A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
The detection of solid phosphorus and fluorine in the dust from the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Authors: Gardner Esko, Lehto Harry J., Lehto Kirsi, Fray Nicolas, Bardyn Anaïs, Lönnberg Tuomas, Merouane Sihane, Isnard Robin, Cottin Hervé, Hilchenbach Martin; The Cosima Team
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication year: 2020
Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume: 499
Issue: 2
First page : 1870
Last page: 1873
Number of pages: 4
ISSN: 0035-8711
eISSN: 1365-2966
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2950
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://arxiv.org/abs/2010.13379
Here, we report the detection of phosphorus and fluorine in solid
particles collected from the inner coma of comet
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko measured with the COmetary Secondary Ion Mass
Analyser (COSIMA) instrument on-board the Rosetta spacecraft, only a few
kilometers away from the comet nucleus. We have detected
phosphorus-containing minerals from the presented COSIMA mass spectra,
and can rule out e.g. apatite minerals as the source of phosphorus. This
result completes the detection of life-necessary CHNOPS-elements in
solid cometary matter, indicating cometary delivery as a potential
source of these elements to the young Earth. Fluorine was also detected
with CF+ secondary ions originating from the cometary dust.
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