The 3D modeling technique was used to map individual atoms in minerals formed in liquids on the Tagish asteroid. This carbon chondrite fell into the frozen Lake Tagish, located in Canada, about 2 thousand years ago.
The age of the object is estimated at about 4.5 billion years – this approximately corresponds to the age of the solar system.
To analyze a meteorite, researchers use atomic probe tomography, a technique capable of visualizing atoms in 3D. Researchers found traces of water in the pores formed in the asteroid’s crust. This allowed scientists to determine that water appeared on the surface of the asteroid a short time after its formation.
The new technique will allow the development of analytical methods for planetary materials returned to Earth by spacecraft, the authors of the study note. 3D-visualization will accurately assess the age and composition of the rocks, as well as detect traces of organic matter in them.
Earlier modeling of the climate of Mars showed the unsuitability of its ancient seas for life – at least in the form in which it exists on Earth.
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