Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in samples of Ryugu formed in the interstellar medium

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<jats:p> Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contain ≲20% of the carbon in the interstellar medium. They are potentially produced in circumstellar environments (at temperatures ≳1000 kelvin), by (~10 kelvin) interstellar clouds, or by processing of carbon-rich dust grains. We report isotopic properties of PAHs extracted from samples of the asteroid Ryugu and the meteorite Murchison. The doubly- <jats:sup>13</jats:sup> C substituted compositions (Δ2× <jats:sup>13</jats:sup> C values) of the PAHs naphthalene, fluoranthene, and pyrene are 9 to 51‰ higher than values expected for a stochastic distribution of isotopes. The Δ2× <jats:sup>13</jats:sup> C values are higher than expected if the PAHs formed in a circumstellar environment, but consistent with formation in the interstellar medium. By contrast, the PAHs phenanthrene and anthracene in Ryugu samples have Δ2× <jats:sup>13</jats:sup> C values consistent with formation by higher-temperature reactions. </jats:p>

Journal

  • Science

    Science 382 (6677), 1411-1416, 2023-12-22

    American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

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