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Migration of D-type asteroids from the outer Solar System inferred from carbonate in meteorites

Fujiya, Wataru ; Hoppe, Peter ; Ushikubo, T. ; Fukuda, K. ; Lindgren, Paula LU ; Lee, Martin ; Koike, M. ; Shirai, K. and Sano, Y. (2019) In Nature Astronomy 3(10). p.910-915
Abstract
Recent dynamical models of Solar System evolution and isotope studies of rock-forming elements in meteorites have suggested that volatile-rich asteroids formed in the outer Solar System beyond Jupiter’s orbit, despite being currently located in the main asteroid belt. The ambient temperature under which asteroids formed is a crucial diagnostic to pinpoint the original location of asteroids and is potentially determined by the abundance of volatiles they contain. In particular, abundances and 13C/12C ratios of carbonates in meteorites record the abundances of carbon-bearing volatile species in their parent asteroids. However, the sources of carbon for these carbonates remain poorly understood. Here we show that the Tagish Lake meteorite... (More)
Recent dynamical models of Solar System evolution and isotope studies of rock-forming elements in meteorites have suggested that volatile-rich asteroids formed in the outer Solar System beyond Jupiter’s orbit, despite being currently located in the main asteroid belt. The ambient temperature under which asteroids formed is a crucial diagnostic to pinpoint the original location of asteroids and is potentially determined by the abundance of volatiles they contain. In particular, abundances and 13C/12C ratios of carbonates in meteorites record the abundances of carbon-bearing volatile species in their parent asteroids. However, the sources of carbon for these carbonates remain poorly understood. Here we show that the Tagish Lake meteorite contains abundant carbonates with consistently high 13C/12C ratios. The high abundance of 13C-rich carbonates in Tagish Lake excludes organic matter as their main carbon source. Therefore, the Tagish Lake parent body, presumably a D-type asteroid10, must have accreted a large amount of 13C-rich CO2 ice. The estimated 13C/12C and CO2/H2O ratios of ice in Tagish Lake are similar to those of cometary ice. Thus, we infer that at least some D-type asteroids formed in the cold outer Solar System and were subsequently transported into the inner Solar System owing to an orbital instability of the giant planets. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Nature Astronomy
volume
3
issue
10
pages
7 pages
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:85068558723
ISSN
2397-3366
DOI
10.1038/s41550-019-0801-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
370e0761-2dc3-43e9-9bd3-cffdfef1561e
date added to LUP
2019-07-02 14:56:55
date last changed
2022-04-26 02:49:10
@article{370e0761-2dc3-43e9-9bd3-cffdfef1561e,
  abstract     = {{Recent dynamical models of Solar System evolution and isotope studies of rock-forming elements in meteorites have suggested that volatile-rich asteroids formed in the outer Solar System beyond Jupiter’s orbit, despite being currently located in the main asteroid belt. The ambient temperature under which asteroids formed is a crucial diagnostic to pinpoint the original location of asteroids and is potentially determined by the abundance of volatiles they contain. In particular, abundances and 13C/12C ratios of carbonates in meteorites record the abundances of carbon-bearing volatile species in their parent asteroids. However, the sources of carbon for these carbonates remain poorly understood. Here we show that the Tagish Lake meteorite contains abundant carbonates with consistently high 13C/12C ratios. The high abundance of 13C-rich carbonates in Tagish Lake excludes organic matter as their main carbon source. Therefore, the Tagish Lake parent body, presumably a D-type asteroid10, must have accreted a large amount of 13C-rich CO2 ice. The estimated 13C/12C and CO2/H2O ratios of ice in Tagish Lake are similar to those of cometary ice. Thus, we infer that at least some D-type asteroids formed in the cold outer Solar System and were subsequently transported into the inner Solar System owing to an orbital instability of the giant planets.}},
  author       = {{Fujiya, Wataru and Hoppe, Peter and Ushikubo, T. and Fukuda, K. and Lindgren, Paula and Lee, Martin and Koike, M. and Shirai, K. and Sano, Y.}},
  issn         = {{2397-3366}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{10}},
  pages        = {{910--915}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Nature Astronomy}},
  title        = {{Migration of D-type asteroids from the outer Solar System inferred from carbonate in meteorites}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0801-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41550-019-0801-4}},
  volume       = {{3}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}