Reduced and unstratified crust in CV chondrite parent body.

PubMed

Ganino, Clément; Libourel, Guy

2017-08-15

Early Solar System planetesimal thermal models predict the heating of the chondritic protolith and the preservation of a chondritic crust on differentiated parent bodies. Petrological and geochemical analyses of chondrites have suggested that secondary alteration phases formed at low temperatures (<300 °C) by fluid-rock interaction where reduced and oxidized Vigarano type Carbonaceous (CV) chondrites witness different physicochemical conditions. From a thermodynamical survey of Ca-Fe-rich secondary phases in CV3 chondrites including silica activity (aSiO 2 ), here we show that the classical distinction between reduced and oxidized chondrites is no longer valid and that their Ca-Fe-rich secondary phases formed in similar reduced conditions near the iron-magnetite redox buffer at low aSiO 2 (log(aSiO 2 ) <-1) and moderate temperature (210-610 °C). The various lithologies in CV3 chondrites are inferred to be fragments of an asteroid percolated heterogeneously via porous flow of hydrothermal fluid. Putative 'onion shell' structures are not anymore a requirement for the CV parent body crust.Meteorites may unlock the history of the early solar system. Here, the authors find, through Ca-Fe-rich secondary phases, that the distinction between reduced and oxidized CV chondrites is invalid; therefore, CV3 chondrites are asteroid fragments that percolated heterogeneously via porous flow of hydrothermal fluid.

Possible impact-induced refractory-lithophile fractionations in EL chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubin, Alan E.; Huber, Heinz; Wasson, John T.

2009-03-01

Literature data show that refractory-lithophile elements in most chondrite groups are unfractionated relative to CI chondrites; the principal exception is the EL-chondrite group whose observed falls (all of which are type 6) are depleted in Ca and light REE. In contrast, literature data and our new INAA data on EL3 PCA 91020, EL3 MAC 88136 and EL4 Grein 002 show that some replicates of these samples have nearly flat REE patterns (unlike those of EL6 chondrites); other replicates exhibit fractionated REE patterns similar to those of EL6 chondrites. Petrographic examination shows that many EL6 (and some EL3 and EL4) chondrites are impact-melt breccias or contain impact-melted portions. We suggest that the same impact processes that formed these breccias and produced melt are responsible for the observed bulk compositional fractionations in refractory-lithophile elements, i.e., EL6 chondrites were produced from initially unequilibrated EL3 material. When large amounts of impact heat were deposited, plagioclase and/or oldhamite (CaS) (the major REE carriers in enstatite chondrites) may have been melted and then transported appreciable (>10 cm) distances. EL6 chondrites represent the residuum that is depleted in REE (particularly in LREE) and Ca. Unlike the case for EL chondrites, our new INAA data on ALH 84170, EET 87746 and SAH 97096 (all EH3) show some scatter but are consistent with the EH group having uniform refractory-lithophile abundances.

Petrology and Raman Spectroscopy of Shocked Phases in the Gujba CB Chondrite and the Shock History of the CB Parent Body

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisberg, M. K.; Kimura, M.

2004-01-01

The CB chondrites are metal-rich chondritic meteorites having characteristics that sharply distinguish them from other chondrites [1], including (1) high metal abundances (60-80 vol.% metal), (2) most chondrules have cryptocrystalline or barred textures, (3) moderately volatile lithophile elements are highly depleted and (4) nitrogen is enriched in the heavy isotope. Similarities in mineral composition, as well as oxygen and nitrogen isotopic compositions of the CB to CR and CH chondrites are consistent with derivation of these chondrite groups from a common nebular reservoir, hence their grouping in the CR clan [1, 2, 3, 4]. CB chondrites have been divided into CBa (Gujba, Bencubbin, Weatherford) and CBb (Hammadah al Hamra 237 and QUE 94411) subgroups based on petrologic characteristics.

Rare-earth abundances in chondritic meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evensen, N. M.; Hamilton, P. J.; Onions, R. K.

1978-01-01

Fifteen chondrites, including eight carbonaceous chondrites, were analyzed for rare earth element abundances by isotope dilution. Examination of REE for a large number of individual chondrites shows that only a small proportion of the analyses have flat unfractionated REE patterns within experimental error. While some of the remaining analyses are consistent with magmatic fractionation, many patterns, in particular those with positive Ce anomalies, can not be explained by known magmatic processes. Elemental abundance anomalies are found in all major chondrite classes. The persistence of anomalies in chondritic materials relatively removed from direct condensational processes implies that anomalous components are resistant to equilibrium or were introduced at a late stage of chondrite formation. Large-scale segregation of gas and condensate is implied, and bulk variations in REE abundances between planetary bodies is possible.

A hydrogen isotope study of CO3 type carbonaceous chondrites; comparison with type 3 ordinary chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morse, A. D.; Newton, J.; Pillinger, C. T.

1993-01-01

Meteorites of the Ornans type 3 carbonaceous chondrites exhibit a range in degree of equilibration, attributed to differing amounts of thermal metamorphism. These differences have been used to split the CO3 chondrites into petrologic sub-types from 3.0, least equilibrated, to 3.7, being most equilibrated. This is similar to the system of assigning the type 3 ordinary chondrites into petrologic sub-types 3.0 to 3.9 based upon thermoluminescence (TL) and other properties; however, the actual range of thermal metamorphism experienced by CO3 chondrites is much less than that of the type 3 ordinary chondrites. The least equilibrated ordinary chondrites show evidence of aqueous alteration and have high D/H ratios possibly due to a deuterium-rich organic carrier. The aim of this study was to determine whether the CO3 chondrites, which have experienced similar secondary conditions to the type 3 ordinary chondrites, also contain a similar deuterium-rich carrier. To date a total of 5 CO3 meteorites, out of a set of 11 for which carbon and nitrogen isotopic data are available, have been analyzed. Ornans has not been analyzed yet, because it does not appear to fit in with the metamorphic sequence exhibited by the other CO3 chondrites; it also has an extremely high delta-D value of +2150 percent, unusual for such a comparatively equilibrated meteorite (type 3.4). Initial results indicate that the more equilibrated CO3's tend to have lower delta-D values, analogous to the higher petrologic type ordinary chondrites. However this is complicated by the effects of terrestrial weathering and the small data-set.

Thermal and impact history of the H chondrite parent asteroid during metamorphism: Constraints from metallic Fe-Ni

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Edward R. D.; Krot, Tatiana V.; Goldstein, Joseph I.; Wakita, Shigeru

2014-07-01

We have studied cloudy taenite, metallographic cooling rates, and shock effects in 30 H3-6 chondrites to elucidate the thermal and early impact history of the H chondrite parent body. We focused on H chondrites with old Ar-Ar ages (>4.4 Gyr) and unshocked and mildly shocked H chondrites, as strongly shocked chondrites with such old ages are very rare. Cooling rates for most H chondrites at 500 °C are 10-50 °C/Myr and do not decrease systematically with increasing petrologic type as predicted by the onion-shell model in which types 3-5 are arranged in concentric layers around a type 6 core. Some type 4 chondrites cooled slower than some type 6 chondrites and type 3 chondrites did not cool faster than other types, contrary to the onion-shell model. Cloudy taenite particle sizes, which range from 40 to 120 nm, are inversely correlated with metallographic cooling rates and show that the latter were not compromised by shock heating. The three H4 chondrites that were used to develop the onion-shell model, Ste. Marguerite, Beaver Creek, and Forest Vale, cooled through 500 °C at ⩾5000 °C/Myr. Our thermal modeling shows that these rates are 50× higher than could be achieved in a body that was heated by 26Al and cooled without disturbance by impact. Published Ar-Ar ages do not decrease systematically with increasing petrologic type but do correlate inversely with cloudy taenite particle size suggesting that impact mixing decreased during metamorphism. Metal and silicate compositions in regolith breccias show that impacts mixed material after metamorphism without causing significant heating. Impacts during metamorphism created Portales Valley and two other H6 chondrites with large metallic veins, excavated the fast-cooled H4 chondrites around 3-4 Myr after accretion, and mixed petrologic types. Metallographic data do not require catastrophic disruption by impact during cooling.

Opaque Assemblages in CK and CV Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neff, K. E.; Righter, K.

2006-01-01

CK carbonaceous chondrites are the only group of carbonaceous chondrites that exhibit thermal metamorphism. As a result, CKs display features of metamorphism such as silicate darkening, recrystallization and shock veins. Calcium Aluminum Inclusions and Fe-Ni metal are rare. CV carbonaceous chondrites are unequilibrated and have two subgroups; oxidized and reduced. The CV and CK carbonaceous chondrite groups have been compared to each other often because of petrographic similarities, such as overlapping oxygen isotopic ratios. Scientists have suggested the two groups of carbonaceous chondrites formed from the same parent body and CKs are equilibrated CV chondrites [1, 2]. The oxidized CV group has been most closely related to CKs. This study examines the petrology and mineralogy of CKs and CVs focusing on opaque minerals found in the meteorites. Using the oxide, metal and sulfide assemblages, constraints can be placed on the temperature and oxygen fugacity at which the meteorites equilibrated. The temperature and oxygen fugacity of the CK and CV chondrites can be compared in order to help define their formation history.

Trace Element Study of H Chondrites: Evidence for Meteoroid Streams.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, Stephen Frederic

1993-01-01

Multivariate statistical analyses, both linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression, of the volatile trace elemental concentrations in H4-6 chondrites reveal compositionally distinguishable subpopulations. Observed difference in volatile trace element composition between Antarctic and non-Antarctic H4-6 chondrites (Lipschutz and Samuels, 1991) can be explained by a compositionaily distinct subpopulation found in Victoria Land, Antarctica. This population of H4-6 chondrites is compositionally distinct from non-Antarctic H4-6 chondrites and from Antarctic H4 -6 chondrites from Queen Maud Land. Comparisons of Queen Maud Land H4-6 chondrites with non-Antarctic H4-6 chondrites do not give reason to believe that these two populations are distinguishable from each other on the basis of the ten volatile trace element concentrations measured. ANOVA indicates that these differences are not the result of trivial causes such as weathering and analytical bias. Thermoluminescence properties of these populations parallels the results of volatile trace element comparisons. Given the differences in terrestrial age between Victoria Land, Queen Maud Land, and modern H4-6 chondrite falls, these results are consistent with a variation in H4-6 chondrite flux on a 300 ky timescale. This conclusion requires the existence of co-orbital meteoroid streams. Statistical analyses of the volatile trace elemental concentrations in non-Antarctic modern falls of H4-6 chondrites also demonstrate that a group of 13 H4-6 chondrites, Cluster 1, selected exclusively for their distinct fall parameters (Dodd, 1992) is compositionally distinguishable from a control group of 45 non-Antarctic modern H4-6 chondrites on the basis of the ten volatile trace element concentrations measured. Model-independent randomization-simulations based on both linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression verify these results. While ANOVA identifies two possible causes for this difference, analytical bias and group classification, a test validation experiment verifies that group classification is the more significant cause of compositional difference between Cluster 1 and non-Cluster 1 modern H4-6 chondrite falls. Thermoluminescence properties of these populations parallels the results of volatile trace element comparisons. This suggests that these meteorites are fragments of a co-orbital meteorite stream derived from a single parent body.

Neodymium isotope heterogeneity of ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites and the origin of non-chondritic 142Nd compositions in the Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukai, Ryota; Yokoyama, Tetsuya

2017-09-01

We present high-precision Nd isotope compositions for ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites determined using thermal ionization mass spectrometry with dynamic and multistatic methods. The ordinary chondrites had uniform and non-terrestrial μ142 Nd , μ148 Nd , and μ150 Nd values, with data that plot along the mixing line between s-process and terrestrial components in μ150 Nd versus μ148 Nd and μ142 Nd versus μ148,150Nd diagrams. In contrast, the carbonaceous chondrites were characterized by larger anomalies in their μ142 Nd , μ148 Nd , and μ150 Nd values compared to ordinary chondrites. Importantly, the data for carbonaceous chondrites plot along the s-process and terrestrial mixing line in a μ150 Nd versus μ148 Nd diagram, whereas they have systematically lower μ142 Nd values than the s-process and terrestrial mixing line in μ142 Nd versus μ148,150Nd diagrams. This shift likely results from the incorporation of calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), indicating that the Nd isotopic variability in the ordinary chondrites and CAI-free carbonaceous chondrites was caused solely by the heterogeneous distribution of s-process nuclides. The isotopic variation most likely results from nebular thermal processing that caused selective destruction of s-process-depleted (or r-process-enriched) dust grains in the inner Solar System where the parent bodies of ordinary chondrites formed, whereas such grains were preserved in the region of carbonaceous chondrite parent body formation. The Nd isotope dichotomy between ordinary and bulk aliquots of carbonaceous chondrites can be related to the presence of Jupiter, which may have separated two isotopically distinct reservoirs that were present in the solar nebula. After correcting for s-process anomalies and CAI contributions to the Nd isotopes observed in the chondrites, we obtained a μ142 Nd value (- 2.4 ± 4.8 ppm) that was indistinguishable from the terrestrial value. Our results corroborate the interpretation that a missing reservoir (e.g., a hidden enriched reservoir, erosional loss of crust) is not required to explain the observed differences in 142Nd/144Nd ratios between chondrites and terrestrial materials.

Thermoluminescence and the shock and reheating history of meteorites. IV - The induced TL properties of type 4-6 ordinary chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haq, Munir; Hasan, Fouad A.; Sears, Derek W. G.

1988-01-01

The thermoluminescence (TL) properties were measured in 121 equilibrated H and L ordinary chondrites of which 33 H and 32 L were from Antarctica. It was found that the distribution of TL sensitivities for non-Antarctic L chondrites differs from that of non-Antarctic H chondrites, reflecting the well-known differences in shock history between L and H classes, the greater proportion of the former having suffered postmetamorphic shock. The data also show differences in TL sensitivity between Antarctic and non-Antarctic H chondrites, suggesting nontrivial differences in thermal history of these chondrites.

Petrology of Amoeboid Olivine Aggregates in Antarctic CR Chondrites: Comparison With Other Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komatsu, M.; Fagan, T. J.; Yamaguchi, A.; Mikouchi, T.; Zolensky, M. E.; Yasutake, M.

2016-01-01

Amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs) are important refractory components of carbonaceous chondrites and have been interpreted to represent solar nebular condensates that experienced high-temperature annealing, but largely escaped melting. In addition, because AOAs in primitive chondrites are composed of fine-grained minerals (forsterite, anorthite, spinel) that are easily modified during post crystallization alteration, the mineralogy of AOAs can be used as a sensitive indicator of metamorphic or alteration processes. AOAs in CR chondrites are particularly important because they show little evidence for secondary alteration. In addition, some CR AOAs contain Mn-enriched forsterite (aka low-iron, Mn-enriched or LIME olivine), which is an indicator of nebular formation conditions. Here we report preliminary results of the mineralogy and petrology of AOAs in Antarctic CR chondrites, and compare them to those in other carbonaceous chondrites.

The Effects of Thermal Metamorphism on the Amino Acid Content of the CI-Like Chondrite Y-86029

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burton, A. S.; Grunsfeld, S.; Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, J. P.

2014-01-01

Carbonaceous chondrites con-tain a diverse suite of amino acids that varies in abundance and structural diversity depending on the degree of aqueous alteration and thermal histo-ry that the parent body experienced [1 - 3]. We recently determined the amino acid contents of several fragments of the Sutter's Mill CM2 chon-drite [4]. In contrast with most other CM2 chon-drites, the Sutter's Mill meteorites showed minimal evidence for the presence of indigenous amino acids. A notable difference between the Sutter's Mill meteorites and other CM2 chondrites are that the Sutter's Mill stones were heated to tempera-tures of 150 - 400 C [4], whereas most other CM2 chondrites do not show evidence for thermal met-amorphism [5]. Because empirical studies have shown that amino acids rapidly degrade in aqueous solutions above 150 C and the presence of miner-als accelerates this degradation [6], a plausible explanation for the lack of amino acids observed in the Sutter's Mill meteorites is that they were destroyed during metamorphic alteration. Fewer CI chondrites have been analyzed for amino acids because only a small number of these meteorites have been recovered. Nevertheless, indigenous amino acids have been reported in the CI chondrites Ivuna and Orgueil [7]. Here we report on the amino acid analysis of the CI-like chondrite, Yamato 86029 (Y-86029; sample size of 110 mg). Just as the Sutter's Mill meteorites were thermally metamporphosed CM2 chondrites, Y-86029 has experienced thermal metamorphism at higher temperatures than Orgueil and Ivuna (normal CI chondrites) experienced, possibly up to 600 C [8].

The Colony meteorite and variations in CO3 chondrite properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, A. E.; James, J. A.; Keck, B. D.; Weeks, K. S.; Sears, D. W. G.

1985-01-01

The Colony meteorite is one of the least equilibrated CO3 chondrites, yet differs from normal CO chondrites in that, while Al, Sc, V, Cr, Ir, Fe, Au, and Ga abundances are consistent with a CO chondrite classification, certain lithophile, siderophile, and chalcophile contents are depleted by factors of 10-40 percent. Colony is badly weathered, and its Fe, Ni abundance of about 19 wt pct is similar to that of the Kainsaz CO3 unweathered fall but higher than all other CO3 chondrites.

Parent-Body Modification of Chondritic Meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, Alan

2003-01-01

This proposal focused on the parent-body modification of chondritic materials and substantial progress was made in the last year. A summary of the work accomplished during this period is discussed. The topics include: 1) Chromite-Plagioclase Assemblages in Ordinary Chondrites; 2) The Gujba Bencubbin-like meteorite fall; 3) NWA428: A rock that Experienced Impact-induced Annealing; 4) Spade: An Annealed H-chondrite Impact-melt Breccia; and 5) Post-shock Annealing in Ordinary Chondrites. A list of the papers submitted or published during the period is also presented.

On the chemical composition of L-chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neal, C. W.; Dodd, R. T.; Jarosewich, E.; Lipschutz, M. E.

1980-01-01

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis of Ag, As, Au, Bi, Co, Cs, Ga, In, Rb, Sb, Te, Tl, and Zn and major element data in 14 L4-6 and 3 LL5 chondrites indicates that the L group is unusually variable and may represent at least 2 subgroups differing in formation history. Chemical trends in the S/Fe rich subgroup support textural evidence indicating late loss of a shock formed Fe-Ni-S melt; the S/Fe poor subgroup seemingly reflects nebular fractionation only. Highly mobile In and Zn apparently reflect shock induced loss from L chondrites. However, contrasting chemical trends in several L chondrite sample sets indicate that these meteorites constitute a more irregular sampling of, or more heterogeneous parent material than do carbonaceous or enstatite chondrites. Data for 15 chondrites suggest higher formation temperatures and/or degrees of shock than for LL5 chondrites.

Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter, Volume 29, Number 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Satterwhite, Cecilia (Editor); Righter, Kevin (Editor)

2006-01-01

This newsletter contains classifications for 597 new meteorites from the 2003 and 2004 ANtarctic Search for METeorites (ANSMET) seasons. They include samples from the Cumulus Hills, Dominion Range, Grosvenor Mountains, LaPaz Icefield, MacAlpine Hills, and the Miller Range. Macroscopic and petrographic descriptions are given for 25 of the new meteorites: 1 acapulcoite/Iodranite, 1 howardite, 1 diogenite, 2 eucrites, 1 enstatite chondrite, four L3 and two H3 chondrites, 2 CM, 3 CK and 1 CV chondrites, three R chondrites, and four impact melt breccias (with affinities for H and L). Likely the most interesting sample announced in this newsletter is LAP04840, with affinity to R chondrites. This meteorite contains approximately 15% horneblende, and has mineral compositional ranges and oxygen isotopic values similar to those of R chondrites. The presence of an apparently hydrous phase in this petrologic grade 6 chondrite is very unusual, and should be of great interest to many meteoriticists.

