Organic compounds in the Murchison and Allende carbonaceous chondrites studied by photoionization mass spectrometry

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Meteoritics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1945-5100.1991.tb01027.x· OSTI ID:5260302

Tingle, T N; Becker, C H; Malhotra, Ripudaman ^[1]

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1. Stanford University (USA) SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (USA)

Organic compounds present in the Murchison (C2M) and Allende (CV3) carbonaceous chondrites were examined using surface analysis by laser ionization (SALI), a new photoionization mass spectrometic technique capable of subfemtomole sensitivity on very small samples. The analyses utilized three techniques: (1) thermal desorption combined with single-photon ionization using 118-nm light (SALI-118); (2) thermal desorption and resonantly enhanced multiphoton ionization using 266 nm light (SALI-266); and (3) stimulated desorption with 7 keV Ar(+) and SALI-118 nm. The use of SALI-118 and SALI-266 made it possible to identify alkanes and alkenes, aromatic compounds, organosulfur compounds, elemental sulfur and sulfides, and chlorobenzenes in both meteorites. However, carboxylic acids and amino acids were not well represented in the organic SALI spectra relative to their known abundances in these samples. 38 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5260302
• Journal Information: Meteoritics; (United States), Journal Name: Meteoritics; (United States) Vol. 26; ISSN 0026-1114; ISSN MERTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHONDRITES
IONIZATION
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METEORITES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHOTOIONIZATION
SPECTROMETERS
SPECTROSCOPY
STONE METEORITES
THERMAL ANALYSIS
TIME-OF-FLIGHT SPECTROMETERS