Explaining the Variations in Isotopic Ratios in Meteoritic Amino Acids

Abstract

Measurements of the isotopic abundances in meteoritic amino acids have found enhancements of ${}^2$H/H, ${}^{15}$N/${}^{14}$N, and ${}^{13}$C/${}^{12}$C in the amino acids in the meteorites studied. We show that they are consistent with the processing of the constituents of the meteorites by electron anti-neutrinos that would be expected from a core-collapse supernova or neutron-star merger. Using theoretical electron anti-neutrino cross sections we are able to predict these isotopic ratio variations depending on the time-integrated anti-neutrino flux at the site where the amino acids were processed.

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Cited by in corpus (1)

• Chiral Selection, Isotopic Abundance Shifts, and Autocatalysis of Meteoritic Amino Acids