Chemical studies of H chondrites. I - Mobile trace elements and gas retention ages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lingner, David W.; Huston, Ted J.; Hutson, Melinda; Lipschutz, Michael E.

1987-01-01

Trends for 16 trace elements (Ag, As, Au, Bi, Cd, Co, Cs, Ga, In, K, Rb, Sb, Se, Te, Tl, and Zn), chosen to span a broad geochemical and thermal response range, in 44 H4-6 chondrites, differ widely from those in L4-6 chondrites. In particular, H chondrites classified as heavily shocked petrologically do not necessarily exhibit Ar-40 loss and vice versa. The clear-cut causal relationship between siderophile and mobile element loss with increasing late shock seen in L chondrites is not generally evident in the H group. H chondrite parent material experienced an early high temperature genetic episode that mobilized a substantial proportion of these trace elements so that later thermal episodes resulted in more subtle, collateral fractionations. Mildly shocked L chondrites escaped this early high temperature event, indicating that the two most numerous meteorite groups differ fundamentally in genetic history.

Mineralogical, Spectral, and Compositional Changes During Heating of Hydrous Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakamura, T.; Matsuoka, M.; Yamashita, S.; Sato, Y.; Mogi, K.; Enokido, Y.; Nakata, A.; Okumura, S.; Furukawa, Y.; Zolensky, M.

2017-01-01

Hydrous carbonaceous chondrites experienced hydration and subsequent dehydration by heating, which resulted in a variety of mineralogical and spectral features [e. g., 1-6]. The degree of heating is classified according to heating stage (HS) II to IV based on mineralogy of phyllosilicates [2], because they change, with elevating temperature, to poorly crystal-line phases and subsequently to aggregates of small secondary anhydrous silicates of mainly olivine. Heating of hydrous carbonaceous chondrites also causes spectral changes and volatile loss [3-6]. Experimental heating of Murchison CM chondrite showed flattening of whole visible-near infrared spectra, especially weakening of the 3µm band strength [1, 4, 7]. In order to understand mineralogical, spectral, and compositional changes during heating of hydrous carbonaceous chondrites, we have carried out systematic investigation of mineralogy, reflectance spectra, and volatile composition of hydrated and dehydrated carbonaceous chondrites as well as experimentally-heated hydrous carbonaceous chondrites. In addition, we investigated reflectance spectra of tochilinite that is a major phase of CM chondrites and has a low dehydration temperature (250degC).

On the Relationship between Cosmic Ray Exposure Ages and Petrography of CM Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takenouchi, A.; Zolensky, M. E.; Nishiizumi, K.; Caffee, M.; Velbel, M. A.; Ross, K.; Zolensky, A.; Lee, L.; Imae, N.; Yamaguchi, A.;

Thermal evolution of a partially differentiated H chondrite parent body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrahams, J. N. H.; Bryson, J. F. J.; Weiss, B. P.; Nimmo, F.

2016-12-01

It has traditionally been assumed that planetesimals either melted entirely or remained completely undifferentiated as they accreted. The unmelted textures and cooling histories of chondrites have been used to argue that these meteorites originated from bodies that never differentiated. However, paleomagnetic measurements indicate that some chondrites (e.g., the H chondrite Portales Valley and several CV chondrites) were magnetized by a core dynamo magnetic field, implying that their parent bodies were partially differentiated. It has been unclear, however, whether planetesimal histories consistent with dynamo production can also be consistent with the diversity of chondrite cooling rates and ages. To address this, we modeled the thermal evolution of the H chondrite parent body, considering a variety of accretion histories and parent body radii. We considered partial differentiation using two-stage accretion involving the initial formation and differentiation of a small body, followed by the later addition of low thermal conductivity chondritic material that remains mostly unmelted. We were able to reproduce the measured thermal evolution of multiple H chondrites for a range of parent body parameters, including initial radii from 70-150 km, chondritic layer thicknesses from 50 km to over 100 km, and second stage accretion times of 2.5-3 Myr after solar system formation. Our predicted rates of core cooling and crystallization are consistent with dynamo generation by compositional convection beginning 60-200 Myr after solar system formation and lasting for at least tens of millions of years. This is consistent with magnetic studies of Portales Valley [Bryson et al., this meeting]. In summary, we find that thermal models of partial differentiation are consistent the radiometric ages, magnetization, and cooling rates of a diversity H chondrites.

Calcium and titanium isotopes in refractory inclusions from CM, CO, and CR chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kööp, Levke; Davis, Andrew M.; Krot, Alexander N.; Nagashima, Kazuhide; Simon, Steven B.

2018-05-01

Previous studies have shown that CV and CM chondrites incorporated Ca, Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) with different isotopic characteristics, which may represent different snapshots in the isotopic evolution of the early Solar System. To better understand how the isotopic characteristics of CAIs vary between different chondrite groups, we have studied calcium and titanium isotopes in CAIs from CM, CO, and CR chondrites. We show that all three chondrite groups contain CAIs with large anomalies in 48Ca and/or 50Ti (10s of ‰ or 100s of ε-units) as well as CAIs with no anomalies resolved beyond measurement uncertainties. Isotopically, the anomalous CO and CR chondrite CAIs resemble the platy hibonite crystals (PLACs) from CM chondrites, but they are more mineralogically complex. The new data are consistent with the well-established mutual exclusivity relationship between incorporation of 26Al and the presence of large anomalies in 48Ca and 50Ti. The two highly anomalous CO chondrite CAIs have correlated anomalies in 46Ti and 50Ti, while most other highly anomalous CAIs do not. This result could indicate that the reservoir with coupled 46Ti and 50Ti that was sampled by bulk meteorites and CV chondrite CAIs already existed before arrival and/or homogeneous distribution of 26Al in the protoplanetary disk. Among the studied CM chondrite CAIs are ten spinel-hibonite inclusions (SHIBs) with known oxygen isotopic compositions. Our results show that these objects sampled a reservoir that was well-mixed in oxygen, calcium, and titanium isotopes. We further show that SHIBs tend to be slightly enriched in the heavy calcium isotopes, suggesting that their formation history was different from CV chondrite CAIs.

Extraterrestrial amino acids identified in metal-rich CH and CB carbonaceous chondrites from Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burton, Aaron S.; Elsila, Jamie E.; Hein, Jason E.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Dworkin, Jason P.

2013-03-01

Carbonaceous chondrites contain numerous indigenous organic compounds and could have been an important source of prebiotic compounds required for the origin of life on Earth or elsewhere. Extraterrestrial amino acids have been reported in five of the eight groups of carbonaceous chondrites and are most abundant in CI, CM, and CR chondrites but are also present in the more thermally altered CV and CO chondrites. We report the abundance, distribution, and enantiomeric and isotopic compositions of simple primary amino acids in six metal-rich CH and CB carbonaceous chondrites that have not previously been investigated for amino acids: Allan Hills (ALH) 85085 (CH3), Pecora Escarpment (PCA) 91467 (CH3), Patuxent Range (PAT) 91546 (CH3), MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 02675 (CBb), Miller Range (MIL) 05082 (CB), and Miller Range (MIL) 07411 (CB). Amino acid abundances and carbon isotopic values were obtained by using both liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry and fluorescence, and gas chromatography isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The δ13C/12C ratios of multiple amino acids fall outside of the terrestrial range and support their extraterrestrial origin. Extracts of CH chondrites were found to be particularly rich in amino acids (13-16 parts per million, ppm) while CB chondrite extracts had much lower abundances (0.2-2 ppm). The amino acid distributions of the CH and CB chondrites were distinct from the distributions observed in type 2 and 3 CM and CR chondrites and contained elevated levels of β-, γ-, and δ-amino acids compared to the corresponding α-amino acids, providing evidence that multiple amino acid formation mechanisms were important in CH and CB chondrites.

Mineralogies and source regions of near-Earth asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunn, Tasha L.; Burbine, Thomas H.; Bottke, William F.; Clark, John P.

2013-01-01

Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) offer insight into a size range of objects that are not easily observed in the main asteroid belt. Previous studies on the diversity of the NEA population have relied primarily on modeling and statistical analysis to determine asteroid compositions. Olivine and pyroxene, the dominant minerals in most asteroids, have characteristic absorption features in the visible and near-infrared (VISNIR) wavelengths that can be used to determine their compositions and abundances. However, formulas previously used for deriving compositions do not work very well for ordinary chondrite assemblages. Because two-thirds of NEAs have ordinary chondrite-like spectral parameters, it is essential to determine accurate mineralogies. Here we determine the band area ratios and Band I centers of 72 NEAs with visible and near-infrared spectra and use new calibrations to derive the mineralogies 47 of these NEAs with ordinary chondrite-like spectral parameters. Our results indicate that the majority of NEAs have LL-chondrite mineralogies. This is consistent with results from previous studies but continues to be in conflict with the population of recovered ordinary chondrites, of which H chondrites are the most abundant. To look for potential correlations between asteroid size, composition, and source region, we use a dynamical model to determine the most probable source region of each NEA. Model results indicate that NEAs with LL chondrite mineralogies appear to be preferentially derived from the ν6 secular resonance. This supports the hypothesis that the Flora family, which lies near the ν6 resonance, is the source of the LL chondrites. With the exception of basaltic achondrites, NEAs with non-chondrite spectral parameters are slightly less likely to be derived from the ν6 resonance than NEAs with chondrite-like mineralogies. The population of NEAs with H, L, and LL chondrite mineralogies does not appear to be influenced by size, which would suggest that ordinary chondrites are not preferentially sourced from meter-sized objects due to Yarkovsky effect.

Comparative 187Re-187Os systematics of chondrites: Implications regarding early solar system processes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, R.J.; Horan, M.F.; Morgan, J.W.; Becker, H.; Grossman, J.N.; Rubin, A.E.

2002-01-01

A suite of 47 carbonaceous, enstatite, and ordinary chondrites are examined for Re-Os isotopic systematics. There are significant differences in the 187Re/188Os and 187Os/188Os ratios of carbonaceous chondrites compared with ordinary and enstatite chondrites. The average 187Re/188Os for carbonaceous chondrites is 0.392 ?? 0.015 (excluding the CK chondrite, Karoonda), compared with 0.422 ?? 0.025 and 0.421 ?? 0.013 for ordinary and enstatite chondrites (1?? standard deviations). These ratios, recast into elemental Re/Os ratios, are as follows: 0.0814 ?? 0.0031, 0.0876 ?? 0.0052 and 0.0874 ?? 0.0027 respectively. Correspondingly, the 187Os/188Os ratios of carbonaceous chondrites average 0.1262 ?? 0.0006 (excluding Karoonda), and ordinary and enstatite chondrites average 0.1283 ?? 0.0017 and 0.1281 ?? 0.0004, respectively (1?? standard deviations). The new results indicate that the Re/Os ratios of meteorites within each group are, in general, quite uniform. The minimal overlap between the isotopic compositions of ordinary and enstatite chondrites vs. carbonaceous chondrites indicates long-term differences in Re/Os for these materials, most likely reflecting chemical fractionation early in solar system history. A majority of the chondrites do not plot within analytical uncertainties of a 4.56-Ga reference isochron. Most of the deviations from the isochron are consistent with minor, relatively recent redistribution of Re and/or Os on a scale of millimeters to centimeters. Some instances of the redistribution may be attributed to terrestrial weathering; others are most likely the result of aqueous alteration or shock events on the parent body within the past 2 Ga. The 187Os/188Os ratio of Earth's primitive upper mantle has been estimated to be 0.1296 ?? 8. If this composition was set via addition of a late veneer of planetesimals after core formation, the composition suggests the veneer was dominated by materials that had Re/Os ratios most similar to ordinary and enstatite chondrites. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Chemical and physical studies of type 3 chondrites 12: The metamorphic history of CV chondrites and their components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guimon, R. Kyle; Symes, Steven J. K.; Sears, Derek W. G.

1995-01-01

The induced thermoluminescence (TL) properties of 16 CV and CV-related chondrites, four CK chondrites and Renazzo (CR2) have been measured in order to investigate their metamorphic history. The petrographic, mineralogical and bulk compositional differences among the CV chondrites indicate that the TL sensitivity of the approximately 130 C TL peak is reflecting the abundance of ordered feldspar, especially in chondrule mesostasis, which in turn reflects parent-body metamorphism. The TL properties of 18 samples of homogenized Allende powder heated at a variety of times and temperatures, and cathodoluminescence mosaics of Axtell and Coolidge, showed results consistent with this conclusion. Five refractory inclusions from Allende, and separates from those inclusions, were also examined and yielded trends reflecting variations in mineralogy indicative of high peak temperatures (either metamorphic or igneous) and fairly rapid cooling. The CK chondrites are unique among metamorphosed chondrites in showing no detectable induced TL, which is consistent with literature data that suggests very unusual feldspar in these meteorites. Using TL sensitivity and several mineral systems and allowing for the differences in the oxidized and reduced subgroups, the CV and CV-related meteorites can be divided into petrologic types analogous to those of the ordinary and CO type 3 chondrites. Axtell, Kaba, Leoville, Bali, Arch and ALHA81003 are type 3.0-3.1, while ALH84018, Efremovka, Grosnaja, Allende and Vigarano are type 3.2-3.3 and Coolidge and Loongana 001 are type 3.8. Mokoia is probably a breccia with regions ranging in petrologic type from 3.0 to 3.2. Renazzo often plots at the end of the reduced and oxidized CV chondrite trends, even when those trends diverge, suggesting that in many respects it resembles the unmetamorphosed precursors of the CV chondrites. The low-petrographic types and low-TL peak temperatures of all samples, including the CV3.8 chondrites, indicates metamorphism in the stability field of low feldspar (i.e., less than 800 C) and a metamorphic history similar to that of the CO chondrites but unlike that of the ordinary chondrites.

Highly Siderophile Elements, 187Re-187 Os and 182Hf-182W Isotopic Systematics of Early Solar System Materials: Constraining the Early Evolution of Chondritic and Achondritic Parent Bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archer, Gregory J.

Highly siderophile element (HSE) abundances and 187Re- 187Os isotopic systematics for H chondrites and ungrouped achondrites, as well as 182Hf-182W isotopic systematics of H and CR chondrites are reported. Achondrite fractions with higher HSE abundances show little disturbance of 187Re-187Os isotopic systematics. By contrast, isotopic systematics for lower abundance fractions are consistent with minor Re mobilization. For magnetically separated H chondrite fractions, the magnitudes of disturbance for the 187Re-187Os isotopic system follow the trend coarse-metal isotopic system follow the trend coarse-metal

Oxygen-isotopic Compositions of Low-FeO relicts in High-FeO Host Chondrules in Acfer 094, a Type 3.0 Carbonaceous Chondrite Closely Related to CM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, Alan E.; Kunihiro, Tak; Wasson, John T.

2006-01-01

With one exception, the low-FeO relict olivine grains within high-FeO porphyritic chondrules in the type 3.0 Acfer 094 carbonaceous chondrite have DELTA O-17 ( = delta O-17 - 0.52 X delta O-18) values that are substantially more negative than those of the high-FeO olivine host materials. These results are similar to observations made earlier on chondrules in C03.0 chondrites and are consistent with two independent models: (1) Nebular solids evolved from low-FeO, low-DELTA O-17 compositions towards high-FeO, more positive DELTA O-17 compositions; and (2) the range of compositions resulted from the mixing of two independently formed components. The two models predict different trajectories on a DELTA O-17 vs. log Fe/Mg (olivine) diagram, but our sample set has too few values at intermediate Fe/Mg ratios to yield a definitive answer. Published data showing that Acfer 094 has higher volatile contents than CO chondrites suggest a closer link to CM chondrites. This is consistent with the high modal matrix abundance in Acfer 094 (49 vol.%). Acfer 094 may be an unaltered CM chondrite or an exceptionally matrix-rich CO chondrite. Chondrules in Acfer 094 and in CO and CM carbonaceous chondrites appear to sample the same population. Textural differences between Acfer 094 and CM chondrites are largely attributable to the high degree of hydrothermal alteration that the CM chondrites experienced in an asteroidal setting.

Reclassification of Hart and Northwest Africa 6047: Criteria for distinguishing between CV and CK3 chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunn, Tasha L.; Gross, Juliane

2017-11-01

The single parent body model for the CV and CK chondrites (Greenwood et al.) was challenged by Dunn et al., who argued that magnetite compositions could not be reconciled by a single metamorphic sequence (i.e., CV3 → CK3 → CK4-6). Cr isotopic compositions, which are distinguishable between the CV and CK chondrites, also support two different parent bodies (Yin et al.). Despite this, there are many petrographic and mineralogical similarities between the unequilibrated (petrologic type 3) CK chondrites and the CV chondrites (also type 3), which may result in misclassification of samples. Hart and Northwest Africa 6047 (NWA 6047) are an excellent example of this. In this study, we revisit the classification of Hart and NWA 6047 using magnetite compositions, petrography, and compositions of olivine, the most ubiquitous mineral in both CV and CK chondrites. Not only do our results suggest that NWA 6047 and Hart were misclassified, but our assessment of CV and CK3 chondrites has also led to the development of criteria that can be used to distinguish between CV and CK3 chondrites. These criteria include: abundances of Cr2O3, TiO2, NiO, and Al2O3 in magnetite; Fa content and NiO abundance of matrix olivine; FeO content of chondrules; and the chondrule:matrix ratio. Classification as a CV chondrite is also supported by the presence of igneous chondrule rims, calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions, and an elongated petrofabric. However, none of these petrographic characteristics can be used conclusively to distinguish between CV and CK3 chondrites.

Mineralogy and composition of matrix and chondrule rims in carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael; Barrett, Ruth; Browning, Lauren

1993-01-01

The degree of compositional variation of fine-grained minerals displayed by the members within any carbonaceous chondrite group (i.e., CI, CM, CV, CR) is a direct reflection of the range of aqueous alteration assemblages present. Matrix and fine-grained chondrule rims within any particular carbonaceous chondrite are mineralogically nearly identical to one another, but not necessarily similar in bulk elemental composition, even though they have subsequently experienced postaccretional secondary processing (aqueous alteration) under identical conditions. We propose that CO chondrites experienced parent body conditions of low f(O2), low water/rock ratios, and temperatures below 50 C. CR chondrites experienced higher water/rock ratios, potentially higher temperatures (not above 150 C), and a wide range of f(O2). The alteration mineralogy of CV chondrites indicates water/rock ratios at the high end (at least) of the range for CR chondrites, Essebi, and MAC 87300. CM chondrites experienced temperatures below 50 C, low f(O2) and low water/rock ratios, except EET 83334, which probably experienced relatively higher f(O2), and B-7904 and Y-86720, which experienced postalteration temperatures in the range 500-700 C. Most CI chondrites experienced temperatures between 50 and 150 C, relatively high water/rock ratios, and variable f(O2). Y-82162 witnessed postalteration heating, possibly as high as 400 C.

Petrology and In Situ Trace Element Chemistry of a Suite of R Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Peng, Z. X.; Torrano, Z. A.

2015-01-01

Rumuruti (R) chondrites are characterized by low chondrule/matrix modal ratios, high oxidation state, small mean chondrule size, abundant sulfides and low metal contents, and are of petrologic types 3 to 6 [1, 2]. LAP 04840 (R5, [3]) and MIL 11207 (R6), contain the high-T hydrous phases amphibole and mica [3, 4]; not all equilibrated R chondrites contain these [2]. R chondrites thus can provide evidence on whether there are compositional effects caused by high-T, high-fluid metamorphism of nebular materials. We are investigating a suite of R chondrites of diverse petrologic grades to further understand the nature of the metamorphic processes that engendered them [5]. We report on our petrological studies, plus preliminary in situ analyses of trace elements in amphibole-bearing R chondrites.

