English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Buckminsterfullerene, C60 , is the largest molecule observed to date ininterstellar and circumstellar environments. The mechanism of formation of thismolecule is actively debated. Despite targeted searches in primitivecarbonaceous chondrites, no unambiguous detection of C60 in a meteorite hasbeen reported to date. Here we report the first firm detection of fullerenes,from C30 to at least C100 , in the Almahata Sitta (AhS) polymict ureilitemeteorite. This detection was achieved using highly sensitive laser desorptionlaser ionization mass spectrometry. Fullerenes have been unambiguously detectedin seven clasts of AhS ureilites. Molecular family analysis shows thatfullerenes are from a different reservoir compared to the polycyclic aromatichydrocarbons detected in the same samples. The fullerene family correlates bestwith carbon clusters, some of which may have been formed by the destruction ofsolid carbon phases by the impacting laser. We show that the detectedfullerenes are not formed in this way. We suggest that fullerenes are anintrinsic component of a specific carbon phase that has yet to be identified.The nondetection of fullerenes in the Murchison and Allende bulk samples, whileusing the same experimental conditions, suggests that this phase is absent orless abundant in these primitive chondrites. The former case would support theformation of fullerenes by shock-wave processing of carbonaceous phases in theureilite parent body. However, there are no experimental data to support thisscenario. This leaves open the possibility that fullerenes are an interstellarheritage and a messenger of interstellar processes.

Detection of Cosmic Fullerenes in the Almahata Sitta Meteorite: Are They an Interstellar Heritage?