLR (the German Space Center) and CNES (the French Space Center) and is supported by NASA and ASA (the Australian Space Agency). We thank all members of the Hayabusa2 project for their technical and scientific contributions.

Funding

This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) under KAKENHI grants JP20H00202 (H.Na.), JP20H05846 (H.Na.), JP20K20485 (S.Sa.), JP20K14549 (H.Su.), JP21J00504 (T.K.), JP21H01203 (N.O.O.), JP21H04501 (Y.O.), and JP21KK0062 (Y.T.). J.P.D., J.C.A., E.T.P., D.P.G., H.L.M., J.E.E., and H.V.G. were supported by NASA under the Consortium for Hayabusa2 Analysis of Organic Solubles. F.-R.O.D. was supported by CNES (grant BC U53-6336-4500068838). J.M.E. was supported by NSF Graduate Research Fellowship “Emerging Worlds” (grant 18-EW18 2-0084).

Contributions

H.Na., Y.T., and J.P.D. designed the research. Y.T., N.O.O., P.S.-K., K.Ham., A.F., J.C.A., E.T.P., D.P.G., H.L.M., Y.O., T.K., M.Has, K.F., D.A., F.-R.O.-D., C.W., J.I., S.Sa., T.Yo., J.M.E., N.He., J.P.D., and H.Na. conducted experiments and analyzed data in cooperation with T.Yad., H.Yu., H.Yab., T.Nak., Y.C., N.Oh., H.Su., H.M., Y.F., A.R., V.V., R.T., H.C.C., and D.S.L. H.Na., Y.T., J.P.D., P.S.-K., H.V.G, J.E.E., K.Ham., A.F., Y.O., M.Has., F.-R.O.-D., J.I., and S.Tac. wrote the paper. M.Ab., T.Yad., M.N., K.Yog., A.N., M.Y., A.S., A.Miy., S.F., K.Hat., H.So., Y.H., K.Ku., T.U., T.H., D.Y., and R.F. curated samples. K.Ki., S.Su., N.N., M.Ar., H.I., M.I., Nar.H., K.W., Y.I., R.N., T.Mo., N.S., K.M., H.Su., R.H., E.T., Y.Y., C.H., T.Mi., M.M., A.Miu, H.No., T.Yam., K.Yos., K.K., M.O., Y.I., H.Yan, M.H., T.I., R.T., H.Sa., S.H., K.O., C.O., Nao.H., K.S., Y.S., M.Y., T.O., Y.Y., H.T., A.F., T.T., K.Yog., Y.M., G.O., N.Og., S.K., S.N., F.T., S.Tan., T.S., M.Y., S.W., and Y.T. contributed to the sample collection at Ryugu. All authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript.

Data Availability

The mass spectra and chromatographic data used in this study are available at the JAXA Data Archives and Transmission System (DARTS) at https://data.darts.isas.jaxa.jp/pub/hayabusa2/paper/sample/Naraoka_2022/ (73). Other data from the mission are available at the DARTS archive https://www.darts.isas.jaxa.jp/planet/project/hayabusa2/ and on the Small Bodies Node of the NASA Planetary Data System https://pds-smallbodies.astro.umd.edu/data_sb/missions/hayabusa2/. Material was allocated by the JAXA Astromaterials Science Research Group; the sample catalog is available at https://darts.isas.jaxa.jp/curation/hayabusa2/, and distribution for analysis is through an Announcement of Opportunity available at https://jaxa-ryugu-sample-ao.net. The samples of Ryugu used in this study were mostly consumed during the analysis, with the remaining materials returned to JAXA.

Supplemental Material

Supplemental Materials (PDF)

Materials and Methods
Supplementary Text
Figs. S1 to S8
Tables S1 to S5
References (74–101)

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Additional details

Is supplemented by
Dataset: https://data.darts.isas.jaxa.jp/pub/hayabusa2/paper/sample/Naraoka_2022/ (URL)
Dataset: https://www.darts.isas.jaxa.jp/planet/project/hayabusa2/ (URL)
Dataset: https://pds-smallbodies.astro.umd.edu/data_sb/missions/hayabusa2/ (URL)
Dataset: https://darts.isas.jaxa.jp/curation/hayabusa2/ (URL)
Dataset: https://jaxa-ryugu-sample-ao.net/ (URL)
Supplemental Material: https://www.science.org/doi/suppl/10.1126/science.abn9033/suppl_file/science.abn9033_sm.pdf (URL)

Funding

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
JP20H00202
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
JP20H05846
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
JP20K20485
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
JP20K14549
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
JP21J00504
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
JP21H01203
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
JP21H04501
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
JP21KK0062
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Centre National d'Études Spatiales
BC U53-6336-4500068838
National Science Foundation
18-EW18 2-0084

Dates

Accepted
2022-12-01
Accepted

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Caltech groups
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences (GPS)
Publication Status
Published