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Science 15 December 2006:
Vol. 314. no. 5806, pp. 1720 - 1724
DOI: 10.1126/science.1135841

Reports

Organics Captured from Comet 81P/Wild 2 by the Stardust Spacecraft

Scott A. Sandford,1* Jérôme Aléon,2,3 Conel M. O'D. Alexander,4 Tohru Araki,5 Sasa Bajt,6 Giuseppe A. Baratta,7 Janet Borg,8 John P. Bradley,6 Donald E. Brownlee,9 John R. Brucato,10 Mark J. Burchell,11 Henner Busemann,4 Anna Butterworth,12 Simon J. Clemett,13 George Cody,14 Luigi Colangeli,10 George Cooper,15 Louis D'Hendecourt,7 Zahia Djouadi,8 Jason P. Dworkin,16 Gianluca Ferrini,17 Holger Fleckenstein,18 George J. Flynn,19 Ian A. Franchi,20 Marc Fries,14 Mary K. Gilles,21 Daniel P. Glavin,16 Matthieu Gounelle,22 Faustine Grossemy,8 Chris Jacobsen,18 Lindsay P. Keller,23 A. L. David Kilcoyne,21,24 Jan Leitner,25 Graciela Matrajt,9 Anders Meibom,22 Vito Mennella,10 Smail Mostefaoui,22 Larry R. Nittler,4 Maria E. Palumbo,7 Dimitri A. Papanastassiou,26 François Robert,22 Alessandra Rotundi,27 Christopher J. Snead,12 Maegan K. Spencer,28 Frank J. Stadermann,29 Andrew Steele,14 Thomas Stephan,25 Peter Tsou,26 Tolek Tyliszczak,21,24 Andrew J. Westphal,12 Sue Wirick,18 Brigitte Wopenka,30 Hikaru Yabuta,14 Richard N. Zare,28 Michael E. Zolensky31

Organics found in comet 81P/Wild 2 samples show a heterogeneous and unequilibrated distribution in abundance and composition. Some organics are similar, but not identical, to those in interplanetary dust particles and carbonaceous meteorites. A class of aromatic-poor organic material is also present. The organics are rich in oxygen and nitrogen compared with meteoritic organics. Aromatic compounds are present, but the samples tend to be relatively poorer in aromatics than are meteorites and interplanetary dust particles. The presence of deuterium and nitrogen-15 excesses suggest that some organics have an interstellar/protostellar heritage. Although the variable extent of modification of these materials by impact capture is not yet fully constrained, a diverse suite of organic compounds is present and identifiable within the returned samples.

1 Astrophysics Branch, NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
2 Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550 USA.
3 Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France.
4 Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution, Washington, DC 20015–1305, USA.
5 Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA.
6 Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA.
7 Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 78, 95123 Catania, Italy.
8 Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, Campus, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France.
9 Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
10 INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Via Moiariello 16, 80131 Napoli, Italy.
11 School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NH, UK.
12 Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720–7450, USA.
13 Expense Reduction Consulting, Inc., NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
14 Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA.
15 Exobiology Branch, NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
16 Goddard Center for Astrobiology, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.
17 Novaetech s.r.l., Città della Scienza, via Cordoglio 57d, 80124 Napoli, Italy.
18 Physics and Astronomy Department, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794–3800, USA.
19 Department of Physics, State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY 12901, USA.
20 Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK.
21 Chemical Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720–8225, USA.
22 Laboratoire d'Etude de la Matiere Extraterrestre, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.
23 NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA.
24 Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720–8225, USA.
25 Institut für Planetologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Strasse 10, 48149 Münster, Germany.
26 Science Division, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
27 Dipartimento Scienze Applicate, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Parthenope," Napoli 80133, Italy.
28 Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305–5080, USA.
29 Department of Physics and McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
30 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130–4899, USA.
31 Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science, NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ssandford{at}mail.arc.nasa.gov

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Helium and Neon Abundances and Compositions in Cometary Matter.
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Science 319, 75-78
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Oxygen in Comets and Interplanetary Dust Particles.
S. A. Sandford, S. Messenger, M. DiSanti, L. Keller, and K. Altwegg (2008)
Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 68, 247-272
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Comment on "Organics Captured from Comet 81P/Wild 2 by the Stardust Spacecraft".
M. K. Spencer and R. N. Zare (2007)
Science 317, 1680c
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Response to Comment on "Organics Captured from Comet 81P/Wild 2 by the Stardust Spacecraft".
S. A. Sandford and D. E. Brownlee (2007)
Science 317, 1680d
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NASA Returns Rocks from a Comet.
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Science 314, 1709-1710
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Comet 81P/Wild 2 Under a Microscope.
D. Brownlee, P. Tsou, J. Aleon, C. M. OD. Alexander, T. Araki, S. Bajt, G. A. Baratta, R. Bastien, P. Bland, P. Bleuet, et al. (2006)
Science 314, 1711-1716
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Impact Features on Stardust: Implications for Comet 81P/Wild 2 Dust.
F. Horz, R. Bastien, J. Borg, J. P. Bradley, J. C. Bridges, D. E. Brownlee, M. J. Burchell, M. Chi, M. J. Cintala, Z. R. Dai, et al. (2006)
Science 314, 1716-1719
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Infrared Spectroscopy of Comet 81P/Wild 2 Samples Returned by Stardust.
L. P. Keller, S. Bajt, G. A. Baratta, J. Borg, J. P. Bradley, D. E. Brownlee, H. Busemann, J. R. Brucato, M. Burchell, L. Colangeli, et al. (2006)
Science 314, 1728-1731
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Elemental Compositions of Comet 81P/Wild 2 Samples Collected by Stardust.
G. J. Flynn, P. Bleuet, J. Borg, J. P. Bradley, F. E. Brenker, S. Brennan, J. Bridges, D. E. Brownlee, E. S. Bullock, M. Burghammer, et al. (2006)
Science 314, 1731-1735
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