Space Weathering of Ordinary Chondrite Parent Bodies, Its Impact on the Method of Distinguishing H, L, and LL Types and Implications for Itokawa Samples Returned by the Hayabusa Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hiroi, T.; Sasaki, S.; Noble, S. K.; Pieters, C. M.

2011-01-01

As the most abundance meteorites in our collections, ordinary chondrites potentially have very important implications on the origin and formation of our Solar System. In order to map the distribution of ordinary chondrite-like asteroids through remote sensing, the space weathering effects of ordinary chondrite parent bodies must be addressed through experiments and modeling. Of particular importance is the impact on distinguishing different types (H/L/LL) of ordinary chondrites. In addition, samples of asteroid Itokawa returned by the Hayabusa spacecraft may re veal the mechanism of space weathering on an LLchondrite parent body. Results of space weathering simulations on ordinary chondrites and implications for Itokawa samples are presented here.

CAIs in Semarkona (LL3.0)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mishra, R. K.; Simon, J. I.; Ross, D. K.; Marhas, K. K.

2016-01-01

Calcium, Aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) are the first forming solids of the Solar system. Their observed abundance, mean size, and mineralogy vary quite significantly between different groups of chondrites. These differences may reflect the dynamics and distinct cosmochemical conditions present in the region(s) of the protoplanetary disk from which each type likely accreted. Only about 11 such objects have been found in L and LL type while another 57 have been found in H type ordinary chondrites, compared to thousands in carbonaceous chondrites. At issue is whether the rare CAIs contained in ordinary chondrites truly reflect a distinct population from the inclusions commonly found in other chondrite types. Semarkona (LL3.00) (fall, 691 g) is the most pristine chondrite available in our meteorite collection. Here we report petrography and mineralogy of 3 CAIs from Semarkona

The matrices of unequilibrated ordinary chondrites - Implications for the origin and history of chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huss, G. R.; Keil, K.; Taylor, G. J.

1981-01-01

The matrices of 16 unequilibrated chondrites were examined by optical microscopy, an electron microprobe, and a scanning electron microscope. The fine-grained, opaque, silicate matrix of type 3 unequilibrated chondrites was compositionally, mineralogically, and texturally different from the chondrules and their fragments; it may be the low temperature condensate proposed by Larimer and Anders (1967, 1970). Each meteorite has been metamorphosed by a combination of processes including thermal metamorphism and the passage of shock waves; the appearance of each chondrite results from the temperature and pressure conditions which formed it, and subsequent metamorphic alterations.

Tellurium stable isotope fractionation in chondritic meteorites and some terrestrial samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehr, Manuela A.; Hammond, Samantha J.; Parkinson, Ian J.

2018-02-01

New methodologies employing a 125Te-128Te double-spike were developed and applied to obtain high precision mass-dependent tellurium stable isotope data for chondritic meteorites and some terrestrial samples by multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Analyses of standard solutions produce Te stable isotope data with a long-term reproducibility (2SD) of 0.064‰ for δ130/125Te. Carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites display a range in δ130/125Te of 0.9‰ (0.2‰ amu-1) in their Te stable isotope signature, whereas ordinary chondrites present larger Te stable isotope fractionation, in particular for unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, with an overall variation of 6.3‰ for δ130/125Te (1.3‰ amu-1). Tellurium stable isotope variations in ordinary chondrites display no correlation with Te contents or metamorphic grade. The large Te stable isotope fractionation in ordinary chondrites is likely caused by evaporation and condensation processes during metamorphism in the meteorite parent bodies, as has been suggested for other moderately and highly volatile elements displaying similar isotope fractionation. Alternatively, they might represent a nebular signature or could have been produced during chondrule formation. Enstatite chondrites display slightly more negative δ130/125Te compared to carbonaceous chondrites and equilibrated ordinary chondrites. Small differences in the Te stable isotope composition are also present within carbonaceous chondrites and increase in the order CV-CO-CM-CI. These Te isotope variations within carbonaceous chondrites may be due to mixing of components that have distinct Te isotope signatures reflecting Te stable isotope fractionation in the early solar system or on the parent bodies and potentially small so-far unresolvable nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies of up to 0.27‰. The Te stable isotope data of carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites displays a general correlation with the oxidation state and hence might provide a record of the nebular formation environment. The Te stable isotope fractionation of the carbonaceous chondrites CI and CM (and CO potentially) overlap within uncertainty with data for terrestrial Te standard solutions, sediments and ore samples. Assuming the silicate Earth displays similar Te isotope fractionation as the studied terrestrial samples, the data indicate that the late veneer might have been delivered by material similar to CI or CM (or possibly) CO carbonaceous chondrites in terms of Te isotope composition. Nine terrestrial samples display resolvable Te stable isotope fractionation of 0.85 and 0.60‰ for δ130/125Te for sediment and USGS geochemical exploration reference samples, respectively. Tellurium isotopes therefore have the potential to become a new geochemical sedimentary proxy, as well as a proxy for ore-exploration.

Stardust (Comet) Samples and the Meteorite Record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weisberg, M.; Connolly, H.; Zolensky, M.; Bland, P.; Bradley, J.; Braerley, A.; Bridges, J.; Brownlee, D.; Butterworth, A.; Dai, Z.; Ebel, D.; Genge, M.; Gounelle, M.; Graham, G.; Grossman, J.; Grossman, L.; Harvey, R.; Ishii, H.; Kearsley, A.; Keller, L.; Krot, A.; Langenhorst, F.; Lanzirotti, A.; Leroux, H.; Matrajt, G.; Messenger, K.; Mikouchi, T.; Nakamura, T.; Ohsumi, K.; Okudaira, K.; Perronnet, M.; Simon, S.; Stephan, T.; Stroud, R.; Taheri, M.; Tomeoka, K.; Toppani, A.; Tsou, P.; Tsuchiyama, A.; Velbel, M.; Weber, I.; Westphal, A.; Yano, H.; Zega, T.

2006-12-01

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the material collected by Stardust from `comet Wild 2 is the preponderance of high temperature and reduced crystalline phases, which are characteristic of chondrites thought to derive from the main Asteroid Belt (2-4 AU) [1]. Here we compare the mineralogy of Stardust samples to that of chondrite groups. Results: Investigation by the Preliminary Examination Team (PET) of particles from Wild 2 shows a mineral assemblage typical of chondrites, with olivine, pyroxene, FeNi-metal and sulfide as common components. Olivine and low-Ca pyroxene have a range of mg# (Fa0.5-41 and Fs0-48, respectively), which indicates that the material is unequilibrated, similar to types 2 and 3 chondrites. Some forsterite with <1 wt% FeO has up to 6.4 wt% MnO and 1.4 wt% Cr2O3. Other silicates observed are Ti-bearing aluminus diopside and rare melilite, typical of some calcium, aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) in carbonaceous (C) chondrites. Additionally, FeNi- metal and sulfides including pentlandite [(FeNi)9S8)] and Fe-Ni-Cu and Fe-Zn sulfide, phases observed in C and enstatite (E) chondrites, are present in some particles. V-bearing osbornite (TiN), a phase also observed in some C and E chondrites, occurs associated with unidentified Zr-rich phase(s). Discussion: The observations by the PET are based on work done in a short period of time on a limited number of particles less than several microns in size, and, hence, conclusions based on these data are tentative. Many C chondrite groups have the wide range of ferromagnesian silicate compositions found in the Stardust samples. However, the range of olivine and pyroxene compositions, occurrence of Mn-, Cr-rich olivine, metal and pentlandite are features most consistent with CR and CH chondrites, though a CM-like lithology cannot be ruled out. Mn-, Cr- rich forsterite is found in the matrix and in amoeboid olivine aggregates in CR chondrites [2, 3]; Osbornite-bearing CAIs have been identified in the ALH 85085 CH chondrite [4] and the Isheyevo CH/CB chondrite [5]. Thus, the Stardust samples analyzed thus far have mineral assemblages close to those of CR and CH chondrites, members of the CR chondrite clan. References: [1] Scott and Krot (2005) Chondrules and the Protoplanetary Disk, 15-54. [2] Weisberg et al. (1993) GCA 57, 1567-1586. [3] Weisberg et al. (2004) MAPS 39, 1741-1753. [4] Weisberg et al. (1988) EPSL 91, 19-32. [5] Krot et al. (2006) MAPS #1506.

Hf-W chronology of CR chondrites: Implications for the timescales of chondrule formation and the distribution of 26Al in the solar nebula

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Budde, Gerrit; Kruijer, Thomas S.; Kleine, Thorsten

The CR chondrites are distinct from most other chondrites in having younger chondrule 26Al- 26Mg ages, but the significance of these ages and whether they reflect true formation times or a heterogeneous distribution of 26Al are not well understood. To better determine the timescales of CR chondrule formation and CR chondrite parent body accretion, we obtained Hf-W isotopic data for metal, silicate, and chondrule separates from four CR chondrites. We also obtained Mo isotopic data for the same samples, to assess potential genetic links among the components of CR chondrites, and between these components and bulk chondrites. The isotopic datamore » demonstrate that metal and silicate in CR chondrites exhibit distinct nucleosynthetic W and Mo isotope anomalies, caused by the heterogeneous distribution of a single presolar s-process carrier. These isotope signatures are akin to the complementary anomalies found previously for chondrules and matrix in CV chondrites and indicate that the major components of CR chondrites are genetically linked and formed from a common reservoir of solar nebula dust. The obtained Hf-W age of 3.6±0.6 million years (Ma) after the formation of Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) most likely dates metal-silicate separation during chondrule formation and is consistent with Al-Mg and Pb-Pb ages for CR chondrules, indicating that CR chondrules formed ~1–2 Ma later than chondrules from most other chondrite groups. Moreover, chemical, isotopic, and chronological data imply close temporal link between chondrule formation and chondrite accretion, making the CR chondrite parent body one of the youngest meteorite parent bodies. Such a late accretion at ~3.6 Ma after CAIs is consistent with isotopic composition of CR chondrites (e.g., 15N/ 14N) that is indicative of a formation at a larger heliocentric distance, probably beyond the orbit of Jupiter. As such, the accretion age of the CR parent body provides the earliest possible time at which Jupiter could have migrated inwards, leading to scattering of carbonaceous meteorite parent bodies into the inner solar system. Finally, the concordant Hf-W and Al- Mg ages for CR chondrules, combined with Hf-W and Al-Mg data for bulk CAIs, angrites, and CV chondrules, provide strong evidence for a disk-wide, homogeneous distribution of 26Al in the early solar system.« less

Hf-W chronology of CR chondrites: Implications for the timescales of chondrule formation and the distribution of 26Al in the solar nebula

DOE PAGES

Budde, Gerrit; Kruijer, Thomas S.; Kleine, Thorsten

2017-10-24

The CR chondrites are distinct from most other chondrites in having younger chondrule 26Al- 26Mg ages, but the significance of these ages and whether they reflect true formation times or a heterogeneous distribution of 26Al are not well understood. To better determine the timescales of CR chondrule formation and CR chondrite parent body accretion, we obtained Hf-W isotopic data for metal, silicate, and chondrule separates from four CR chondrites. We also obtained Mo isotopic data for the same samples, to assess potential genetic links among the components of CR chondrites, and between these components and bulk chondrites. The isotopic datamore » demonstrate that metal and silicate in CR chondrites exhibit distinct nucleosynthetic W and Mo isotope anomalies, caused by the heterogeneous distribution of a single presolar s-process carrier. These isotope signatures are akin to the complementary anomalies found previously for chondrules and matrix in CV chondrites and indicate that the major components of CR chondrites are genetically linked and formed from a common reservoir of solar nebula dust. The obtained Hf-W age of 3.6±0.6 million years (Ma) after the formation of Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) most likely dates metal-silicate separation during chondrule formation and is consistent with Al-Mg and Pb-Pb ages for CR chondrules, indicating that CR chondrules formed ~1–2 Ma later than chondrules from most other chondrite groups. Moreover, chemical, isotopic, and chronological data imply close temporal link between chondrule formation and chondrite accretion, making the CR chondrite parent body one of the youngest meteorite parent bodies. Such a late accretion at ~3.6 Ma after CAIs is consistent with isotopic composition of CR chondrites (e.g., 15N/ 14N) that is indicative of a formation at a larger heliocentric distance, probably beyond the orbit of Jupiter. As such, the accretion age of the CR parent body provides the earliest possible time at which Jupiter could have migrated inwards, leading to scattering of carbonaceous meteorite parent bodies into the inner solar system. Finally, the concordant Hf-W and Al- Mg ages for CR chondrules, combined with Hf-W and Al-Mg data for bulk CAIs, angrites, and CV chondrules, provide strong evidence for a disk-wide, homogeneous distribution of 26Al in the early solar system.« less

The effects of parent body processes on amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glavin, Daniel P.; Callahan, Michael P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Elsila, Jamie E.

2010-12-01

To investigate the effect of parent body processes on the abundance, distribution, and enantiomeric composition of amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites, the water extracts from nine different powdered CI, CM, and CR carbonaceous chondrites were analyzed for amino acids by ultra performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-FD/ToF-MS). Four aqueously altered type 1 carbonaceous chondrites including Orgueil (CI1), Meteorite Hills (MET) 01070 (CM1), Scott Glacier (SCO) 06043 (CM1), and Grosvenor Mountains (GRO) 95577 (CR1) were analyzed using this technique for the first time. Analyses of these meteorites revealed low levels of two- to five-carbon acyclic amino alkanoic acids with concentrations ranging from approximately 1 to 2,700 parts-per-billion (ppb). The type 1 carbonaceous chondrites have a distinct distribution of the five-carbon (C5) amino acids with much higher relative abundances of the γ- and δ-amino acids compared to the type 2 and type 3 carbonaceous chondrites, which are dominated by α-amino acids. Much higher amino acid abundances were found in the CM2 chondrites Murchison, Lonewolf Nunataks (LON) 94102, and Lewis Cliffs (LEW) 90500, the CR2 Elephant Moraine (EET) 92042, and the CR3 Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 99177. For example, α-aminoisobutyric acid (α-AIB) and isovaline were approximately 100 to 1000 times more abundant in the type 2 and 3 chondrites compared to the more aqueously altered type 1 chondrites. Most of the chiral amino acids identified in these meteorites were racemic, indicating an extraterrestrial abiotic origin. However, nonracemic isovaline was observed in the aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites Murchison, Orgueil, SCO 06043, and GRO 95577 with L-isovaline excesses ranging from approximately 11 to 19%, whereas the most pristine, unaltered carbonaceous chondrites analyzed in this study had no detectable L-isovaline excesses. These results are consistent with the theory that aqueous alteration played an important role in amplification of small initial left handed isovaline excesses on the parent bodies.

The Effects of Parent Body Processes on Amino Acids in Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glavin, Daniel P.; Callahan, Michael P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Elsila, Jamie E.

2010-01-01

To investigate the effect of parent body processes on the abundance, distribution, and enantiomeric composition of amino acids in carbonaceous chondrites, the water extracts from nine different powdered Cl, CM, and CR carbonaceous chondrites were analyzed for amino acids by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-FD/ToF-MS). Four aqueously altered type 1 carbonaceous chondrites including Orgueil (C11), Meteorite Hills (MET) 01070 (CM1), Scott Glacier (SCO) 06043 (CM1), and Grosvenor Mountains (GRO) 95577 (CR1) were analyzed using this technique for the first time. Analyses of these meteorites revealed low levels of two- to five-carbon acyclic amino alkanoic acids with concentrations ranging from -1 to 2,700 parts-per-billion (ppb). The type 1 carbonaceous chondrites have a distinct distribution of the five-carbon (C5) amino acids with much higher relative abundances of the gamma- and delta-amino acids compared to the type 2 and type 3 carbonaceous chondrites, which are dominated by a-amino acids. Much higher amino acid abundances were found in the CM2 chondrites Murchison, Lonewolf Nunataks (LON) 94102, and Lewis Cliffs (LEW) 90500, the CR2 Elephant Moraine (EET) 92042, and the CR3 Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 99177. For example, a-aminoisobutyric acid ((alpha-AIB) and isovaline were approximately 100 to 1000 times more abundant in the type 2 and 3 chondrites compared to the more aqueously altered type 1 chondrites. Most of the chiral amino acids identified in these meteorites were racemic, indicating an extraterrestrial abiotic origin. However, non-racemic isovaline was observed in the aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites Murchison, Orgueil, SCO 06043, and GRO 95577 with L-isovaline excesses ranging from approximately 11 to 19%, whereas the most pristine, unaltered carbonaceous chondrites analyzed in this study had no detectable L-isovaline excesses. These results are consistent with the theory that aqueous alteration played an important role in amplification of small initial left handed isovaline excesses on the parent bodies.

Fe isotope composition of bulk chondrules from Murchison (CM2): Constraints for parent body alteration, nebula processes and chondrule-matrix complementarity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hezel, Dominik C.; Wilden, Johanna S.; Becker, Daniel; Steinbach, Sonja; Wombacher, Frank; Harak, Markus

2018-05-01

Chondrules are a major constituent of primitive meteorites. The formation of chondrules is one of the most elusive problems in cosmochemistry. We use Fe isotope compositions of chondrules and bulk chondrites to constrain the conditions of chondrule formation. Iron isotope compositions of bulk chondrules are so far only known from few studies on CV and some ordinary chondrites. We studied 37 chondrules from the CM chondrite Murchison. This is particularly challenging, as CM chondrites contain the smallest chondrules of all chondrite groups, except for CH chondrites. Bulk chondrules have δ56Fe between -0.62 and +0.24‰ relative to the IRMM-014 standard. Bulk Murchison has as all chondrites a δ56Fe of 0.00‰ within error. The δ56Fe distribution of the Murchison chondrule population is continuous and close to normal. The width of the δ56Fe distribution is narrower than that of the Allende chondrule population. Opaque modal abundances in Murchison chondrules is in about 67% of the chondrules close to 0 vol.%, and in 33% typically up to 6.5 vol.%. Chondrule Al/Mg and Fe/Mg ratios are sub-chondritic, while bulk Murchison has chondritic ratios. We suggest that the variable bulk chondrule Fe isotope compositions were established during evaporation and recondensation prior to accretion in the Murchison parent body. This range in isotope composition was likely reduced during aqueous alteration on the parent body. Murchison has a chondritic Fe isotope composition and a number of chondritic element ratios. Chondrules, however, have variable Fe isotope compositions and chondrules and matrix have complementary Al/Mg and Fe/Mg ratios. In combination, this supports the idea that chondrules and matrix formed from a single reservoir and were then accreted in the parent body. The formation in a single region also explains the compositional distribution of the chondrule population in Murchison.

The Cooling History and Structure of the Ordinary Chondrite Parent Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benoit, P. H.; Sears, D. W. G.

1996-01-01

Most major meteorite classes exhibit significant ranges of metamorphism. The effects of metamorphism have been extensively characterized, but the heat source(s) and the metamorphic environment are unknown. Proposed beat sources include Al-26, Fe-60, electromagnetic induction, and impact. It is typically assumed that metamorphism occurred in parent bodies of some sort, but it uncertain whether these bodies were highly structured ("onion skins") or were chaotic mixes of material ("rubble piles"). The lack of simple trends of metallographic cooling rates with petrologic type has been considered supportive of both concepts. In this study, we use induced thermoluminescence (TL) as an indicator of thermal history. The TL of ordinary chondrites is produced by sodic feldspar, and the induced TL peak temperature is related to its crystallographic order/disorder. Ordered feldspar has TL peak temperatures of approx. 120 C, and disordered feldspar has TL peak temperatures of approx. 220 C. While ordered feldspar can be easily disordered in the laboratory by heating above 650 C and is easily quenched in the disordered form, producing ordered feldspar requires cooling at geologic cooling rates. We have measured the induced TL properties of 101 equilibrated ordinary chondrites, including 49 H, 29 L, and 23 LL chondrites. For the H chondrites there is an apparent trend of decreasing induced TL peak temperature with increasing petrologic type. H4 chondrites exhibit a tight range of TL peak temperatures, 190 C - 200 C, while H6 chondrites exhibit TL peak temperatures between 180 C and 190 C. H5 chondrites cover the range between H4 and H6, and also extend up to 210 C. Similar results are obtained for LL chondfiles and most L6 chondrites have lower induced TL peak temperatures than L5 chondrites.

