Meteorite Kerogen

Morgan W. A., Feigelson E. D., Wang H., and Frenklach M. (1991) A new mechanism for the formation of meteoritic kerogen-like material. Science 252, 109-112. 

The Murchison meteorite shown in Figure 6.7, like all meteorites, is named after the place from which it was recovered and in this case it is the town of Murchison, Victoria in Australia about 100 km north of Melbourne. The fall occurred in 1969 and was followed by an analysis of the chemical composition in some considerable detail. The Murchison meteorite is a carbonaceous chondrite containing about 2 per cent carbon, some as inorganic carbonates, and some as soluble compounds such as amino acids but the bulk as a macromolecular heterogeneous material referred to as kerogen. 

The kerogen-like material from the Murchison meteorite is shown in Figure 6.8 and consists of a rich macromolecular carbonaceous material made from aromatic and aliphatic compounds observed in fluorescence following excitation at 280 nm. 

Coercevate The enclosed lipid structure that forms from an acid extraction of kerogen-like material in the Murchison meteorite. 

Kerogen The carbonaceous material found around minerals and chondrules in meteorites such as the Murchison meteorite. 

Kerridge JF (1983) Isotopic composition of carbonaceous-chondrite kerogen evidence for an interstellar origin of organic matter in meteorites. Earth Planet Sci Lett 64 186-200 Kerridge JF, Haymon RM, Kastner M (1983) Sulfur isotope systematics at the 21°N site. East Pacific Rise. Earth Planet Sci Lett 66 91-100... 

Kerogen, and in the Orgueil Meteorite A Preliminary Report, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (1966) 56, 1383. 

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