Direct Observation of Organic Molecules Contained in “Hayabusa2” Samples by Prof. Hikaru Yabuta of WPI-SKCM² and Colleagues
A research group led by Prof. Hikaru Yabuta of WPI-SKCM² (International Institute for Sustainability with Knotted Chiral Meta Matter), who is also affiliated with the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering at Hiroshima University, has successfully achieved the direct observation of organic molecules contained in samples brought back from the asteroid Ryugu by the spacecraft “Hayabusa2,” using high-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) at the single-molecule level.
This achievement reveals the presence of large and three-dimensional organic molecules that had not been detected by conventional analytical methods, representing an important step toward understanding the evolutionary processes of organic molecules inherited from before the formation of the solar system.
The results were published in the international academic journal Nature Communications.
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https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/news/96967