Relationships among physical properties as indicators of high temperature deformation or post-shock thermal annealing in ordinary chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedrich, Jon M.; Ruzicka, Alex; Macke, Robert J.; Thostenson, James O.; Rudolph, Rebecca A.; Rivers, Mark L.; Ebel, Denton S.

2017-04-01

Collisions and attendant shock compaction must have been important for the accretion and lithification of planetesimals, including the parent bodies of chondrites, but the conditions under which these occurred are not well constrained. A simple model for the compaction of chondrites predicts that shock intensity as recorded by shock stage should be related to porosity and grain fabric. To test this model, we studied sixteen ordinary chondrites of different groups (H, L, LL) using X-ray computed microtomography (μCT) to measure porosity and metal fabric, ideal gas pycnometry and 3D laser scanning to determine porosity, and optical microscopy (OM) to determine shock stage. These included a subsample of six chondrites previously studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to characterize microstructures in olivine. Combining with previous data, results support the simple model in general, but not for chondrites with low shock-porosity-foliation (low-SPF chondrites). These include Kernouvé (H6), Portales Valley (H6/7), Butsura (H6), Park (L6), GRO 85209 (L6), Estacado (H6), MIL 99301 (LL6), Spade (H6), and Queen's Mercy (H6), among others. The data for these meteorites are best explained by high ambient heat during or after shock. Low-SPF chondrites tend to have older 40Ar/39Ar ages (∼4435-4526 Ma) than other, non-low-SPF type 6 chondrites in this study. We conclude that the H, L, and LL asteroids all were shock-compacted at an early stage while warm, with collisions occurring during metamorphic heating of the parent bodies. Results ultimately bear on whether chondrite parent bodies have internal structures more akin to a metamorphosed onion shell or metamorphosed rubble pile, and on the nature of accretion and lithification processes for planetesimals.

Oxygen isotopic composition of chondritic interplanetary dust particles: A genetic link between carbonaceous chondrites and comets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aléon, J.; Engrand, C.; Leshin, L. A.; McKeegan, K. D.

2009-08-01

Oxygen isotopes were measured in four chondritic hydrated interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) and five chondritic anhydrous IDPs including two GEMS-rich particles (Glass embedded with metal and sulfides) by a combination of high precision and high lateral resolution ion microprobe techniques. All IDPs have isotopic compositions tightly clustered around that of solar system planetary materials. Hydrated IDPs have mass-fractionated oxygen isotopic compositions similar to those of CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites, consistent with hydration of initially anhydrous protosolar dust. Anhydrous IDPs have small 16O excesses and depletions similar to those of carbonaceous chondrites, the largest 16O variations being hosted by the two GEMS-rich IDPs. Coarse-grained forsteritic olivine and enstatite in anhydrous IDPs are isotopically similar to their counterparts in comet Wild 2 and in chondrules suggesting a high temperature inner solar system origin. The small variations in the 16O content of GEMS-rich IDPs suggest that most GEMS either do not preserve a record of interstellar processes or the initial interstellar dust is not 16O-rich as expected by self-shielding models, although a larger dataset is required to verify these conclusions. Together with other chemical and mineralogical indicators, O isotopes show that the parent-bodies of carbonaceous chondrites, of chondritic IDPs, of most Antarctic micrometeorites, and comet Wild 2 belong to a single family of objects of carbonaceous chondrite chemical affinity as distinct from ordinary, enstatite, K- and R-chondrites. Comparison with astronomical observations thus suggests a chemical continuum of objects including main belt and outer solar system asteroids such as C-type, P-type and D-type asteroids, Trojans and Centaurs as well as short-period comets and other Kuiper Belt Objects.

Mixing and Transport of Dust in the Early Solar Nebula as Inferred from Titanium Isotope Variations among Chondrules

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerber, Simone; Burkhardt, Christoph; Budde, Gerrit

2017-05-20

Chondrules formed by the melting of dust aggregates in the solar protoplanetary disk and as such provide unique insights into how solid material was transported and mixed within the disk. Here, we show that chondrules from enstatite and ordinary chondrites show only small {sup 50}Ti variations and scatter closely around the {sup 50}Ti composition of their host chondrites. By contrast, chondrules from carbonaceous chondrites have highly variable {sup 50}Ti compositions, which, relative to the terrestrial standard, range from the small {sup 50}Ti deficits measured for enstatite and ordinary chondrite chondrules to the large {sup 50}Ti excesses known from Ca–Al-rich inclusionsmore » (CAIs). These {sup 50}Ti variations can be attributed to the addition of isotopically heterogeneous CAI-like material to enstatite and ordinary chondrite-like chondrule precursors. The new Ti isotopic data demonstrate that isotopic variations among carbonaceous chondrite chondrules do not require formation over a wide range of orbital distances, but can instead be fully accounted for by the incorporation of isotopically anomalous “nuggets” into chondrule precursors. As such, these data obviate the need for disk-wide transport of chondrules prior to chondrite parent body accretion and are consistent with formation of chondrules from a given chondrite group in localized regions of the disk. Finally, the ubiquitous presence of {sup 50}Ti-enriched material in carbonaceous chondrites and the lack of this material in the non-carbonaceous chondrites support the idea that these two meteorite groups derive from areas of the disk that remained isolated from each other, probably through the formation of Jupiter.« less

Extraterrestrial Amino Acids Identified in Metal-Rich CH and CB Carbonaceous Chondrites from Antarctica

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burton, Aaron S.; Elsila, Jamie E.; Hein, Jason E.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Dworkin, Jason P.

2013-01-01

Carbonaceous chondrites contain numerous indigenous organic compounds and could have been an important source of prebiotic compounds required for the origin of life on Earth or elsewhere. Extraterrestrial amino acids have been reported in five of the eight groups of carbonaceous chondrites and are most abundant in CI, CM, and CR chondritesbut are also present in the more thermally altered CV and CO chondrites. We report the abundance, distribution, and enantiomeric and isotopic compositions of simple primary amino acids in six metal-rich CH and CB carbonaceous chondrites that have not previously been investigated for amino acids: Allan Hills (ALH) 85085 (CH3), Pecora Escarpment(PCA) 91467 (CH3), Patuxent Range (PAT) 91546 (CH3), MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 02675(CBb), Miller Range (MIL) 05082 (CB), and Miller Range (MIL) 07411 (CB). Amino acid abundances and carbon isotopic values were obtained by using both liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry and fluorescence, and gas chromatography isotope ratiomass spectrometry. The (delta D, delta C-13, delta N-15) ratios of multiple amino acids fall outside of the terrestrial range and support their extraterrestrial origin. Extracts of CH chondrites were found to be particularly rich in amino acids (1316 parts per million, ppm) while CB chondrite extracts had much lower abundances (0.22 ppm). The amino acid distributions of the CH and CB chondrites were distinct from the distributions observed in type 2 and 3 CM and CR chondrites and contained elevated levels of beta-, gamma-, and delta-amino acids compared to the corresponding alpha-amino acids, providing evidence that multiple amino acid formation mechanisms were important in CH and CB chondrites.

LEW 88180, LEW 87119, and ALH 85119: New EH6, EL7, and EL4 Enstatite Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Benoit, P. H.; Sears, D. W. G.

1993-07-01

The EH and EL chondrites formed in a uniquely reducing environment, containing low-Fe pyroxene, abundant metal, and a number of unusual sulphides and other minerals [1]. An important aspect of their history is that while the EL chondrites consist predominantly of metamorphosed meteorites, the EH consist primarily of little-metamorphosed meteorites (e.g., [2]), and yet EL chondrites have lower equilibrium temperatures than EH chondrite [3,4]. To help understand this observation and its implication for the history of the classes, we have been searching for new enstatite chondrites, looking especially for meteorites of previously unknown chemical-petrologic class. Using our normal INAA methods [5] and sample splits of 100-200 mg, the bulk composition of nine Antarctic enstatite chondrites and one fall were determined. The data were used to assign the meteorites to chemical classes, the Ni/Ir vs. Al/V plot (Fig. 1) being especially useful since it uses the refractory element difference between EH and EL chondrites and is insensitive to metal-silicate heterogeneity. The well-analyzed Qingzhen was included to check our method. ALH84170, ALH84206, and EET87746, which Mason described as E3, E4, and E4 were all found to be EH chondrites [6]. Our data for the three paired EL3 chondrites were discussed earlier (MAC88136, 88180, and 88184) [7,8]. LEW88180, LEW87119, and ALH85119, which Mason described as type E6, E6, and E4 respectively [6], are EH, EL, and EL; thus LEW88180 and ALH85119 appear to be the first EH6 and EL4 chondrites. The compositions of kamacite, phosphide, and niningerite-alabandite (Fig. 2) for ALH84170, ALH84206, EET87746, LEW88180, and ALH85119 are consistent with Mason's petrologic type assignments [6]. The mineral composition of LEW88180 (2.7% Si and 9.4% Ni in the kamacite, 7.8% Ni in the phosphide, and 60% FeS in the niningerite) confirms our classification of this meteorite as EH6. ALH85119 contains kamacite with 0.5% Si and 7% Ni, phosphide with 46% Ni and alabandite with 22% FeS, confirming its classification as the first EL4 chondrite. The LEW87119 meteorite has kamacite with 1.5% Si and 9.1% Ni, troilite with 2.9% Cr and 0.64% Ti, and alabandite with the highest FeS (49%) recorded for EL chondrites. Since the meteorite does not appear to be shocked or impact melted (it has medium-grained texture with the slightest indication of chondrules and normal metal and sulfide distribution) and the phase chemistry clearly indicates a higher equilibration temperature than the EL6 chondrites, for the time being we propose to call LEW87119 an EL7 chondrite. With the discovery in the last decade or so of a number of low-petrologic-type EH chondrites and the present discovery of EH6 and EL7 chondrites, the EH class and the EL class now appear to be comparable in their range of mineral compositions and thereby equilibration temperatures. The highest equilibration temperature for the EL chondrites is now ~700 degrees C, which is close to that of EH6 chondrite (Fig. 2). Equilibration temperatures for the EL6 chondrites are similar to those of EH4 chondrites. It may be that EH and EL classes have more similar thermal histories than previously supposed and that it is purely the textures of the two classes that are widely different and in need of further research. References: [1] Keil K. (1968) JGR, 73, 6945-6976. [2] Sears D. W. G. and Weeks K. S. (1984) Nature, 308, 257-259. [3] Skinner B. J. and Luce F. D. (1971) Amer. Min., 56, 1269-1296. [4] Zhang Y. et al. (1992) Meteoritics, 27, 310-311. [5] Weeks K. S.and Sears D. W. G. (1985) GCA, 49, 1525-1536. [6] Mason in Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter (1986, 1987, 1989, and 1990) 9(3), 10(2), 12(1,3), and 13(2,3). [7] Lin Y. T. et al. (1991) LPSC XXII, 811-812. [8] Chang Y. et al. (1992) LPSC XXIII, 217-218.

Do L chondrites come from the Gefion family?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGraw, Allison M.; Reddy, Vishnu; Sanchez, Juan A.

2018-05-01

Ordinary chondrites (H, L, and LL chondrites) are the most common type of meteorites comprising 80 per cent of the meteorites that fall on Earth. The source region of these meteorites in the main asteroid belt has been a basis of considerable debate in the small bodies community. L chondrites have been proposed to come from the Gefion asteroid family, based on dynamical models. We present results from our observational campaign to verify a link between the Gefion asteroid family and L chondrite meteorites. Near-infrared spectra of Gefion family asteroids (1839) Ragazza, (2373) Immo, (2386) Nikonov, (2521) Heidi, and (3860) Plovdiv were obtained at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). Spectral band parameters including band centres and the band area ratio were measured from each spectrum and used to constrain the composition of these asteroids. Based on our results, we found that some members of the Gefion family have surface composition similar to that of H chondrites, primitive achondrites, and basaltic achondrites. No evidence was found for L chondrites among the Gefion family members in our small sample study. The diversity of compositional types observed in the Gefion asteroid family suggests that the original parent body might be partially differentiated or that the three asteroids with non-ordinary chondrite compositions might be interlopers.

Porosity and Permeability of Chondritic Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael E.; Corrigan, Catherine M.; Dahl, Jason; Long, Michael

1996-01-01

We have investigated the porosity of a large number of chondritic interplanetary dust particles and meteorites by three techniques: standard liquid/gas flow techniques, a new, non-invasive ultrasonic technique, and image processing of backscattered images . The latter technique is obviously best suited to sub-kg sized samples. We have also measured the gas and liquid permeabilities of some chondrites by two techniques: standard liquid/gas flow techniques, and a new, non-destructive pressure release technique. We find that chondritic IDP's have a somewhat bimodal porosity distribution. Peaks are present at 0 and 4% porosity; a tail then extends to 53%. These values suggest IDP bulk densities of 1.1 to 3.3 g/cc. Type 1-3 chondrite matrix porosities range up to 30%, with a peak at 2%. The bulk porosities for type 1-3 chondrites have the same approximate range as exhibited by matrix, indicating that other components of the bulk meteorites (including chondrules and aggregates) have the same average porosity as matrix. These results reveal that the porosity of primitive materials at scales ranging from nanogram to kilogram are similar, implying similar accretion dynamics operated through 12 orders of size magnitude. Permeabilities of the investigated chondrites vary by several orders of magnitude, and there appears to be no simple dependence of permeability with degree of aqueous alteration, or chondrite type.

Aqueous alteration in the Kaba CV3 carbonaceous chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, Lindsay P.; Buseck, Peter R.

1990-01-01

Results from TEM and SEM examinations of the Kaba CV3 carbonaceous chondrite are presented, showing that the chondrules and the matrix of Kaba have undergone pervasive low-temperature aqueous alteration, resulting in the formation of Fe-bearing saponite from glass and enstatite in chondrules, and from anhydrous silicates in matrix. The alteration products in Kaba were found to resemble those in other aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites such as the Mokoia CV3 and in Orgueil CI chondrites and Y-82162 chondrites. However, Kaba lacks the abundant high-Al phyllosilicates, reported for CAIs from Mokoia, and the serpentine and ferrihydrite, found in Orgueil.

Ion microprobe magnesium isotope analysis of plagioclase and hibonite from ordinary chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinton, R. W.; Bischoff, A.

1984-01-01

Ion and electron microprobes were used to examine Mg-26 excesses from Al-26 decay in four Al-rich objects from the type 3 ordinary hibonite clast in the Dhajala chondrite. The initial Al-26/Al-27 ratio was actually significantly lower than Al-rich inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites. Also, no Mg-26 excesses were found in three plagioclase-bearing chondrules that were also examined. The Mg-26 excesses in the hibonite chondrites indicated a common origin for chondrites with the excesses. The implied Al-26 content in a proposed parent body could not, however, be confirmed as a widespread heat source in the early solar system.

Evidence against a chondritic Earth.

PubMed

Campbell, Ian H; O'Neill, Hugh St C

2012-03-28

The (142)Nd/(144)Nd ratio of the Earth is greater than the solar ratio as inferred from chondritic meteorites, which challenges a fundamental assumption of modern geochemistry--that the composition of the silicate Earth is 'chondritic', meaning that it has refractory element ratios identical to those found in chondrites. The popular explanation for this and other paradoxes of mantle geochemistry, a hidden layer deep in the mantle enriched in incompatible elements, is inconsistent with the heat flux carried by mantle plumes. Either the matter from which the Earth formed was not chondritic, or the Earth has lost matter by collisional erosion in the later stages of planet formation.

First known EL5 chondrite - Evidence for dual genetic sequence for enstatite chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sears, D. W. G.; Weeks, K. S.; Rubin, A. E.

1984-01-01

The compositionally distinct EH and EL groups together with four (3-6) petrologic types which constitute the enstatite chondrites represent increasing degrees of metamorphic alteration. Although bulk composition variations preclude a simple conversion of EH4 into EL6 material, complex models which involve simultaneous bulk composition and petrologic type variations may be implied by other classification schemes in common use. Attention is presently given to the discovery of the first EL5 chondrite, which breaks the EH3,4-EH5-EL6 sequence and indicates that the enstatite chondrites constitute the two discrete, isochemical metamorphic sequences EH3-5 and EL5-6.

The Thermal History of Enstatite Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Benoit, P. H.; Sears, D. W. G.

1992-07-01

In an attempt to decipher the complicated thermal history of the enstatite chondrites, the CaS enstatite (Larimer and Buseck, 1974; Fogel et al., 1989), cubic sulfide (Skinner and Luce, 1971) and sphalerite (Kissin, 1989; El Goresy and Ehlers, 1989) systems have been applied, but the results have not been straightforward. The CaS-En thermometer gives metamorphic temperatures which appear reasonable, but which do not correlate well with petrologic type. The cubic sulfides yield reasonable temperatures for the EH chondrites, but the values for EL chondrites are very low. To some extent, the problem has been the lack of low petrologic type EL chondrites. Here we discuss data for the recently discovered EL3 chondrites (Chang et al., 1992) and we examine the applicability of the Fe-Ni-P system for thermometry. The CaS-En thermometer uses three reactions including equilibria between metal, CaS, SiO2, enstatite and FeS. The method is crucially dependent on the activity coefficients for Si and CaSiO3 which are in solid solutions with metal and enstatite, respectively. The cubic sulfide thermometer uses the solubility of FeS in MgS and MnS, while the ZnS thermometer (which is pressure-dependent) uses the solubility of FeS in ZnS. Current equilibration temperature estimates for enstatite chondrites including the EL3 chondrites are listed in Table 1. Table 1. Estimates of equilibration temperatures (degrees C) for enstatite chondrites.* Petrologic type EH EL System 3 4 5 6 3 4 5 6 En-CaS 1030 950 830 - 830 - - 1025 Cubic sulf 400 680 600 - <<400 - - <400 ZnS 410 (1859)+ - - 500 - - 550 Fe-Ni-P <450 500 550 - <<450 - - <450 *Literature data (see text), present data (bold type). +Heavily shocked. In an attempt to use the Fe-Ni-P system as a thermometer for enstatite chondrites, we used the phase diagram of Doan and Goldstein (1970). Like the other systems, this required extrapolation to lower temperatures (Fig. 1). The temperatures calculated from this system mirror those of the sulfides, suggesting major differences in the thermal history of the EL and EH chondrites. Two points may be made from the data in Table 1. The EH3 and EL3 chondrites have similar En-CaS equilibration temperatures to those of the higher petrologic types which we suspect reflect pre-metamorphic equilibria. Second, both the cubic sulfides and the phosphides yield metamorphic temperatures for the EH chondrites which are similar to those for ordinary chondrites, while EL chondrites yield very low temperatures. The EL chondrite parent body must have cooled at especially slow rates, perhaps because it was much larger than the EH parent body, or maybe the cooling rate on EL body was governed by the attenuation of the heat source rather than burial depth. Chang Y., Benoit P.H. and Sears D.W.G. (1992) Lunar and Planet. Sci. 23, 217-218. Doan A.S. and Goldstein J.I. (1970) Met. Trans. 1, 1759-1767. El Goresy A. and Ehlers K (1989) Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 53, 1657-1668. Fogel R.A., Hess P.C. and Rutherford M.C. (1989) Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 53, 2735-2746. Kissin S.A.(1989) Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 53, 1649-1655. Larimer J.W. and Buseck P.R. (1974) Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 38, 471-477. Skinner B.J. and Luce F.D. (1971) Amer. Min. 56, 1269-1296. Figure 1, which in the hard copy appears here, shows isotherm from the Fe-Ni-P phase diagram with data for enstatite chondrites superimposed.

