THE DISTRIBUTION OF CHIRAL ASYMMETRY IN METEORITES: AN INVESTIGATION USING ASYMMETRIC AUTOCATALYTIC CHIRAL SENSORS

Abstract

We separated and analyzed several organic and inorganic phases of the carbonaceous chondrite matrix to determine whether they contained any inherent asymmetry. Our intent was to determine any possible foci of asymmetry besides the one determined for meteoritic amino acids. As a probe, we employed a very sensitive asymmetric autocatalytic reaction. We were able to determine that asymmetry still resides in powders after extraction with water and solvents as well as in the insoluble organic material (IOM) obtained after demineralization. Asymmetry is not found any longer in the IOM after hydrothermal treatment and in meteorite powders from which all organics had been removed by O2 plasma at low temperature. The data are interpreted to indicate a diverse molecular asymmetry residing in yet unknown meteorite organics; these organics might have had an inductive effect on organic molecular evolution upon exogenous delivery to the early Earth.