ESA Rosetta Mission: towards deciphering complex organics on comets

Abundance of organics on any extra-terrestrial body has astrobiological implications. Astronomical near-infrared observations of numerous small solar system bodies (SSSB) like comets have implied abundance of complex organic solids on their surfaces; however the exact nature and evolutionary history of these complex organic solids is enigmatic. Titan tholin, a recently synthesized complex organic solid (of undetermined structure and composition), is often considered as a possible compositional fraction of numerous SSSBs. It is primarily a laboratory simulation product of Titan’s (moon of Saturn) atmosphere using the starting material N2:CH4 in the ratio 9:1 in presence of electron plasma. Our multi-instrument (GC-MS; Raman; LD-MS; TEM) analyses of laboratory Titan tholins indicate the presence of polyaromatic hydrocarbons of varying complexities and carbon allotropes. In November 2014 the Philae lander of the European Space Agency’s mission Rosetta, will become the first ever spacecraft to attempt landing on a comet’s nucleus (target comet - 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko). Cometary Sampling and Composition Experiment (COSAC) is a miniaturized gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry instrumental suite on board Philae, built at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research. It will be responsible for in-situ analyses of 67P’s organic composition. The objective of the above mentioned analyses is to develop prior know-how of potential tholin signatures with COSAC.