Redox Conditions Among the Terrestrial Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, J. H.

2004-01-01

Early solar system conditions should have been extremely reducing. The redox state of the early solar nebula was determined by the H2O/H2 of the gas, which is calculated (based on solar composition) to have been about IW-5. At high temperature under such conditions, ferrous iron would exist only as a trace element in silicates and the most common type of chondritic material should have been enstatite chondrites. The observation that E-chondrites form only a subset of the chondrite suite and that the terrestrial planets (Earth, Moon, Mars, Venus, 4 Vesta) contain ferrous and ferric iron as major and minor elements, respectively, implies that either most chondritic materials formed under conditions that were not solar or that early-formed metals oxidized at low temperature, producing FeO. For example, equilibrated ordinary chondrites (by definition, common chondritic materials), by their phase assemblage of olivine, orthopyroxene and metal, must fall not far from the QFI (Quartz-Fayalite-Iron) oxygen buffer. The QFI buffer is about IW-0.5 and, as we shall see, this fo2 is close to that inferred for many materials in the inner solar system.

Photomosaics of the cathodoluminescence of 60 sections of meteorites and lunar samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Akridge, D.G.; Akridge, J.M.C.; Batchelor, J.D.; Benoit, P.H.; Brewer, J.; DeHart, J.M.; Keck, B.D.; Jie, L.; Meier, A.; Penrose, M.; Schneider, D.M.; Sears, D.W.G.; Symes, S.J.K.; Yanhong, Z.

2004-01-01

Cathodoluminescence (CL) petrography provides a means of observing petrographic and compositional properties of geological samples not readily observable by other techniques. We report the low-magnification CL images of 60 sections of extraterrestrial materials. The images we report include ordinary chondrites (including type 3 ordinary chondrites and gas-rich regolith breccias), enstatite chondrites, CO chondrites and a CM chondrite, eucrites and a howardite, lunar highland regolith breccias, and lunar soils. The CL images show how primitive materials respond to parent body metamorphism, how the metamorphic history of EL chondrites differs from that of EH chondrites, how dark matrix and light clasts of regolith breccias relate to each other, how metamorphism affects eucrites, the texture of lunar regolith breccias and the distribution of crystallized lunar spherules ("lunar chondrules"), and how regolith working affects the mineral properties of lunar soils. More particularly, we argue that such images are a rich source of new information on the nature and history of these materials and that our efforts to date are a small fraction of what can be done. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.

Rhenium-osmium isotope systematics of carbonaceous chondrites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, R.J.; Morgan, J.W.

1989-01-01

Rhenium and osmium concentrations and Os isotopic compositions of eight carbonaceous chondrites, one LL3 ordinary chondrite, and two iron meteorites were determined by resonance ionization mass spectrometry. Iron meteorite 187Re/186Os and 187OS/186Os ratios plot on the previously determined iron meteorite isochron, but most chondrite data plot 1 to 2 percent above this meteorite isochron. This suggests either that irons have significantly younger Re-Os closure ages than chondrites or that chondrites were formed from precursor materials with different chemical histories from the precursors of irons. Some samples of Semarkona (LL3) and Murray (C2M) meteorites plot 4 to 6 percent above the iron meteorite isochron, well above the field delineated by other chondrites. Murray may have lost Re by aqueous leaching during its preterrestrial history. Semarkona could have experienced a similar loss of Re, but only slight aqueous alteration is evident in the meteorite. Therefore, the isotopic composition of Semarkona could reflect assembly of isotopically heterogeneous components subsequent to 4.55 billion years ago or Os isotopic heterogeneities in the primordial solar nebula.

(40)Ar/(39)Ar Age of Hornblende-Bearing R Chondrite LAP 04840

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Righter, K.; Cosca, M.

2015-01-01

Chondrites have a complex chronology due to several variables affecting and operating on chondritic parent bodies such as radiogenic heating, pressure and temperature variation with depth, aqueous alteration, and shock or impact heating. Unbrecciated chondrites can record ages from 4.56 to 4.4 Ga that represent cooling in small parent bodies. Some brecciated chondrites exhibit younger ages (much less than 4 to 4.4 Ga) that may reflect the age of brecciation, disturbance, or shock and impact events (much less than 4 Ga). A unique R chondrite was recently found in the LaPaz Icefield of Antarctica - LAP 04840. This chondrite contains approximately 15% hornblende and trace amounts of biotite, making it the first of its kind. Studies have revealed an equigranular texture, mineral equilibria yielding equilibration near 650-700 C and 250-500 bars, hornblende that is dominantly OH-bearing (very little Cl or F), and high D/H ratios. To help gain a better understanding of the origin of this unique sample, we have measured the (40)Ar/(39)Ar age (LAP 04840 split 39).

Hf-W chronology of CR chondrites: Implications for the timescales of chondrule formation and the distribution of 26Al in the solar nebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budde, Gerrit; Kruijer, Thomas S.; Kleine, Thorsten

2018-02-01

Renazzo-type carbonaceous (CR) chondrites are distinct from most other chondrites in having younger chondrule 26Al-26Mg ages, but the significance of these ages and whether they reflect true formation times or spatial variations of the 26Al/27Al ratio within the solar protoplanetary disk are a matter of debate. To address these issues and to determine the timescales of metal-silicate fractionation and chondrule formation in CR chondrites, we applied the short-lived 182Hf-182W chronometer to metal, silicate, and chondrule separates from four CR chondrites. We also obtained Mo isotope data for the same samples to assess potential genetic links among the components of CR chondrites, and between these components and bulk chondrites. All investigated samples plot on a single Hf-W isochron and constrain the time of metal-silicate fractionation in CR chondrites to 3.6 ± 0.6 million years (Ma) after the formation of Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs). This age is indistinguishable from a ∼3.7 Ma Al-Mg age for CR chondrules, suggesting not only that metal-silicate fractionation and chondrule formation were coeval, but also that these two processes were linked to each other. The good agreement of the Hf-W and Al-Mg ages, combined with concordant Hf-W and Al-Mg ages for angrites and CV chondrules, provides strong evidence for a disk-wide, homogeneous distribution of 26Al in the early solar system. As such, the young Al-Mg ages for CR chondrules do not reflect spatial 26Al/27Al heterogeneities but indicate that CR chondrules formed ∼1-2 Ma later than chondrules from most other chondrite groups. Metal and silicate in CR chondrites exhibit distinct nucleosynthetic Mo and W isotope anomalies, which are caused by the heterogeneous distribution of the same presolar s-process carrier. These data suggest that the major components of CR chondrites are genetically linked and therefore formed from a single reservoir of nebular dust, most likely by localized melting events within the solar protoplanetary disk. Taken together, the chemical, isotopic, and chronological data for components of CR chondrites imply a close temporal link between chondrule formation and chondrite accretion, indicating that the CR chondrite parent body is one of the youngest meteorite parent bodies. The relatively late accretion of the CR parent body is consistent with its isotopic composition (for instance the elevated 15N/14N) that suggests a formation at a larger heliocentric distance, probably beyond the orbit of Jupiter. As such, the accretion age of the CR chondrite parent body of ∼3.6 Ma after CAI formation provides the earliest possible time at which Jupiter's growth could have led to scattering of carbonaceous meteorite parent bodies from beyond its orbit into the inner solar system.

Microchondrule-bearing clast in the Piancaldoli LL3 meteorite - A new kind of type 3 chondrite and its relevance to the history of chondrules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, A. E.; Scott, E. R. D.; Keil, K.

1982-01-01

Electron microprobe, scanning electron microscope, and petrographic analyses of the microchondritic clast of the Piancaldoli LL3 chondrite are reported and compared with other type three chondrites. The clast, like other type three chondrites, has a fine-grained Fe-rich opaque silicate matrix, sharply defined chondrules, abundant low-Ca clinopyroxene and minor troilite and Si and Cr-bearing metallic Fe, Ni. However, the very high model matrix abundance, unique characteristics of the chondrules, and absence of microscopically observable olivine indicate that the clast is a new type of type three chondrite. It is concluded that the microchondrules were formed by the same process that formed normal-sized chondrules in type three chondrites: melting of preexisting dustballs. It is suggested that dust grains were mineralogically sorted in the nebula before aggregating into dustballs.

Chromium on Eros: Further Evidence of Ordinary Chondrite Composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foley, C. N.; Nittler, L. R.; Brown, M. R. M.; McCoy, T. J.; Lim, L. F.

2005-01-01

The surface major element composition of the near-earth asteroid 433-Eros has been determined by x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRS) on the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft [1]. The abundances of Mg, Al, Si, Ca and Fe match those of ordinary chondrites [1]. However, the observation that Eros appears to have a sulfur abundance at least a factor of two lower than ordinary chondrites, suggests either sulfur loss from the surface of Eros by impact and/or radiation processes (space weathering) or that its surface is comprised of a somewhat more differentiated type of material than an ordinary chondrite [1]. A definitive match for an ordinary chondrite parent body has very rarely been made, despite the conundrum that ordinary chondrites are the most prevalent type of meteorite found on Earth. Furthermore, Eros is classified as an S(IV) type asteroid [2] and being an S, it is the second most prevalent type of asteroid in the asteroid belt [3].

What Are Space Exposure Histories Telling Us about CM Carbonaceous Chondrites?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takenouchi, A.; Zolensky, Michael E.; Nishiizumi, K.; Caffee, M.; Velbel, M. A.; Ross, K.; Zolensky, P.; Le, L.; Imae, N.; Yamaguchi, A.;

Thermal history of type-3 chondrites in the NASA antarctic collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonal, L.; Quirico, E.; Montagnac, G.

2014-07-01

Chondrites are the most primitive meteorites. However, they were all modified in some ways by post-accretion geological processes operating on their asteroidal parent bodies. Hence, to decipher the formation(s) and origin(s) of their components, we must first understand how chondritic materials were modified in their asteroidal parent bodies. The modifications induced by secondary processes should not be underestimated and have to be precisely estimated before any interpretation of chondrite properties in terms of cosmochemistry. In particular, all chondrites contain some organic components that were potentially chemically and physically modified through post-accretion processes. A thin understanding of the induced evolution is required to allow for pertinent comparisons with other primitive extraterrestrial materials, such as cometary grains, to finally address questions such as the origin of organics in the Solar System. Type 3 chondrites experienced thermal metamorphism on their asteroidal parent body due to the radioactive decay of elements such as ^{26}Al. Temperatures higher than 300 °C were experienced on timescales of several thousands of years. Still, type 3 chondrites remain as unequilibrated rocks and common mineralogical thermometers cannot be applied. The polyaromatic carbonaceous matter is sensitive to thermal episodes (of long and short duration) experienced by the host meteorite. In particular, its structural order directly reflects the thermal history experienced on their parent bodies. The structural modification of the aromatic carbonaceous matter towards a higher order is irreversible, and independent of the mineralogy and degree of aqueous alteration. It is mainly controlled by the peak metamorphic temperature. Moreover, under the assumption of fairly similar organic precursors among chondrites of distinct groups, the structural order of polyaromatic organic matter allows for a direct comparison of their metamorphic grades. It is then possible to evaluate the metamorphic grade of the objects and to assign a petrologic type along a unique petrologic scale [1-4]. This technique has been successfully applied to type 3 Unequilibrated Ordinary Chondrites [1], carbonaceous CV chondrites [2], and CO chondrites [3]. The interpretation of the structural order of the polyaromatic carbonaceous matter in terms of thermal history is thus reliable. Raman spectroscopy enables the determination of the degree of structural order of the polyaromatic organic matter present in the matrix of chondrites. Both falls and finds, from Antarctica [4] and elsewhere, have been analyzed. It does not require a large amount of samples and is relatively easy to implement. Raman spectroscopy is particularly sensitive to the lowest petrologic types (3.0-3.2). The present NASA collection of Antarctic meteorites represents an incredible source of precious samples for our community. The present work finely characterizes the thermal history of most of the type 3 chondrites (UOCs, CVs, and COs) from that collection. At the present time, the objectives are threefold: (i) determination of reliable petrologic types indispensable for our community; (ii) identification of the most primitive type 3 chondrites (petrologic type ≤ 3.1); and (iii) identification of potential ''anomalous'' samples having experienced a slightly different thermal history. The JSC Meteorite Working Group generously allocated us with more than 150 chondrites (UOCs, CVs, and COs). The following points summarize the main results. (i) At the present time, the thermal histories of more than 100 samples have been characterized. (ii) The terrestrial weathering experienced by several chondrites (˜25 chondrites) has been too pervasive for the method to be applied. For these meteorites, as signatures of oxide minerals dominate Raman spectra of the matrix, the organic matter might have been significantly altered through oxidation. (iii) Real discrepancies with the preliminary JSC petrologic type attributions were found for several chondrites with mostly underestimations of the metamorphic grades. (iv) The structural grade of the polyaromatic carbonaceous matter is fairly homogeneous in most of the considered chondrites with a few exceptions, interpreted in terms of shock events. (v) Recently, there were some promising advances (e.g. [5,6]) in terms of interpretation of the structural order of the polyaromatic carbonaceous matter as a geothermometer for terrestrial rocks of low maturity grades. The used spectral tracers will be considered and the thermometry potentially applied to infer new constraints on the metamorphic temperature experienced by these type 3 chondrites.

ALH85085: a unique volatile-poor carbonaceous chondrite with possible implications for nebular fractionation processes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grossman, J.N.; Rubin, A.E.; MacPherson, G.J.

1988-01-01

Allan Hills 85085 is a unique chondrite with affinities to the Al Rais-Renazzo clan of carbonaceous chondrites. Its constituents are less than 50 ??m in mean size. Chondrules and microchondrules of all textures are present; nonporphyritic chondrules are unusually abundant. The mean compositions of porphyritic, nonporphyritic and barred olivine chondrules resemble those in ordinary chondrites except that they are depleted in volatile elements. Ca-, Al-rich inclusions are abundant and largely free of nebular alteration; they comprise types similar to those in CM and CO chondrites, as well as unique types. Calcium dialuminate occurs in several inclusions. Metal, silicate and sulfide compositions are close to those in CM-CO chondrites and Al Rais and Renazzo. C1-chondrite clasts and metal-rich "reduced" clasts are present, but opaque matrix is absent. Siderophile abundances in ALH85085 are extremely high (e.g., Fe Si = 1.7 ?? solar), and volatiles are depleted (e.g., Na Si = 0.25 ?? solar, S Si = 0.03 ?? solar). Nonvolatile lithophile abundances are similar to those in Al Rais, Renazzo, and CM and CO chondrites. ALH85085 agglomerated when temperatures in the nebula were near 1000 K, in the same region where Renazzo, Al Rais and the CI chondrites formed. Agglomeration of high-temperature material may thus be a mechanism by which the fractionation of refractory lithophiles occurred in the nebula. Chondrule formation must have occurred at high temperatures when clumps of precursors were small. After agglomeration, ALH85085 was annealed and lightly shocked. C1 and other clasts were subsequently incorporated during late-stage brecciation. ?? 1988.

Petrology and In Situ Trace Element Chemistry of a Suite of R Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Peng, Z. X.; Torrano, Z. A.

2015-07-01

Your eyes are not deceiving you: Duck has submitted an abstract to a chondrite session. We will present the results of our petrological and compositional studies of R chondrites of diverse petrological type.

Aqueous Alteration and Shock Metamorphism of Antarctic CR Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komatsu, M.; Fagan, T. J.; Yamaguchi, A.; Mikouchi, T.; Yasutake, M.; Zolensky, M. E.

2018-01-01

CR chondrites are the group of carbonaceous chondrites that best preserve records of formation of their components in the solar nebula. Although they are affected by aqueous alteration, many chondrules and CAIs are well-preserved, suggesting they have experienced little thermal metamorphism. We have been investigating the petrologic variations among the CR chondrites in the NIPR Antarctic meteorite collection. We focused particular attention on the petrology of amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs) in order to understand secondary alteration on the CR chondrite parent body. AOAs are composed of fine-grained forsteritic olivine and refractory minerals formed by condensation in the solar nebula, and can be used as sensitive indicators of secondary alteration processes.

Porphyritic Olivine-Pyroxene Clast in Kaidun: First Discovery of an Ordinary Chondrite Clast?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikouchi, T.; Makishima, J.; Koizumi, E.; Zolensky, M. E.

2005-01-01

Kaidun is an enigmatic meteorite showing a micro-brecciated texture composed of variable kinds of lithic clasts and mineral fragments. The constituent components range from primitive chondritic materials to differentiated achondritic materials, and thus believed to have originated from a large parent body accumulating materials from many different bodies in the asteroid belt. One of the interesting observations is that no ordinary chondrite component has been found yet, although C and E chondrites components are abundant. In this abstract, we report mineralogy of the clast (Kaidun #15415- 01.3.13a) showing a porphyritic olivine-pyroxene chondrule-like texture similar to those found in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites.

Anomalous REE patterns in unequilibrated enstatite chondrites: Evidence and implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crozaz, Ghislaine; Hsu, Weibiao

1993-01-01

We present here a study of Rare Earth Element (REE) microdistributions in unequilibrated enstatite chondrites (EOC's). Although the whole rock REE contents are similar in both unequilibrated and equilibrated chondrites, the host minerals of these refractory elements are different. In the least equilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOC's), the REE reside mainly in glass whereas, in their more equilibrated counterparts, the bulk of the REE is in calcium phosphate, a metamorphic mineral that formed by oxidation of phosphorous originally contained in metal. In the smaller group of enstatite (E) chondrites, calcium phosphate is absent and the phase that contains the highest REE concentrations is a minor mineral, CaS (oldhamite), which contains approximately 50 percent of the total Ca present. In E chondrites, elements typically considered to be lithophiles (such as Ca and Mn) occur in sulfides rather than silicates. This indicates formation under extremely reducing conditions, thus in a region of the solar nebula distinct from those that supplied the more abundant ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites. Previously, we observed a variety of REE patterns in the oldhamite of UEC's; they range from almost flat to some with pronounced positive Eu and Yb anomalies. Here, we searched for complementary REE patterns in other minerals from E chondrites and found them in the major mineral, enstatite. Whenever Eu and Yb anomalies are present in this mineral, they are always negative.

Carbonaceous Chondrite-Rich Howardites; The Potential for Hydrous Lithologies on the HED Parent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herrin, J. S.; Zolensky, M. E.; Cartwright, J. A.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Ross, D. K.

2011-01-01

Howardites, eucrites, and diogenites, collectively referred to as the "HED's", are a clan of meteorites thought to represent three different lithologies from a common parent body. Collectively they are the most abundant type of achondrites in terrestrial collections. Eucrites are crustal basalts and gabbros, diogenites are mostly orthopyroxenites and are taken to represent lower crust or upper mantle materials, and howardites are mixed breccias containing both lithologies and are generally regarded as derived from the regolith or near-surface. The presence of exogenous chondritic material in howardite breccias has long been recognized. As a group, howardites exhibit divergence in bulk chemistry from what would be produced by mixing of diogenite and eucrite end-members exclusively, a phenomenon most evident in elevated concentrations of siderophile elements. Despite this chemical evidence for chondritic input in howardite breccias, chondritic clasts have only been identified in a minority of samples, and typically at levels of only a few percent. Three recent Antarctic howardite finds, the paired Mt. Pratt (PRA) 04401 and PRA 04402 and Scott Glacier (SCO) 06040, are notable for their high proportion of carbonaceous chondrite clasts. PRA 04401 is particularly well-endowed, with large chondritic clasts occupying more than half of the modal area of the sections we examined. Previously only a few percent chondritic clasts had been observed to occur in howardites. PRA 04401 is the most chondrite-rich howardite known

EARLY IMPACT MELTING AND SPACE EXPOSURE HISTORY OF THE PAT91501 LCHONDRITE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bogard, Donald D.; Garrison, D. H.; Herzog, G. F.; Xue, S.; Klein, J.; Middleton, R.

