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Molecular nitrogen in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko indicates a low formation temperature.
Rubin, M; Altwegg, K; Balsiger, H; Bar-Nun, A; Berthelier, J-J; Bieler, A; Bochsler, P; Briois, C; Calmonte, U; Combi, M; De Keyser, J; Dhooghe, F; Eberhardt, P; Fiethe, B; Fuselier, S A; Gasc, S; Gombosi, T I; Hansen, K C; Hässig, M; Jäckel, A; Kopp, E; Korth, A; Le Roy, L; Mall, U; Marty, B; Mousis, O; Owen, T; Rème, H; Sémon, T; Tzou, C-Y; Waite, J H; Wurz, P.
Affiliation
  • Rubin M; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. martin.rubin@space.unibe.ch.
  • Altwegg K; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse. 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Balsiger H; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Bar-Nun A; Department of Geoscience, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
  • Berthelier JJ; Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS)/Institute Pierre Simon Laplace-CNRS-UPMC-UVSQ, 4 Avenue de Neptune F-94100, Saint-Maur, France.
  • Bieler A; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
  • Bochsler P; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Briois C; Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), UMR 6115 CNRS-Université d'Orléans, Orléans, France.
  • Calmonte U; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Combi M; Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
  • De Keyser J; Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Belgisch Instituut voor Ruimte-Aeronomie-Institut d'Aéronomie Spatiale de Belgique (BIRA-IASB), Ringlaan 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
  • Dhooghe F; Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, Belgisch Instituut voor Ruimte-Aeronomie-Institut d'Aéronomie Spatiale de Belgique (BIRA-IASB), Ringlaan 3, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
  • Eberhardt P; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Fiethe B; Institute of Computer and Network Engineering, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hans-Sommer-Straße 66, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
  • Fuselier SA; Department of Space Science, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78228, USA.
  • Gasc S; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Gombosi TI; Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
  • Hansen KC; Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
  • Hässig M; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. Department of Space Science, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78228, USA.
  • Jäckel A; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Kopp E; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Korth A; Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
  • Le Roy L; Center for Space and Habitability, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse. 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Mall U; Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
  • Marty B; Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques (CRPG)-CNRS, Université de Lorraine, 15 rue Notre Dame des Pauvres, Bôite Postale 20, 54501 Vandoeuvre lès Nancy, France.
  • Mousis O; Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille UMR 7326, 13388, Marseille, France.
  • Owen T; Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
  • Rème H; Université de Toulouse; UPS-OMP; Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie (IRAP), Toulouse, France. CNRS; IRAP; 9 Avenue du Colonel Roche, Boîte Postale 44346, F-31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, France.
  • Sémon T; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Tzou CY; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
  • Waite JH; Department of Space Science, Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78228, USA.
  • Wurz P; Physikalisches Institut, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
Science ; 348(6231): 232-5, 2015 Apr 10.
Article in En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25791084
ABSTRACT
Molecular nitrogen (N2) is thought to have been the most abundant form of nitrogen in the protosolar nebula. It is the main N-bearing molecule in the atmospheres of Pluto and Triton and probably the main nitrogen reservoir from which the giant planets formed. Yet in comets, often considered the most primitive bodies in the solar system, N2 has not been detected. Here we report the direct in situ measurement of N2 in the Jupiter family comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, made by the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis mass spectrometer aboard the Rosetta spacecraft. A N2/CO ratio of (5.70 ± 0.66) × 10(-3) (2σ standard deviation of the sampled mean) corresponds to depletion by a factor of ~25.4 ± 8.9 as compared to the protosolar value. This depletion suggests that cometary grains formed at low-temperature conditions below ~30 kelvin.
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Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Language: En Journal: Science Year: 2015 Document type: Article
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Full text: 1 Collection: 01-internacional Database: MEDLINE Language: En Journal: Science Year: 2015 Document type: Article