Researchers from St. Petersburg University for the first time detected an ammonium mineral in a meteorite. The discovery was made while examining the carbonaceous chondrite Orgueil (CI), which fell in France in 1864. The outcomes of the study, supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation, are published in the scientific journal American Mineralogist.
The Orgueil meteorite is considered a rare sample of extraterrestrial matter and is frequently used as an analogue for the material of the Ryugu and Bennu carbonaceous asteroids. The specimens the investigators worked with are kept at the V.I. Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Their analysis allowed for the identification of previously unknown features of the alien substance’s composition.
The carrier of the ammonium turned out to be nickelian busergenite—a mineral belonging to the glaserite salt family. Ammonium is viewed by scientists as one of the potential sources of biogenic nitrogen, an element vital for the formation of living organisms. Its detection within the meteorite broadens understanding regarding which substances might have been transported to Earth from space during its early stages.
Confirmation of the ammonium’s presence was obtained using X-ray diffraction techniques, as well as geomodeling. The investigations were conducted utilizing equipment at the St. Petersburg University research park. This comprehensive approach permitted precise determination of the mineral’s structure and its chemical properties.
According to Professor Sergey Britvin, this made finding may possess broader significance. It has the potential to assist in clarifying the characteristics of the infrared spectra of comets and asteroids, as well as lead to a revision of methods for analyzing extraterrestrial matter. The scientist noted that the gathered data supplements current views on the chemical makeup of Solar System small bodies and their possible part in processes related to the genesis of life on Earth.
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