The Case for Non-Cryogenic Comet Nucleus Sample Return
Abstract
Comets hold answers to mysteries of the Solar System by recording presolar history, the initial states of planet formation and prebiotic organics and volatiles to the early Earth. Analysis of returned samples from a comet nucleus will provide unparalleled knowledge about the Solar System starting materials and how they came together to form planets and give rise to life: 1. How did comets form? 2. Is comet material primordial, or has it undergone a complex alteration history? 3. Does aqueous alteration occur in comets? 4. What is the composition of cometary organics? 5. Did comets supply a substantial fraction of Earth's volatiles? 6. Did cometary organics contribute to the homochirality in life on Earth? 7. How do complex organic molecules form and evolve in interstellar, nebular, and planetary environments? 8. What can comets tell us about the mixing of materials in the protosolar nebula?
Cite
@article{arxiv.2009.14366,
title = {The Case for Non-Cryogenic Comet Nucleus Sample Return},
author = {Keiko Nakamura-Messenger and Alexander G. Hayes and Scott Sandford and Carol Raymond and Steven W. Squyres and Larry R. Nittler and Samuel Birch and Denis Bodewits and Nancy Chabot and Meenakshi Wadhwa and Mathieu Choukroun and Simon J. Clemett and Maitrayee Bose and Neil Dello Russo and Jason P. Dworkin and Jamie E. Elsila and Kenton Fisher and Perry Gerakines and Daniel P. Glavin and Julie Mitchell and Michael Mumma and Ann. N. Nguyen and Lisa Pace and Jason Soderblom and Jessica M. Sunshine},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2009.14366},
year = {2020}
}
Comments
White Paper submitted to the Planetary Science Decadal Survey 2023-2032 reflecting the viewpoints of three New Frontiers comet sample return missions proposal teams, CAESAR, CONDOR, and CORSAIR