2004-01-01

Collisions probably occurred frequently in the early history of the asteroid belt. Their effects, which should be recorded in meteorites, must have included heating and melting along with shock alteration of mineral textures. Some non-chondritic meteorite types e.g., eucrites and IIE and IAB irons - do indeed give evidence of extensive impact heating more than 3.4 Gyr ago. The ordinary chondrites, in contrast, show little evidence of early impact heating. The Ar-Ar and Rb-Sr ages of ordinary chondrites that experienced intense shock are for the most part relatively young, many less than 1.5 Gyr. The numerous L-chondrites with Ar- Ar ages clustering near 0.5 Gy are a well-known example. One of them, the 105-kg Chico Lchondrite, shows the effects of unusually intense heating. It is approximately 60% impact melt and likely formed as a dyke beneath a large crater when the L-chondrite parent body underwent a very large impact approximately 0.5 Gyr ago. In rare instances, older shock dates are indicated for ordinary chondrites. Dixon et al show early impact resetting of Ar-Ar ages of a few LL-chondrites including MIL 99301 at 4.23 0.03 Gyr, but in none of these stones did shock lead to extensive melting. As of 2003, searches for chondritic melts attributable to early shock had turned up only the Shaw L-chondrite, which has an Ar-Ar age of approximately 4.42 Gyr. PAT91501 is an 8.55-kg L-chondrite containing vesicles and metal-troilite nodules. It is a unique, near-total impact melt, unshocked, depleted in siderophile and chalcophile elements, and contains only approximately 10% relic chondritic material. The authors conclude that PAT91501 crystallized rapidly and from a much more homogeneous melt than did Shaw. They suggest that PAT resembles Chico and likely formed as an impact melt vein within an impact crater. To define the history of PAT, we have determined its Ar-39-Ar-40 age and measured several radioactive and stable nuclides produced during its space exposure to cosmic rays.

Silurian Micrometeorite Flux: The Demise of the Mid-Ordovician L-Chondrite Reign.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, E.; Schmitz, B.

2017-12-01

Earth's sedimentary record holds information about the micrometeorite flux through time, reflecting the collisional evolution of the asteroid belt. Around 466 Ma ago in the mid-Ordovician period the L-chondrite parent body breakup (LCPB) took place in the main asteroid belt causing a massive increase, up to two orders of magnitude, in the flux of meteorites to Earth (Schmitz, 2013). What did the meteorite flux look like after the breakup event? And when in time can we see a decrease in the fraction of L-chondritic micrometeorites? We dissolved in acids condensed, marine limestone representing the mid-Ordovician and the late Silurian about 0.5 and 40 Ma, respectively after the LCPB, and searched the residues for spinel grains from equilibrated ordinary chondrites (EC). We used 102 kg from the mid-Ordovician Komstad Limestone Formation, Killeröd quarry in Sweden, and 321 kg from the Silurian Kok Formation, Cellon section in Austria. Elemental analyses of the spinel grains were used to link the grains to different types of meteorites. In the large grain size fraction (63-355 µm) there are 4.5 EC grains/kg of rock in the mid-Ordovician sample and only 0.03 EC grains/kg in the Silurian sample. Because the two formations formed at about the same rate (a few mm per kyr) the results represent strong evidence for a major tailing off in the L-chondritic meteorite contribution by the late Silurian. The EC grains have been divided into the H, L, and LL groups based on the TiO2 content. The results show that the fraction of L chondrites compared to H and LL chondrites had declined significantly by the late Silurian. In the study of Heck et al. (2016) it was shown that ≥99% of the ordinary chondritic micrometeorites were L chondrites right after the LCPB. Our data indicate that the L-chondrite fraction had decreased to 60% by the Silurian, with the H and LL chondrites making up 30% and 10% respectively of the flux.

Bleached chondrules: Evidence for widespread aqueous processes on the parent asteroids of ordinary chondrites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grossman, J.N.; Alexander, C.M. O'D.; Wang, Jingyuan; Brearley, A.J.

2000-01-01

We present the first detailed study of a population of texturally distinct chondrules previously described by Kurat (1969), Christophe Michel-Levy (1976), and Skinner et al. (1989) that are sharply depleted in alkalis and Al in their outer portions. These 'bleached' chondrules, which are exclusively radial pyroxene and cryptocrystalline in texture, have porous outer zones where mesostasis has been lost. Bleached chondrules are present in all type 3 ordinary chondrites and are present in lower abundances in types 4-6. They are most abundant in the L and LL groups, apparently less common in H chondrites, and absent in enstatite chondrites. We used x-ray mapping and traditional electron microprobe techniques to characterize bleached chondrules in a cross section of ordinary chondrites. We studied bleached chondrules from Semarkona by ion microprobe for trace elements and H isotopes, and by transmission electron microscopy. Chondrule bleaching was the result of low-temperature alteration by aqueous fluids flowing through fine-grained chondrite matrix prior to thermal metamorphism. During aqueous alteration, interstitial glass dissolved and was partially replaced by phyllosilicates, troilite was altered to pentlandite, but pyroxene was completely unaffected. Calcium-rich zones formed at the inner margins of the bleached zones, either as the result of the early stages of metamorphism or because of fluid-chondrule reaction. The mineralogy of bleached chondrules is extremely sensitive to thermal metamorphism in type 3 ordinary chondrites, and bleached zones provide a favorable location for the growth of metamorphic minerals in higher petrologic types. The ubiquitous presence of bleached chondrules in ordinary chondrites implies that they all experienced aqueous alteration early in their asteroidal histories, but there is no relationship between the degree of alteration and metamorphic grade. A correlation between the oxidation state of chondrite groups and their degree of aqueous alteration is consistent with the source of water being either accreted ices or water released during oxidation of organic matter. Ordinary chondrites were probably open systems after accretion, and aqueous fluids may have carried volatile elements with them during dehydration. Individual radial pyroxene and cryptocrystalline chondrules were certainly open systems in all chondrites that experienced aqueous alteration leading to bleaching.

Clues to the origin of metal in Almahata Sitta EL and EH chondrites and implications for primitive E chondrite thermal histories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horstmann, Marian; Humayun, Munir; Bischoff, Addi

2014-09-01

Enstatite (E) chondrites are a group of texturally highly variable meteorites formed under strongly reducing conditions giving rise to unique mineral and chemical characteristics (e.g., high abundances of various sulfides and Si-bearing metal). In particular the abundant metal comprises a range of textures in E chondrites of different petrologic type, but available in situ siderophile trace element data on metal are limited. Nine samples of E chondrites from the recent Almahata Sitta fall [one EH3, two EL3/4, two EL6, two EL impact melt rocks (IMR), two EH IMR] were investigated in this study in addition to St. Mark's (EH5) and Grein 002 (EL4/5), with a focus on the nature of their metal constituents. Special attention was given to metal-silicate intergrowths (MSSI) that occur in many primitive E chondrites, which have been interpreted as post-accretionary asteroidal impact melts or primitive nebular condensates. This study shows that siderophile trace element systematics in E chondrite metal are independent of petrologic type of the host rock and distinct from condensation signatures. Three basic types of siderophile trace element signatures can be distinguished, indicating crystallization from a melt, thermal equilibration upon metamorphism/complete melting, and exsolution of schreibersite-perryite-sulfide. Textural and mineral-chemical constraints from EL3/4s are used to evaluate previously proposed formation processes of MSSI (impact melting vs. nebular condensation) and elucidate which other formation scenarios are feasible. It is shown that post-accretionary (in situ) impact melting or metallic melt injection forming MSSI on the thin section scale, and nebular condensation, are unlikely formation processes. This leads to the conclusion that MSSIs are pre-accretionary melt objects that were formed during melting processes prior to the accretion of the primitive E chondrites. The same can be concluded for metal nodules in the EH3 chondrite examined. The pre-accretionary origin of MSSIs in E chondrites is consistent with a growing body of evidence for early differentiation followed by impact disruption of early formed planetesimals in all major chondrite types.

Non-Chondritic Ni Isotope Composition of the Bulk Silicate Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klaver, M.; Elliott, T.

2018-05-01

We present high-precision Ni isotope data of chondritic meteorites and carefully selected mantle peridotites. These data show that the Bulk Silicate Earth is ca. 90 ppm lighter than chondritic meteorites, possibly as the result of core formation.

Relationships among physical properties as indicators of high temperature deformation or post-shock thermal annealing in ordinary chondrites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Friedrich, Jon M.; Ruzicka, Alex; Macke, Robert J.

Collisions and attendant shock compaction must have been important for the accretion and lithification of planetesimals, including the parent bodies of chondrites, but the conditions under which these occurred are not well constrained. A simple model for the compaction of chondrites predicts that shock intensity as recorded by shock stage should be related to porosity and grain fabric. To test this model, we studied sixteen ordinary chondrites of different groups (H, L, LL) using X-ray computed microtomography (μCT) to measure porosity and metal fabric, ideal gas pycnometry and 3D laser scanning to determine porosity, and optical microscopy (OM) to determinemore » shock stage. These included a subsample of six chondrites previously studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to characterize microstructures in olivine. Combining with previous data, results support the simple model in general, but not for chondrites with low shock-porosity-foliation (low-SPF chondrites). These include Kernouvé (H6), Portales Valley (H6/7), Butsura (H6), Park (L6), GRO 85209 (L6), Estacado (H6), MIL 99301 (LL6), Spade (H6), and Queen’s Mercy (H6), among others. The data for these meteorites are best explained by high ambient heat during or after shock. Low-SPF chondrites tend to have older 40Ar/39Ar ages (~4435–4526 Ma) than other, non-low-SPF type 6 chondrites in this study. We conclude that the H, L, and LL asteroids all were shock-compacted at an early stage while warm, with collisions occurring during metamorphic heating of the parent bodies. Results ultimately bear on whether chondrite parent bodies have internal structures more akin to a metamorphosed onion shell or metamorphosed rubble pile, and on the nature of accretion and lithification processes for planetesimals.« less

The relationship between CK and CV chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenwood, R. C.; Franchi, I. A.; Kearsley, A. T.; Alard, O.

2010-03-01

CK chondrites are highly oxidized meteorites containing abundant magnetite and trace amounts of Fe,Ni metal. Although the group is predominately composed of equilibrated meteorites (types 4-6), in recent years a significant number of new samples have been classified as being either CK3 or CK3-anomalous. These unequilibrated CKs often display a close affinity with members of the CV oxidized subgroup. CKs and CVs (oxidized subgroup) may therefore form a continuum and by implication could be derived from a single common parent body. To investigate the relationship between these two groups a detailed study of the oxygen isotope composition, opaque mineralogy and major and trace element geochemistry of a suite of CV and CK chondrites has been undertaken. The results of oxygen isotope analysis confirm the close affinity between CV and CK chondrites, while excluding the possibility of a linkage between the CO and CK groups. Magnetites in both CV and CK chondrites show significant compositional similarities, but high Ti contents are a diagnostic feature of the latter group. The results of major and trace element analysis demonstrate that both CV and CK chondrites show overlapping variation. Supporting evidence for a single common source for both groups comes from their similar cosmic-ray exposure age distributions. Recent reflectance spectral analysis is consistent with both the CVs and CKs being derived from Eos family asteroids, which are believed to have formed by the catastrophic disruption of a single large asteroid. Thus, a range of evidence appears to be consistent with CV and CK chondrites representing samples from a single thermally stratified parent body. In view of the close similarity between CV and CK chondrites some modification of the present classification scheme may be warranted, possibly involving integration of the two groups. One means of achieving this would be to reassigned CK chondrites to a subgroup of the oxidized CVs. It is recognized that a full evaluation of this proposal may require further study of the still poorly understood CK3 chondrites.

Laboratory mid-IR spectra of equilibrated and igneous meteorites. Searching for observables of planetesimal debris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vries, B. L.; Skogby, H.; Waters, L. B. F. M.; Min, M.

2018-06-01

Meteorites contain minerals from Solar System asteroids with different properties (like size, presence of water, core formation). We provide new mid-IR transmission spectra of powdered meteorites to obtain templates of how mid-IR spectra of asteroidal debris would look like. This is essential for interpreting mid-IR spectra of past and future space observatories, like the James Webb Space Telescope. First we present new transmission spectra of powdered ordinary chondrite, pallasite and HED meteorites and then we combine them with already available transmission spectra of chondrites in the literature, giving a total set of 64 transmission spectra. In detail we study the spectral features of minerals in these spectra to obtain measurables used to spectroscopically distinguish between meteorite groups. Being able to differentiate between dust from different meteorite types means we can probe properties of parent bodies, like their size, if they were wet or dry and if they are differentiated (core formation) or not. We show that the transmission spectra of wet and dry chondrites, carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites and achondrite and chondrite meteorites are distinctly different in a way one can distinguish in astronomical mid-IR spectra. Carbonaceous chondrites type < 3 (aqueously altered) show distinct features of hydrated silicates (hydrosilicates) compared to the olivine and pyroxene rich ordinary chondrites (dry and equilibrated meteorites). Also the iron concentration of the olivine in carbonaceous chondrites differs from ordinary chondrites, which can be probed by the wavelength peak position of the olivine spectral features. The transmission spectra of chondrites (not differentiated) are also strongly different from the achondrite HED meteorites (meteorites from differentiated bodies like 4 Vesta), where the latter show much stronger pyroxene signatures. The two observables that spectroscopically separate the different meteorites groups (and thus the different types of parent bodies) are the pyroxene-olivine feature strength ratio and the peak shift of the olivine spectral features due to an increase in the iron concentration of the olivine.

Early aqueous activity on the ordinary and carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies recorded by fayalite

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doyle, Patricia M.; Jogo, Kaori; Nagashima, Kazuhide

Here, chronology of aqueous activity on chondrite parent bodies constrains their accretion times and thermal histories. Radiometric 53Mn– 53Cr dating has been successfully applied to aqueously formed carbonates in CM carbonaceous chondrites. Owing to the absence of carbonates in ordinary (H, L and LL), and CV and CO carbonaceous chondrites, and the lack of proper standards, there are no reliable ages of aqueous activity on their parent bodies. Here we report the first 53Mn– 53Cr ages of aqueously formed fayalite in the L3 chondrite Elephant Moraine 90161 as 2.4 +1.8 -1.3 Myr after calcium–aluminium-rich inclusions (CAIs), the oldest Solar Systemmore » solids. In addition, measurements using our synthesized fayalite standard show that fayalite in the CV3 chondrite Asuka 881317 and CO3-like chondrite MacAlpine Hills 88107 formed and 4.2 +0.8 -0.7 Myr after CAIs, respectively. Thermal modelling, combined with the inferred conditions (temperature and water/rock ratio) and 53Mn– 53Cr ages of aqueous alteration, suggests accretion of the L, CV and CO parent bodies ~1.8–2.5 Myr after CAIs.« less

Early aqueous activity on the ordinary and carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies recorded by fayalite

DOE PAGES

Doyle, Patricia M.; Jogo, Kaori; Nagashima, Kazuhide; ...

2015-06-23

Here, chronology of aqueous activity on chondrite parent bodies constrains their accretion times and thermal histories. Radiometric 53Mn– 53Cr dating has been successfully applied to aqueously formed carbonates in CM carbonaceous chondrites. Owing to the absence of carbonates in ordinary (H, L and LL), and CV and CO carbonaceous chondrites, and the lack of proper standards, there are no reliable ages of aqueous activity on their parent bodies. Here we report the first 53Mn– 53Cr ages of aqueously formed fayalite in the L3 chondrite Elephant Moraine 90161 as 2.4 +1.8 -1.3 Myr after calcium–aluminium-rich inclusions (CAIs), the oldest Solar Systemmore » solids. In addition, measurements using our synthesized fayalite standard show that fayalite in the CV3 chondrite Asuka 881317 and CO3-like chondrite MacAlpine Hills 88107 formed and 4.2 +0.8 -0.7 Myr after CAIs, respectively. Thermal modelling, combined with the inferred conditions (temperature and water/rock ratio) and 53Mn– 53Cr ages of aqueous alteration, suggests accretion of the L, CV and CO parent bodies ~1.8–2.5 Myr after CAIs.« less

Osmium isotopic homogeneity in the CK carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goderis, Steven; Brandon, Alan D.; Mayer, Bernhard; Humayun, Munir

2017-11-01

Variable proportions of isotopically diverse presolar components are known to account for nucleosynthetic isotopic anomalies for a variety of elements (e.g., Ca, Ti, Cr, Ni, Sr, Zr, Mo, Ru, Pd, Ba, Nd, and Sm) in both bulk chondrites and achondrites. However, although large Os isotopic anomalies have been measured in acid leachates and residues of unequilibrated chondrites, bulk chondrites of various groups, iron meteorites, and pallasites exhibit Os isotopic compositions that are indistinguishable from terrestrial or bulk solar isotopic abundances. Since the magnitude of nucleosynthetic anomalies is typically largest in the carbonaceous chondrites, this study reports high-precision Os isotopic compositions and highly siderophile element (HSE) concentrations for ten CK chondrites. The isotope dilution concentration data for HSE and high-precision Os isotope ratios were determined on the same digestion aliquots, to precisely correct for radiogenic contributions to 186Os and 187Os. While acid leached bulk unequilibrated carbonaceous chondrites show deficits of s-process Os components to the same extent as revealed by unequilibrated enstatite, ordinary, and Rumuruti chondrites, equilibrated bulk CK chondrites exhibit no resolvable Os isotopic anomalies. These observations support the idea that acid-resistant, carbon-rich presolar grains, such as silicon carbide (SiC) or graphite, are major carriers for nucleosynthetic isotopic anomalies of Os. The destruction of these presolar grains, which are omnipresent in unequilibrated meteorites, must have occurred during aqueous alteration and thermal metamorphism, early in the CK chondrite parent body history. The dispersal of CK chondrites along the IIIAB iron meteorite isochron on a 187Os/188Os versus 187Re/188Os diagram, with Re/Os ratios from 0.032 to 0.083, in combination with the observed redistribution of other HSE (e.g., Pt, Pd), highlights the influence of parent body processes, overprinted by effects of recent terrestrial alteration. Under the oxidizing conditions prevalent on the CK parent body, evident from high abundances of magnetite and limited Fe-Ni metal in CK chondrites, these parent body processes made all isotopically anomalous Os, originally hosted in reduced presolar grains, accessible. The absence of Os isotopic anomalies in ordinary, enstatite, and now also carbonaceous chondrites, implies that the carriers of s- and r-process Os must have been effectively homogenized across the region of chondrite formation, and possibly even the entire solar protoplanetary nebula, as suggested by the Os isotopic compositions of iron meteorites and non-anomalous ureilites. Except for a limited number of ureilites, the relative proportions of presolar s- and r-process carriers of Os (and other elements such as W) in chondrites, and most other planetary bodies, must have remained constant during all subsequent nebular and planetary processes, which appears not to have been the case for other siderophile elements, including Mo, Ru, and Pd. The existence of Mo, Ru, Pd and other siderophile element isotopic anomalies thus appears to be in part controlled by the chemical properties of these elements (e.g., volatility), their host phase(s) (e.g., SiC, graphite, metal, sulfides), and the nature of the nebular or planetary processes experienced in the early solar system.

