Overview
- Peer‑reviewed findings published Feb. 9 in PNAS report that some amino acids in Bennu formed in cold, radiation‑rich settings in the early solar system.
- Isotopic measurements of glycine challenge the long‑standing Strecker synthesis model that relies on warm liquid water.
- Bennu’s amino acids display isotopic patterns unlike those in the Murchison meteorite, indicating chemically distinct parent bodies and multiple formation pathways.
- Custom, high‑sensitivity instruments enabled Penn State researchers to analyze tiny amounts of returned material and detect low‑abundance organics.
- An unexpected nitrogen isotope difference between left‑ and right‑handed glutamic acid remains unexplained, with teams planning broader meteorite comparisons.