NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Cometary Glycine Detected in Samples Returned by StardustOur previous analysis of cometary samples returned to Earth by NASA's Stardust spacecraft showed several amines and amino acids, but the or igin of these compounds could not be firmly established. Here, we pre sent the stable carbon isotopic ratios of glycine and E-amino-n-caproic acid (EACA), the two most abundant amino acids identified in Stardu st-returned foil samples measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrom etry coupled with isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The Delta C-13 value for glycine of +29 +/- ? 6%: strongly suggests an extraterrestrial origin For glycine, while the Delta C-13 value for EACA of -25 +/-2 % indicates terrestrial contamination by Nylon-6 during curation. This represents the first detection of a cometary amino acid.
Document ID
20090026610
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Elsila, Jamie E.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Glavin, Daniel P.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Dworkin, Jason P.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 2009
Publication Information
Publication: Submitted to Meteorites and Planetary Science for publication.
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available