The Chelyabinsk Fall Highly Siderophile Element Abundance and 187Os/188Os Composition and Comparison with Ordinary and Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, J. M. D.; Corder, C. A.; Dhaliwal, J. K.; Liu, Y.; Taylor, L. A.

2014-09-01

New osmium isotope and highly siderophile element abundance data are presented for the Chelyabinsk ordinary chondrite fall (February 2013) and placed into context with new data for ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites.

Penecontemporaneous metamorphism, fragmentation, and reassembly of ordinary chondrite parent bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grimm, R. E.

1985-01-01

The thermal histories of ordinary chondrites and the canonical internal heating or onion shell models, which predict an inverse relation between the petrologic type of chondrites and the metallographic cooling rate, are reviewed. The thermal and accretional requirements of the 'metamorphosed planetesimal' model proposed by Scott and Rajan (1981) are analyzed, and an alternative model consistent with the metallographic cooling rate constraints is suggested in which ordinary chondrite parent bodies are collisionally fragmented and then rapidly reassembled before metamorphic heat has been dissipated.

Yes, Kakangari is a unique chondrite. [meteoritic composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, A. M.; Grossman, L.; Ganapathy, R.

1977-01-01

The position of the Kakangari chondrite as the representative of a new class of chondrites is considered, taking into account the results of the analysis of a 17.1-mg piece of Kakangari for 20 elements. Elemental concentration data are compared for Kakangari and other meteorite groups. Data for the most similar groups, C2, C3(V), L, and E4 chondrites are represented in a graph along with Kakangari data. It is found that pronounced differences exist between Kakangari and the other meteorite classes.

Chondritic Earth: comparisons, guidelines and status

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonough, W. F.

2014-12-01

The chemical and isotopic composition of the Earth is rationally understood within the context of the chondritic reference frame, without recourse to hidden reservoirs, collision erosion, or strict interpretation of an enstatite chondrite model. Challenges to interpreting the array of recent and disparate chemical and isotopic observations from meteorites need to be understood as rich data harvests that inform us of the compositional heterogeneity in the early solar system. Our ability to resolve small, significant compositional differences between chondrite families provide critical insights into integrated compositional signatures at differing annuli distances from the Sun (i.e., 1-6 AU). Rigorous evaluation of chondritic models for planets requires treatment of both statistical and systematic uncertainties - to date these efforts are uncommonly practiced. Planetary olivine to pyroxene ratio reflects fO2 and temperature potentials in the nebular, given possible ISM compositional conditions; thus this ratio is a non-unique parameter of terrestrial bodies. Consequently the Mg/Si value of a planet (ie., olivine to pyroxene ratio) is a free variable; there is no singular chondritic Mg/Si value. For the Earth, there is an absence of physical and chemical evidence requiring a major element, chemical distinction between the upper and lower mantle, within uncertainties. Early Earth differentiation likely occurred, but there is an absence of chemical and isotopic evidence of its imprint. Chondrites, peridotites, komatiites, and basalts (ancient and modern) reveal a coherent picture of a chondritic compositional Earth, with compositionally affinities to enstatite chondrites. At present results from geoneutrino studies non-uniquely support these conclusions. Future experiments can provide true transformative insights into the Earth's thermal budget, define compositional BSE models, and will restrict discussions on Earth dynamics and its thermal evolution.

Looking for a correlation between terrestrial age and noble gas record of H chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loeken, Th.; Schultz, L.

1994-07-01

On the basis of statistically significant concentration differences of some trace elements, it has been suggested that H chondrites found in Antarctica and Modern Falls represent members of different extraterrestrial populations with different thermal histories. It was also concluded that H chondrites found in Victoria Land (Allan Hills) differ chemically from those found in Queen Maud Land (Yamato Mountains), an effect that could be based on the different terrestrial age distribution of both groups. This would imply a change of the meteoroid flux hitting the Earth on a timescale that is comparable to typical terrestrial ages of Antarctic chondrites. A comparison of the noble gas record of H chondrites from the Allan Hills icefields and Modern Fall shows that the distributions of cosmic-ray exposure ages and the concentrations of radiogenic He-4 and Ar-40 are very similar. In an earlier paper we compared the noble gas measurements of 20 Yamato H contents with meteorites from the Allan Hills region and Modern Falls. Similar distributions were found. The distribution of cosmic-ray exposure ages and radiogenic He-4 and Ar-40 gas contents as a function of the terrestrial age is investigated in these chondrites. The distribution shows the well-known 7-Ma-cluster indicating that about 40% of the H chondrites were excavated from their parent body in a single event. Both populations, Antarctic Meteorites and Modern Falls, exhibit the same characteristic feature: a major meteoroid-producing event about 7 Ma. This indicates that one H-group population delivers H chondrites to Antarctica and the rest of the world. Cosmic-ray exposure ages and thermal-history indicaters like radiogenic noble gases show no evidence of a change in the H chondrite meteoroid population during the last 200,000 years.

Crustal structure and igneous processes in a chondritic Io

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kargel, J. S.

1993-01-01

Liquid sulfur can form when metal-free C1 or C2 chondrites are heated. It may be obtained either by direct melting of native sulfur in disequilibrated C1 or C2 chondrites or by incongruent melting of pyrite and other sulfides in thermodynamically equilibrated rocks of the same composition. Hence, Lewis considered C2 chondrites to be the best meteoritic analog for Io's bulk composition. Metal-bearing C3 and ordinary chondrites are too chemically reduced to yield liquid sulfur and are not thought to represent plausible analogs of Io's bulk composition. An important aspect of Lewis' work is that CaSO4 and MgSO4 are predicted to be important in Io. Real C1 and C2 chondrites contain averages of, respectively, 11 percent and 3 percent by mass of salts (plus water of hydration). The most abundant chondritic salts are magnesium and calcium sulfates, but other important components include sulfates of sodium, potassium, and nickel and carbonates of magnesium, calcium, and iron. It is widely accepted that chondritic salts are formed by low-temperature aqueous alteration. Even if Io originally did not contain salts, it is likely that aqueous alteration would have yielded several percent sulfates and carbonates. In any event, Io probably contains sulfates and carbonates. This report presents the results of a model of differentiation of a simplified C2 chondrite-like composition that includes 1.92 percent MgSO4, 0.56 percent CaSO4, 0.53 percent CaCO3, and 0.094 percent elemental sulfur. The temperature of the model is gradually increased; ensuing fractional melting results in these components extruding or intruding at gravitationally stable levels in Io's crust. Relevant phase equilibria were reviewed. A deficiency of high-pressure phase equilibria renders the present model qualitative.

The parent body controls on cosmic spherule texture: Evidence from the oxygen isotopic compositions of large micrometeorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Ginneken, M.; Gattacceca, J.; Rochette, P.; Sonzogni, C.; Alexandre, A.; Vidal, V.; Genge, M. J.

2017-09-01

High-precision oxygen isotopic compositions of eighteen large cosmic spherules (>500 μm diameter) from the Atacama Desert, Chile, were determined using IR-laser fluorination - Isotope Ratio Mass spectrometry. The four discrete isotopic groups defined in a previous study on cosmic spherules from the Transantarctic Mountains (Suavet et al., 2010) were identified, confirming their global distribution. Approximately 50% of the studied cosmic spherules are related to carbonaceous chondrites, 38% to ordinary chondrites and 12% to unknown parent bodies. Approximately 90% of barred olivine (BO) cosmic spherules show oxygen isotopic compositions suggesting they are related to carbonaceous chondrites. Similarly, ∼90% porphyritic olivine (Po) cosmic spherules are related to ordinary chondrites and none can be unambiguously related to carbonaceous chondrites. Other textures are related to all potential parent bodies. The data suggests that the textures of cosmic spherules are mainly controlled by the nature of the precursor rather than by the atmospheric entry parameters. We propose that the Po texture may essentially be formed from a coarse-grained precursor having an ordinary chondritic mineralogy and chemistry. Coarse-grained precursors related to carbonaceous chondrites (i.e. chondrules) are likely to either survive atmospheric entry heating or form V-type cosmic spherules. Due to the limited number of submicron nucleation sites after total melting, ordinary chondrite-related coarse-grained precursors that suffer higher peak temperatures will preferentially form cryptocrystalline (Cc) textures instead of BO textures. Conversely, the BO textures would be mostly related to the fine-grained matrices of carbonaceous chondrites due to the wide range of melting temperatures of their constituent mineral phases, allowing the preservation of submicron nucleation sites. Independently of the nature of the precursors, increasing peak temperatures form glassy textures.

The formation and alteration of the Renazzo-like carbonaceous chondrites I: Implications of bulk-oxygen isotopic composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrader, Devin L.; Franchi, Ian A.; Connolly, Harold C., Jr.; Greenwood, Richard C.; Lauretta, Dante S.; Gibson, Jenny M.

2011-01-01

To better understand the role of aqueous alteration on the CR chondrite parent asteroid, a whole-rock oxygen isotopic study of 20 meteorites classified as Renazzo-like carbonaceous chondrites (CR) was conducted. The CR chondrites analyzed for their oxygen isotopes were Dhofar 1432, Elephant Moraine (EET) 87770, EET 92042, EET 96259, Gao-Guenie (b), Graves Nunataks (GRA) 95229, GRA 06100, Grosvenor Mountains (GRO) 95577, GRO 03116, LaPaz Ice Field (LAP) 02342, LAP 04720, Meteorite Hills (MET) 00426, North West Africa (NWA) 801, Pecora Escarpment (PCA) 91082, Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 94603, QUE 99177, and Yamato-793495 (Y-793495). Three of the meteorites, Asuka-881595 (A-881595), GRA 98025, and MET 01017, were found not to be CR chondrites. The remaining samples concur petrographically and with the well-established oxygen-isotope mixing line for the CR chondrites. Their position along this mixing line is controlled both by the primary oxygen-isotopic composition of their individual components and their relative degree of aqueous alteration. Combined with literature data and that of this study, we recommend the slope for the CR-mixing line to be 0.70 ± 0.04 (2σ), with a δ 17O-intercept of -2.23 ± 0.14 (2σ). Thin sections of Al Rais, Shişr 033, Renazzo, and all but 3 samples analyzed for oxygen isotopes were studied petrographically. The abundance of individual components is heterogeneous among the CR chondrites, but FeO-poor chondrules and matrix are the most abundant constituents and therefore, dominate the whole-rock isotopic composition. The potential accreted ice abundance, physico-chemical conditions of aqueous alteration (e.g. temperature and composition of the fluid) and its duration control the degree of alteration of individual CR chondrites. Combined with literature data, we suggest that LAP 02342 was exposed to lower temperature fluid during alteration than GRA 95229. With only two falls, terrestrial alteration of the CR chondrites complicates the interpretation of their whole rock isotopic composition, particularly in the most aqueously altered samples, and those with relatively higher matrix abundances. We report that QUE 99177 is the isotopically lightest whole rock CR chondrite known (δ 18O = -2.29‰, δ 17O = -4.08‰), possibly due to isotopically light unaltered matrix; which shows that the anhydrous component of the CR chondrites is isotopically lighter than previously thought. Although it experienced aqueous alteration, QUE 99177 provides the best approximation of the pristine CR-chondrite parent body's oxygen-isotopic composition, before aqueous alteration took place. Using this value as a new upper limit on the anhydrous component of the CR chondrites, water/rock ratios were recalculated and found to be higher than previously thought; ratios now range from 0.281 to 1.157. We also find that, according to their oxygen isotopes, a large number of CR chondrites appear to be minimally aqueously altered; although sample heterogeneity complicates this interpretation.

Cat Mountain: A meteoritic sample of an impact-melted chondritic asteroid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kring, David A.

1993-01-01

Although impact cratering and collisional disruption are the dominant geologic processes affecting asteroids, samples of impact melt breccias comprise less than 1 percent of ordinary chondritic material and none exist among enstatite and carbonaceous chondrite groups. Because the average collisional velocity among asteroids is sufficiently large to produce impact melts, this paucity of impact-melted material is generally believed to be a sampling bias, making it difficult to determine the evolutionary history of chondritic bodies and how impact processes may have affected the physical properties of asteroids (e.g., their structural integrity and reflectance spectra). To help address these and related issues, the first petrographic description of a new chondritic impact melt breccia sample, tentatively named Cat Mountain, is presented.

Tin in a chondritic interplanetary dust particle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rietmeijer, Frans J. M.

1989-01-01

Submicron platey Sn-rich grains are present in chondritic porous interplanetary dust particle (IDP) W7029 A and it is the second occurrence of a tin mineral in a stratospheric micrometeorite. Selected Area Electron Diffraction data for the Sn-rich grains match with Sn2O3 and Sn3O4. The oxide(s) may have formed in the solar nebula when tin metal catalytically supported reduction of CO or during flash heating on atmospheric entry of the IDP. The presence of tin is consistent with enrichments for other volatile trace elements in chondritic IDPs and may signal an emerging trend toward nonchondritic volatile element abundances in chondritic IDPs. The observation confirms small-scale mineralogical heterogeneity in fine-grained chondritic porous interplanetary dust.

Ultra-Refractory Calcium-Aluminum-Rich Inclusion in an AOA in CR Chondrite Yamato-793261

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komatsu, M.; Fagan, T. J.; Yamaguchi, A.; Mikouchi, T.; Yasutake, M.; Zolensky, M. E.

2017-01-01

CR chondrites are a group of primitive carbonaceous chondrites that preserve nebular records of the formation conditions of their components. We have been investigating a set of Antarctic CR chondrites from the Japanese-NIPR collection in order to study variations within this group. During our study, we have found an AOA that encloses an ultrarefractory (UR) CAI in Yamato-793261 (Y-793261). UR CAIs are rare in carbonaceous chondrites, and only three UR CAIs in AOAs have been identified so far. UR CAIs can provide information on crystallization processes at very high temperatures in the solar nebula. Here we describe the petrology of Y-793261, and preliminary results on this newly discovered AOA enclosing a UR CAI.

Relationships Among Chondrite Groups as Inferred from Presolar-Grain Abundances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huss, G. R.; Meshik, A. P.; Hohenberg, C. M.; Smith, J. B.

2002-01-01

Presolar-grain abundances show that C chondrites consist of two quite distinct groups, those containing primitive material, and those consisting of processed material. Ordinary chondrites are intermediate in many properties between these groups. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Comparison of visible and near-infrared reflectance spectra of CM2 carbonaceous chondrites and primitive asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vilas, F.; Hiroi, T.; Zolensky, M. E.

1993-01-01

Spectra of primitive asteroids (defined as C, P, and D classes and associated subclasses) were compared to the limited number of spectra of CM2 carbonaceous chondrites. An absorption feature located at 0.7 microns attributed to an Fe(+2) - Fe(+3) charge transfer absorption in iron oxides in phyllosilicates is apparent in some of the CM2 carbonaceous chondrite spectra and many of the asteroid spectra. Sawyer found a correlation between the area of the 0.7 micron feature and the mean semimajor axis of the asteroids. Spectra of a larger sample of carbonaceous chondrites, including 7 CM2 chondrites, covering a spectral interval of 0.30-2.5 microns were recently obtained using the Relab instrument at Brown University. These spectra were compared with spectrophotometric asteroid observations in a separate abstract. Those spectra of CM2 chondrites were isolated into the UV, visible and near-infrared spectral regions in order to compare them with high-quality narrowband reflectance spectra.

Chemical variations among L-chondrites. IV - Analyses, with petrographic notes, of 13 L-group and 3 LL-group chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarosewich, E.; Dodd, R. T.

1985-03-01

Procedures are reviewed for selecting, preparing and analyzing meteorite samples, present new analyses of 16 ordinary chondrites, and discuss variations of Fe, S and Si in the L-group. A tendency for Fe/Mg, S/Mg and Si/Mg to be low in L chondrites of facies d to f testifies that post-metamorphic shock melting played a significant role in the chemical diversification of the L-group. However, these ratios also vary widely and sympathetically in melt-free chondrites, indicating that much of the L-group's chemical variation arose prior to thermal metamorphism and is in that sense primary. If all L chondrites come from one parent body, type-correlated chemical trends suggest: (1) that the body had a tradiational 'onion skin' structure, with metamorphic intensity increasing with depth; and (2) that it formed from material that became more homogeneous, slightly poorer in iron, and significantly richer in sulfur as accretion proceeded.

Chemical Variations Among L-Chondrites--IV. Analyses, with Petrographic Notes, of 13 L-group and 3 LL-group Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarosewich, E.; Dodd, R. T.

1985-03-01

We review our procedures for selecting, preparing and analyzing meteorite samples, present new analyses of 16 ordinary chondrites, and discuss variations of Fe, S and Si in the L-group. A tendency for Fe/Mg, S/Mg and Si/Mg to be low in L chondrites of facies d to f testifies that post-metamorphic shock melting played a significant role in the chemical diversification of the L-group. However, these ratios also vary widely and sympathetically in melt-free chondrites, indicating that much of the L-group's chemical variation arose prior to thermal metamorphism and is in that sense primary. If all L chondrites come from one parent body, type-correlated chemical trends suggest: 1) that the body had a traditional "onion skin" structure, with metamorphic intensity increasing with depth; and 2) that it formed from material that became more homogeneous, slightly poorer in iron, and significantly richer in sulfur as accretion proceeded.

Exposure ages of carbonaceous chondrites, 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nishiizumi, K.; Arnold, J. R.; Caffee, M. W.; Finkel, R. C.; Southon, J. R.; Nagai, H.; Honda, M.; Sharma, P.; Imamura, M.; Kobayashi, K.

1993-01-01

The recent exposure histories of carbonaceous chondrites have been investigated using cosmogenic radionuclides. Our results may indicate a clustering of exposure ages of C1 and C2 chondrites into two peaks, 0.2 My and 0.6 My, perhaps implying two collisional events of Earth-crossing parent bodies. Among carbonaceous chondrites are some having short exposure ages which Mazor et al. hypothesized cluster into a small number of families. This hypothesis is based on spallogenic Ne-21 exposure ages, which in some instances are difficult to determine owing to the large amounts of trapped noble gases in carbonaceous chondrites. Also, since Ne-21 is stable, it integrates a sample's entire exposure history, so meteorites with complex exposure histories are difficult to understand using exclusively Ne-21. Cosmogenic radionuclides provide an alternative means of determining the recent cosmic ray exposure duration. To test the hypothesis of Mazor et al. we have begun a systematic investigation of exposure histories of Antarctic and non-Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites especially C2s.

Re-Os Systematics and HSE Distribution in Metal from Ochansk (H4) Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smoliar, M. I.; Horan, M. F.; Alexander, C. M. OD.; Walker, R. J.

2003-01-01

Previous studies of the Re-Os systematics of chondrites have documented considerable variation in the Re/Os ratios of whole rock samples. For some whole rock chondrites, Re-Os systematics display large deviations from the primitive isochron that are considerably larger than deviations in other isotope systems. Possible interpretation of these facts is that the Re-Os system in chondrites is particularly sensitive to post-formation alteration processes, thus providing a useful tool to examine such processes. Significant variations that have been detected in highly siderophile element (HSE) patterns for ordinary chondrites support this conclusion. We report Re-Os isotope data for metal separates from the Ochansk H4 chondrite coupled with abundance data for Ru, Pd, Ir, and Pt, determined in the same samples by isotope dilution. We chose this meteorite mainly because it is an observed fall with minimal signs of weathering, and its low metamorphic grade (H4) and shock stage (S3).

