High nitrogen and carbon isotopic ratios in the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS

IF 15.2 1区物理与天体物理 Q1 ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS

Nature Astronomy Pub Date : 2026-07-06 DOI:10.1038/s41550-026-02921-7

C. Opitom, J. Manfroid, D. Hutsemékers, E. Jehin, M. M. Knight, K. Aravind, L. Ferellec, D. Bodewits, V. V. Guzmán, M. Cordiner, R. C. Dorsey, F. La Forgia, M. Lippi, B. P. Murphy, C. Snodgrass, M. Bannister

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Interstellar objects provide a unique opportunity to deepen our understanding of planetary formation by enabling detailed study of material formed around other stars. Their ices contain precious clues about the environment and conditions prevailing in their home system. As fractionation processes can be sensitive to the temperature and radiation environment, isotopic ratios are powerful tracers of the origin and evolution of different species. While isotopic ratios have been measured in Solar System comets, previously detected interstellar objects have been too faint to measure isotopic ratios. Here we report the measurement of two ratios in 3I/ATLAS from observations of the CN molecule: 12C/13C = $${151}_{-44}^{+110}$$ and 14N/15N = $$36{3}_{-153}^{+633}$$ . The 14N/15N is higher than the value of ~150 usually measured for Solar System comets, close to the values measured in the interstellar medium, prestellar phases or outside of protoplanetary disks. The 12C/13C is higher than the values usually measured for Solar System comets and in the local interstellar medium. These measurements are compatible with an origin of 3I in the outer disk around an older low-metallicity star, providing potential insights into the likelihood and efficiency of planetesimal formation around such stars. Very Large Telescope observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS indicate that the carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios are consistent with formation in the outer disk of an older low-metallicity star.

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星际彗星3I/ATLAS的高氮碳同位素比率

星际物体提供了一个独特的机会，可以通过详细研究其他恒星周围形成的物质来加深我们对行星形成的理解。它们的冰中含有宝贵的线索，可以了解它们的家庭系统中普遍存在的环境和条件。由于分馏过程对温度和辐射环境敏感，同位素比率是不同物种起源和演化的有力示踪剂。虽然已经测量了太阳系彗星的同位素比率，但以前探测到的星际物体太暗而无法测量同位素比率。本文报道了3I/ATLAS中CN分子的两个比值：12C/13C = ${151}_{-44}^{+110}$和14N/15N = $36{3}_{-153}^{+633}$。14N/15N高于通常在太阳系彗星上测量到的150，接近于在星际介质、星前阶段或原行星盘外测量到的值。12C/13C高于通常在太阳系彗星和本地星际介质中测量的值。这些测量结果与3I在一颗较老的低金属丰度恒星周围的外盘的起源是一致的，这为在这类恒星周围形成小行星的可能性和效率提供了潜在的见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Nature Astronomy Physics and Astronomy-Astronomy and Astrophysics

CiteScore

19.50

自引率

2.80%

发文量

252

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