Project description
Organic matter in tiny rocks from space sheds light on potential origins of life on Earth
Asteroids are small rocky objects that orbit the Sun, remnants of the formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. More than 75 % of all known asteroids are carbonaceous, meaning they contain large quantities of carbon, the atom that forms the backbone of life as we know it. While most asteroids reside in the asteroid belt, pieces of them may reach Earth. Carbonaceous chondrites are meteorites, small pieces of rock and metal, which likely originated in carbonaceous asteroids, putting a piece of the Big Bang in our hands. The EU-funded HYDROMA project is studying the highly diverse hydrogen and nitrogen isotopes in the organic compounds of carbonaceous chondrites. Insight will help us understand the origin and evolution of organic matter in our early solar system and potentially the origin of molecules of life on our planet.
Objective
Carbonaceous chondrites (CC) are believed to be fragments of carbonaceous asteroids from the asteroidal belt. They contain up to 4wt% of organic compounds, showing a huge diversity and extremely variable H and N isotope compositions. These isotope compositions can relate to synthesis environments but the exact nature of the processes that influenced the formation of organic compounds in CC remains unresolved. Part of the issue comes from the occurrence of hydrothermal alteration on the chondrites that exhibit the largest content in organic matter. Hydrothermalism may have modified the chemical and isotopic signature of organic molecules, but the extent of these modifications is not yet constrained, leaving a lot of uncertainties on the interpretation of H and N isotope ratios.
The HYDROMA project aims at determining the effects of hydrothermalism on the D/H and 15N/14N ratios of organic molecules in CC. This project will rely on an innovative experimental approach to quantify isotopic exchange of hydrogen and nitrogen between organic compounds and the hydrothermal fluid. HYDROMA will provide a self-consistent determination of the extent and kinetics of the modification of the isotopic signatures recorded in organic molecules. Hence, it will improve the understanding of H and N-isotope systematics of organic matter in CC. HYDROMA will permit using isotope composition of organic compounds to constrain the hydrothermal events (duration, temperature) on carbonaceous asteroids. This multidisciplinary research will shed new light on the origin and reprocessing of organic matter in the early solar system, and its delivery to rocky planets, including the Earth, thus disclosing the origin of prebiotic molecules on our planet.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences asteroids
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2018-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
75794 PARIS
France
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