Discovery of Spherules of Likely Extrasolar Composition in the Pacific Ocean Site of the CNEOS 2014-01-08 (IM1) Bolide
Abraham Loeb, Amir Siraj, Dimitar Sasselov, et al.
Summary
The Galileo Project's June 2023 ocean-floor expedition near Manus Island, Papua New Guinea recovered approximately 700 spherules along the IM1 bolide's expected impact corridor. Mass spectrometry of 47 spherules revealed anomalous beryllium, lanthanum, and uranium concentrations - the 'BeLaU' signature - exceeding standard chondrite abundances by orders of magnitude, with depleted refractory siderophiles and iron isotope fractionation consistent with atmospheric evaporation. The composition does not match any known terrestrial alloy or meteorite class, supporting an extrasolar origin for IM1's parent material. The most significant UAP-adjacent empirical physical-evidence study published in recent years.
Abstract
A magnetic survey conducted in June 2023 near Manus Island, Papua New Guinea recovered approximately 700 spherical particles along the expected impact corridor of the IM1 bolide. Mass spectrometry analysis of 47 spherules revealed an unusual elemental composition distinct from typical solar system materials. The particles displayed dramatically elevated concentrations of beryllium, lanthanum, and uranium - exceeding standard chondrite abundances by orders of magnitude. These 'BeLaU'-type spherules also demonstrated depleted refractory siderophile elements and volatile compounds consistent with atmospheric evaporation. Iron isotope measurements indicated fractionation patterns matching evaporative processes during atmospheric transit. The composition patterns do not correspond to known terrestrial alloys or conventional meteorites, suggesting an origin from an interstellar source or highly differentiated exoplanet, thus supporting independent evidence for IM1's extrasolarly derived material.
Citation
Abraham Loeb, Amir Siraj, Dimitar Sasselov, et al.. (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2308.15623
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