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Title:
New constraints on the delivery of cometary water and nitrogen to Earth from the 15N/14N isotopic ratio
Authors:
Hutsemékers, Damien; Manfroid, Jean; Jehin, Emmanuël; Arpigny, Claude
Affiliation:
AA(Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 août 17, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; Senior Research Associate Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Belgium), AB(Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 août 17, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; Research Director Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Belgium), AC(Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 août 17, B-4000 Liège, Belgium; Research Associate Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Belgium), AD(Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 août 17, B-4000 Liège, Belgium)
Publication:
Icarus, Volume 204, Issue 1, p. 346-348. (Icarus Homepage)
Publication Date:
11/2009
Origin:
ELSEVIER
DOI:
10.1016/j.icarus.2009.06.021
Bibliographic Code:
2009Icar..204..346H

Abstract

New independent constraints on the amount of water delivered to Earth by comets are derived using the 15N/14N isotopic ratio, measured to be roughly twice as high in cometary CN and HCN as in the present Earth. Under reasonable assumptions, we find that no more than a few percent of Earth's water can be attributed to comets, in agreement with the constraints derived from D/H. Our results also suggest that a significant part of Earth's atmospheric nitrogen might come from comets. Since the 15N/14N isotopic ratio is not different in Oort-cloud and Kuiper-belt comets, our estimates apply to the contribution of both types of objects.
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