Fragment of the Stubenberg meteorite
We study the meteorites to explore the formation of the Solar System 4,5 billion years ago. Meteorits, interstellar dust and samples which are brought to Earth by spacecrafts document processes that have led to the formation of Planetesimals of the Solar System. They in turn represent the building material of the Earth and made the ingredients for life (e.g. water) available. The study of meteorites from larger bodies like the Moon or Mars provides direct information on early processes that are in general not accessible by telescopic observations or space crafts.
Selected publications
Harries, D., et al. (+74 coauthors) (2024). Incipient space weathering on asteroid 162173 Ryugu recorded by pyrrhotite. Meteorit Planet Sci., https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14176External link
Miyahara, M., et al. (+79 coauthors) (2024). Microscopic Slickenside as a Record of Weak Shock Metamorphism in the Surface Layer of Asteroid Ryugu. Meteorit Planet Sci., https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14271Externer LinkExternal link
Mouluod, B. E., et al. (+81 coauthors) (2024). Four-dimensional-STEM analysis of the phyllosilicate-rich matrix of Ryugu samples. Meteorit Planet Sci., https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14124External link
Phan, V. H., et al. (+84 coauthors) (2024). In situ investigation of an organic micro-globule and its mineralogical context within a Ryugu "sand" grain. Meteorit Planet Sci., 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14122External link
Stroud, R.M., et al. (+112 coauthors) (2024). Electron microscopy observations of the diversity of Ryugu organic matter and its relationship to minerals at the micro- to nano-scale. Meteorit Planet Sci., https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14128Externer LinkExternal link
Tkalcec, B.J., et al. (+39 coautors) (2024). A comprehensive study of apatite grains in Ryugu rock fragments. Meteorit Planet Sci., https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14177External link
Dobrică, E., et al. (+67 coauthors) (2023). Nonequilibrium spherulitic magnetite in the Ryugu samples. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 346, 65-75, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.02.003External link
Leroux, H., et al. (+84 coauthors) (2023). Phyllosilicates with embedded Fe-based nanophases in Ryugu and Orgueil. Meteorit Planet Sci. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14101Externer LinkExternal link
Matsumoto, T., et al. (+76 coauthors) (2023). Influx of nitrogen-rich material from the outer Solar System indicated by iron nitride in Ryugu samples. Nat Astron. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-02137-z
Nakamura, T., et al. (+211 coauthors) (2023). Formation and evolution of carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu: Direct evidence from returned samples. Science, 379 ,eabn8671. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abn8671Externer LinkExternal link
Noguchi, T., et al. (+138 coauthors) (2023). A dehydrated space-weathered skin cloaking the hydrated interior of Ryugu. Nat Astron 7, 170–181. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01841-6
Noguchi, T., et al. (+88 coauthors) (2023). Mineralogy and petrology of fine-grained samples recovered from the asteroid (162173) Ryugu. Meteorit Planet Sci. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.14093External link