Cometary Isotopic Measurements

Jehin, Emmanuël; Engrand, Cécile; Sheridan, Simon; Kawakita, Hideyo; Bockelée-Morvan, Dominique; Duprat, Jean; Calmonte, Ursina; Hässig, Myrtha; Gicquel, Adeline; Rousselot, Philippe; Marty, Bernard; Morse, Andrew; Charnley, Steven; Milam, Stefanie; Wirström, Eva

France, Switzerland, United States, Germany, Belgium, Japan, United Kingdom, Sweden

Abstract

Isotopic ratios in comets provide keys for the understanding of the origin of cometary material, and the physical and chemical conditions in the early Solar Nebula. We review here measurements acquired on the D/H, 14N/15N, 16O/18O, 12C/13C, and 32S/34S ratios in cometary grains and gases, and discuss their cosmogonic implications. The review includes analyses of potential cometary material available in collections on Earth, recent measurements achieved with the Herschel Space Observatory, large optical telescopes, and Rosetta, as well as recent results obtained from models of chemical-dynamical deuterium fractionation in the early solar nebula. Prospects for future measurements are presented.

2015 Space Science Reviews
Rosetta 119