Journal
SCIENCE
Volume 319, Issue 5859, Pages 75-78Publisher
AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1126/science.1148001
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Materials trapped and preserved in comets date from the earliest history of the solar system. Particles captured by the Stardust spacecraft from comet 81P/Wild2 are indisputable cometary matter available for laboratory study. Here we report measurements of noble gases in Stardust material. Neon isotope ratios are within the range observed in phase Q, a ubiquitous, primitive organic carrier of noble gases in meteorites. Helium displays He-3/He-4 ratios twice those in phase Q and in Jupiter's atmosphere. Abundances per gram are surprisingly large, suggesting implantation by ion irradiation. The gases are probably carried in high- temperature igneous grains similar to particles found in other Stardust studies. Collectively, the evidence points to gas acquisition in a hot, high ion- flux nebular environment close to the young Sun.
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