The evolution of organic material on Asteroid 162173 Ryugu and its delivery to Earth

H. G. Changela (), Y. Kebukawa, L. Petera, M. Ferus, E. Chatzitheodoridis, L. Nejdl, R. Nebel, V. Protiva, P. Krepelka, J. Moravcova, R. Holbova, Z. Hlavenkova, T. Samoril, J. C. Bridges, S. Yamashita, Y. Takahashi, T. Yada, A. Nakato, K. Sobotkova, H. Tesarova and D. Zapotok
Additional contact information
H. G. Changela: Czech Academy of Sciences
Y. Kebukawa: Yokohama National University
L. Petera: Czech Academy of Sciences
M. Ferus: Czech Academy of Sciences
E. Chatzitheodoridis: National Technical University of Athens
L. Nejdl: Mendel University
R. Nebel: Czech Academy of Sciences
V. Protiva: Czech Academy of Sciences
P. Krepelka: Central European Institute of Technology Masaryk University
J. Moravcova: Central European Institute of Technology Masaryk University
R. Holbova: Central European Institute of Technology Masaryk University
Z. Hlavenkova: Central European Institute of Technology Masaryk University
T. Samoril: Brno University of Technology
J. C. Bridges: University of Leicester
S. Yamashita: High-Energy Accelerator Research Organization
Y. Takahashi: The University of Tokyo
T. Yada: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
A. Nakato: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
K. Sobotkova: TESCAN GROUP a.s.
H. Tesarova: TESCAN GROUP a.s.
D. Zapotok: TESCAN USA Inc

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: Abstract The recent return of samples from asteroid 162173 Ryugu provides a first insight into early Solar System prebiotic evolution from known planetary bodies. Ryugu’s samples are CI chondrite-like, rich in water and organic material, and primarily composed of phyllosilicate. This phyllosilicate surrounds micron to submicron macromolecular organic particles known as insoluble organic matter. Using advanced microscopy techniques on Hayabusa-2 samples, we find that aqueous alteration on Ryugu produced organic particles richer in aromatics compared to less altered carbonaceous chondrites. This challenges the view that aromatic-rich organic matter formed pre-accretion. Additionally, widespread diffuse organic material occurs in phyllosilicate more aliphatic-, carboxylic-rich, and aromatic-poor than the discrete organic particles, likely preserving the soluble organic material. Some organic particles evolved to encapsulate phyllosilicate, indicating that aqueous alteration on Ryugu led to the containment of soluble organic matter within these particles. Earth therefore has been, and continues to be, delivered micron-sized polymeric organic objects containing biologically relevant molecules.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50004-w

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