CM and CO chondrites: A common parent body or asteroidal neighbors? Insights from chondrule silicates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrader, Devin L.; Davidson, Jemma

2017-10-01

By investigating the petrology and chemical composition of type II (FeO-rich) chondrules in the Mighei-like carbonaceous (CM) chondrites we constrain their thermal histories and relationship to the Ornans-like carbonaceous (CO) chondrites. We identified FeO-rich relict grains in type II chondrules by their Fe/Mn ratios; their presence indicates chondrule recycling among type II chondrules. The majority of relict grains in type II chondrules are FeO-poor olivine grains. Consistent with previous studies, chemical similarities between CM and CO chondrite chondrules indicate that they had similar formation conditions and that their parent bodies probably formed in a common region within the protoplanetary disk. However, important differences such as mean chondrule size and the lower abundance of FeO-poor relicts in CM chondrite type II chondrules than in CO chondrites suggest CM and CO chondrules did not form together and they likely originate from distinct parent asteroids. Despite being aqueously altered, many CM chondrites contain pre-accretionary anhydrous minerals (i.e., olivine) that are among the least thermally metamorphosed materials in chondrites according to the Cr2O3 content of their ferroan olivine. The presence of these minimally altered pre-accretionary chondrule silicates suggests that samples to be returned from aqueously altered asteroids by the Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return missions, even highly hydrated, may contain silicates that can provide information about the pre-accretionary histories and conditions of asteroids Ryugu and Bennu, respectively.

Fe-Ni metal and sulfide minerals in CM chondrites: An indicator for thermal history

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kimura, M.; Grossman, J.N.; Weisberg, M.K.

2011-01-01

CM chondrites were subjected to aqueous alteration and, in some cases, to secondary metamorphic heating. The effects of these processes vary widely, and have mainly been documented in silicate phases. Herein, we report the characteristic features of Fe-Ni metal and sulfide phases in 13 CM and 2 CM-related chondrites to explore the thermal history of these chondrites. The texture and compositional distribution of the metal in CM are different from those in unequilibrated ordinary and CO chondrites, but most have similarities to those in highly primitive chondrites, such as CH, CR, and Acfer 094. We classified the CM samples into three categories based on metal composition and sulfide texture. Fe-Ni metal in category A is kamacite to martensite. Category B is characterized by pyrrhotite grains always containing blebs or lamellae of pentlandite. Opaque mineral assemblages of category C are typically kamacite, Ni-Co-rich metal, and pyrrhotite. These categories are closely related to the degree of secondary heating and are not related to degree of the aqueous alteration. The characteristic features of the opaque minerals can be explained by secondary heating processes after aqueous alteration. Category A CM chondrites are unheated, whereas those in category B experienced small degrees of secondary heating. CMs in category C were subjected to the most severe secondary heating process. Thus, opaque minerals can provide constraints on the thermal history for CM chondrites. ?? The Meteoritical Society, 2011.

Fluid Inclusions in Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saylor, J.; Zolensky, M. E.; Bodnar, R. J.; Le L.; Schwandt, C.

2001-01-01

Fluid inclusions are present in carbonaceous chondrites. Of the chondrites studied (CI1, CM1 and 2, CV3) fluid inclusions were found only in CM2s and CI1s, and by extrapolation are most likely to be found there in the future. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Mineralogy of dark clasts in primitive versus differentiated meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, M. E.; Weisberg, M. K.; Barrett, R. A.; Prinz, M.

1993-01-01

The presence of dark lithic clasts within meteorites can provide information concerning asteroidal regolith processes, the extent of interactions between asteroids, and the relationship between meteorite types, micrometeorites, and interplanetary dust particles. Accordingly, we have been seeking and characterizing dark clasts found within carbonaceous chondrites, unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, howardites, and eucrites. We find that unequilibrated chondrites in this study contain fine-grained, anhydrous unequilibrated inclusions, while the howardites often contain inclusions from geochemically processed, hydrous asteroids (type 1 and 2 carbonaceous chondrites). Eucrites and howardities contain unusual clasts, not easily classified.

I-Xe systematics in LL chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernatowicz, T. J.; Podosek, F. A.; Swindle, T. D.; Honda, M.

1988-01-01

A stepwise heating analysis of Ar and Xe data from five neutron-irradiated whole rock LL chondrites (Soko Banja, Alta Ameen, Tuxtuac, Guidder, and Olivenza) is presented, emphasizing the complicated thermal history of ordinary chondrites. None of the present meteorites show a well-defined (Ar-40)-(Ar-39) apparent age plateau comprised of more than two release fractions. Most of the samples are found to yield well-defined high-temperature correlations between Xe-129/Xe-130 and Xe-128/Xe-130, and thus determinations of I-129/I-127 and Xe-129/Xe-130 at the time of isotopic closure for Xe. As in the case of other ordinary chondrites, the I-Xe systematics for LL chondrites correlate neither with a metamorphic grade nor with chronologies based opon other methods.

C Chondrite Clasts in H Chondrite Regolith Breccias: Something Different

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, M. E.; Fries, M.; Utas, J.; Chan, Q. H.-S.; Kebukawa, Y.; Steele, A.; Bodnar, R. J.; Ito, M.; Nakashima, D.; Greenwood, R.;

Ordinary chondrites - Multivariate statistical analysis of trace element contents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lipschutz, Michael E.; Samuels, Stephen M.

1991-01-01

The contents of mobile trace elements (Co, Au, Sb, Ga, Se, Rb, Cs, Te, Bi, Ag, In, Tl, Zn, and Cd) in Antarctic and non-Antarctic populations of H4-6 and L4-6 chondrites, were compared using standard multivariate discriminant functions borrowed from linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression. A nonstandard randomization-simulation method was developed, making it possible to carry out probability assignments on a distribution-free basis. Compositional differences were found both between the Antarctic and non-Antarctic H4-6 chondrite populations and between two L4-6 chondrite populations. It is shown that, for various types of meteorites (in particular, for the H4-6 chondrites), the Antarctic/non-Antarctic compositional difference is due to preterrestrial differences in the genesis of their parent materials.

The Abundance and Isotopic Composition of Hg in Extraterrestrial Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lauretta, D. S.

2004-01-01

During the past three year grant period we made excellent progress in our study of the abundances and isotopic compositions of Hg and other volatile trace elements in extraterrestrial materials. As part of my startup package I received funds to construct a state-of-the-art experimental facility to study gas-solid reaction kinetics. Much of our effort was spent developing the methodology to measure the abundance and isotopic composition of Hg at ultratrace levels in solid materials. In our first study, the abundance and isotopic composition of Hg was determined in bulk samples of the Murchison (CM) and Allende (CV) carbonaceous chondrites. We have continued our study of mercury in primitive meteorites and expanded the suite of meteorites to include other members of the CM and CV chondrite group as well as CI and CO chondrites. Samples of the CI chondrite Orgueil, the CM chondrites Murray, Nogoya, and Cold Bokkeveld, the CO chondrites Kainsaz, Omans, and Isna, and the CV chondrites Vigarano, Mokoia, and Grosnaja were tested. We have developed a thermal analysis ICP-MS technique and applied it to the study of a suite of thermally labile elements (Zn, As, Se, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, Hg, Au, Tl, Pb, and Bi) in geologic materials as well.

Preliminary Compositional Comparisons of H-Chondrite Falls to Antarctic H-Chondrite Populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallemeyn, G. W.; Krot, A. N.; Rubin, A. E.

1993-07-01

In a series of papers [e.g., 1,2], Lipschutz and co-workers compared trace- element RNAA data from Antarctic and non-Antarctic H4-6 chondrites and concluded that the two populations have significantly different concentrations of several trace elements including Co, Se, and Sb. They interpreted their data as indicating that these Antarctic H chondrites form different populations than observed H falls and may have originated in separate parent bodies. Recent work by Sears and co-workers [e.g., 3] has shown that there seem to be distinct populations of Antarctic H chondrites, distinguishable on the bases of induced thermoluminescence (TL) peak temperature, metallographic cooling rate, and cosmic ray exposure age. They showed that a group of Antarctic H chondrites having abnormally high induced TL peak temperatures (>=190 degrees C) also has cosmic ray exposure ages <20 Ma (mostly ~8 Ma) and fast metallographic cooling rates (~100 K/Ma). Another group having induced TL peak temperatures <190 degrees C has exposure ages >20 Ma and slower cooling rates (~10-20 K/Ma). We studied 24 H4-6 chondrites from Victoria Land (including 12 previously analyzed by the Lipschutz group) by optical microscopy and electron microprobe. Many of the Antarctic H chondrites studied by Lipschutz and co- workers are unsuitable for proper compositional comparisons with H chondrite falls: Four are very weathered, five are extensively shocked, and two are extensively brecciated. Furthermore, at least five of the samples contain solar-wind gas (and hence are regolith breccias) [4]. These samples were rejected because of possible compositional modification by secondary processes. For our INAA study we chose a suite of relatively unweathered and unbrecciated Antarctic H chondrites (including nine from the Lipschutz set): ALHA 77294 (H5, S3); ALHA 79026 (H5, S3); ALHA 79039 (H5, S3); ALHA 80131 (H5, S3); ALHA 80132 (H5, S4); ALHA 81037 (H6, S3); EETA 79007 (H5, S4); LEW 85320 (H6, S4); LEW 85329 (H6, S3); RKPA 78002 (H5, S2); and RKPA 78004 (H4, S4). Single samples were each analyzed for 27 elements. Only four of our samples have been analyzed by TL. Concentrations of siderophile elements (Fe, Co, Ni, Ga, As, Au) in the Antarctic H chondrites tend to scatter more than those of 24 H falls studied in replicate at UCLA. This is probably due in part to the fact that replicate samples of the Antarctic chondrites have not yet been analyzed. The median concentrations of siderophile elements also tend to be slightly lower in Antarctic H chondrites, although 95% confidence intervals on the medians overlap with those of H falls for every element. Concentration ranges and median values of two chalcophile elements, Se and Zn, are nearly identical between the Antarctic H chondrites and H falls. Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-tailed tests on these elements show no significant differences between the two populations. Three of the elements analyzed in this study (Co, Se, Sb) are among those reported to vary significantly between Antarctic H chondrites and H falls by Dennison and Lipschutz [1], who found that median concentrations of these elements were slightly higher in Antarctic H chondrites. As noted earlier, we determined slightly lower median concentrations for Co and Sb in Antarctic H chondrites than in H falls; median Se concentrations were identical. The slightly lower median concentration values that we found for siderophile elements in general are probably indicative of a slight weathering loss of metal. Based on our compositional data, the Victoria Land H chondrites and non-Antarctic H falls do not require derivation from separate parent populations. References: [1] Dennison J. E. and Lipschutz M. E. (1987) GCA, 51, 741-754. [2] Lipschutz M. E. and Samuels S. M. (1991) GCA, 55, 19-34. [3] Benoit P. H. and Sears D. W. G. (1993) Icarus, 101, 188-200. [4] Schultz L. et al. (1991) GCA, 55, 59-66.

Rhenium-osmium isotope and highly-siderophile-element abundance systematics of angrite meteorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riches, Amy J. V.; Day, James M. D.; Walker, Richard J.; Simonetti, Antonio; Liu, Yang; Neal, Clive R.; Taylor, Lawrence A.

2012-11-01

Coupled 187Os/188Os compositions and highly-siderophile-element (HSE: Os, Ir, Ru, Pt, Pd, and Re) abundance data are reported for eight angrite achondrite meteorites that include quenched- and slowly-cooled textural types. These data are combined with new major- and trace-element concentrations determined for bulk-rock powder fractions and constituent mineral phases, to assess angrite petrogenesis. Angrite meteorites span a wide-range of HSE abundances from <0.005 ppb Os (e.g., Northwest Africa [NWA] 1296; Angra dos Reis) to >100 ppb Os (NWA 4931). Chondritic to supra-chondritic 187Os/188Os (0.1201-0.2127) measured for Angra dos Reis and quenched-angrites correspond to inter- and intra-sample heterogeneities in Re/Os and HSE abundances. Quenched-angrites have chondritic-relative rare-earth-element (REE) abundances at 10-15×CI-chondrite, and their Os-isotope and HSE abundance variations represent mixtures of pristine uncontaminated crustal materials that experienced addition (<0.8%) of exogenous chondritic materials during or after crystallization. Slowly-cooled angrites (NWA 4590 and NWA 4801) have fractionated REE-patterns, chondritic to sub-chondritic 187Os/188Os (0.1056-0.1195), as well as low-Re/Os (0.03-0.13), Pd/Os (0.071-0.946), and relatively low-Pt/Os (0.792-2.640). Sub-chondritic 187Os/188Os compositions in NWA 4590 and NWA 4801 are unusual amongst planetary basalts, and their HSE and REE characteristics may be linked to melting of mantle sources that witnessed prior basaltic melt depletion. Angrite HSE-Yb systematics suggest that the HSE behaved moderately-incompatibly during angrite magma crystallization, implying the presence of metal in the crystallizing assemblage. The new HSE abundance and 187Os/188Os compositions indicate that the silicate mantle of the angrite parent body(ies) (APB) had HSE abundances in chondritic-relative proportions but at variable abundances at the time of angrite crystallization. The HSE systematics of angrites are consistent with protracted post-core formation accretion of materials with chondritic-relative abundances of HSE to the APB, and these accreted materials were rapidly, yet inefficiently, mixed into angrite magma source regions early in Solar System history.

Origin and abundance of water in carbonaceous asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marrocchi, Yves; Bekaert, David V.; Piani, Laurette

2018-01-01

The origin and abundance of water accreted by carbonaceous asteroids remains underconstrained, but would provide important information on the dynamic of the protoplanetary disk. Here we report the in situ oxygen isotopic compositions of aqueously formed fayalite grains in the Kaba and Mokoia CV chondrites. CV chondrite bulk, matrix and fayalite O-isotopic compositions define the mass-independent continuous trend (δ17O = 0.84 ± 0.03 × δ18O - 4.25 ± 0.1), which shows that the main process controlling the O-isotopic composition of the CV chondrite parent body is related to isotopic exchange between 16O-rich anhydrous silicates and 17O- and 18O-rich fluid. Similar isotopic behaviors observed in CM, CR and CO chondrites demonstrate the ubiquitous nature of O-isotopic exchange as the main physical process in establishing the O-isotopic features of carbonaceous chondrites, regardless of their alteration degree. Based on these results, we developed a new approach to estimate the abundance of water accreted by carbonaceous chondrites (quantified by the water/rock ratio) with CM (0.3-0.4) ≥ CR (0.1-0.4) ≥ CV (0.1-0.2) > CO (0.01-0.10). The low water/rock ratios and the O-isotopic characteristics of secondary minerals in carbonaceous chondrites indicate they (i) formed in the main asteroid belt and (ii) accreted a locally derived (inner Solar System) water formed near the snowline by condensation from the gas phase. Such results imply low influx of D- and 17O- and 18O-rich water ice grains from the outer part of the Solar System. The latter is likely due to the presence of a Jupiter-induced gap in the protoplanetary disk that limited the inward drift of outer Solar System material at the exception of particles with size lower than 150 μm such as presolar grains. Among carbonaceous chondrites, CV chondrites show O-isotopic features suggesting potential contribution of 17-18O-rich water that may be related to their older accretion relative to other hydrated carbonaceous chondrites.

The ungrouped chondrite El Médano 301 and its comparison with other reduced ordinary chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pourkhorsandi, Hamed; Gattacceca, Jérôme; Devouard, Bertrand; D'Orazio, Massimo; Rochette, Pierre; Beck, Pierre; Sonzogni, Corinne; Valenzuela, Millarca

2017-12-01

El Médano 301 (EM 301) is an ungrouped chondrite with overall texture and trace-element distribution similar to those of ordinary chondrites (OCs), but with silicate (olivine and low-Ca pyroxene) compositions that are more reduced than those in OCs, with average olivine and low-Ca pyroxene of Fa3.9±0.3 and Fs12.8±4.9, respectively. These values are far lower than the values for OCs and even for chondrites designed as ;reduced; chondrites. Low-Ca pyroxene is the dominant mineral phase and shows zoning with higher MgO contents along the crystal rims and cracks (reverse zoning). The Co content of kamacite is also much lower than the concentrations observed in OCs (below detection limit of 0.18 wt% versus 0.44-37 wt%). Oxygen isotopic composition is Δ17O = +0.79,+0.78‰ and slightly different from that of OCs. The lower modal olivine/pyroxene ratio, different Infrared (IR) spectra, lower Co content of kamacite, lower mean FeO contents of olivine and pyroxene, different kamacite texture, and different oxygen-isotopic composition show that EM 301 does not belong to a known OC group. EM 301 shows similarities with chondritic clasts in Cumberland Falls aubrite, and with Northwest Africa 7135 (NWA 7135) and Acfer 370 ungrouped chondrites. However, dissimilar to NWA 7135 and the clasts, it does not contain highly reduced mineral phases like daubréelite. Our observations suggest the formation of EM 301 in a nebular region compositionally similar to OCs but with a different redox state, with oxygen fugacity (ƒO2) in this region lower than that of OCs and higher than that of enstatite chondrites condensation region. A second, possibly nebular, phase of reduction by the production of reducing gas phases (e.g., C-rich) could be responsible for the subsequent reduction of the primary material and the occurrence of reverse zoning in the low-Ca pyroxene and lower average Fa/Fs ratio. Based on the IR spectra of EM 301 we suggest the possibility that the parent body of this chondrite was a V-type asteroid.

Collisional erosion and the non-chondritic composition of the terrestrial planets.

PubMed

O'Neill, Hugh St C; Palme, Herbert

2008-11-28

The compositional variations among the chondrites inform us about cosmochemical fractionation processes during condensation and aggregation of solid matter from the solar nebula. These fractionations include: (i) variable Mg-Si-RLE ratios (RLE: refractory lithophile element), (ii) depletions in elements more volatile than Mg, (iii) a cosmochemical metal-silicate fractionation, and (iv) variations in oxidation state. Moon- to Mars-sized planetary bodies, formed by rapid accretion of chondrite-like planetesimals in local feeding zones within 106 years, may exhibit some of these chemical variations. However, the next stage of planetary accretion is the growth of the terrestrial planets from approximately 102 embryos sourced across wide heliocentric distances, involving energetic collisions, in which material may be lost from a growing planet as well as gained. While this may result in averaging out of the 'chondritic' fractionations, it introduces two non-chondritic chemical fractionation processes: post-nebular volatilization and preferential collisional erosion. In the latter, geochemically enriched crust formed previously is preferentially lost. That post-nebular volatilization was widespread is demonstrated by the non-chondritic Mn/Na ratio in all the small, differentiated, rocky bodies for which we have basaltic samples, including the Moon and Mars. The bulk silicate Earth (BSE) has chondritic Mn/Na, but shows several other compositional features in its pattern of depletion of volatile elements suggestive of non-chondritic fractionation. The whole-Earth Fe/Mg ratio is 2.1+/-0.1, significantly greater than the solar ratio of 1.9+/-0.1, implying net collisional erosion of approximately 10 per cent silicate relative to metal during the Earth's accretion. If this collisional erosion preferentially removed differentiated crust, the assumption of chondritic ratios among all RLEs in the BSE would not be valid, with the BSE depleted in elements according to their geochemical incompatibility. In the extreme case, the Earth would only have half the chondritic abundances of the highly incompatible, heat-producing elements Th, U and K. Such an Earth model resolves several geochemical paradoxes: the depleted mantle occupies the whole mantle, is completely outgassed in (40)Ar and produces the observed (4)He flux through the ocean basins. But the lower radiogenic heat production exacerbates the discrepancy with heat loss.

Ar-40/Ar-39 Age of Hornblende-bearing R Chondrite LAP 04840

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Righter, K.; Cosca, M.

2014-01-01

Chondrites have a complex chronology due to several variables affecting and operating on chondritic parent bodies such as radiogenic heating, pressure and temperature variation with depth, aqueous alteration, and shock or impact heating [1]. Unbrecciated chondrites can record ages from 4.56 to 4.4 Ga that represent cooling in small parent bodies. Some brecciated chondrites exhibit younger ages (<<4 to 4.4 Ga) that may reflect the age of brecciation, disturbance, or shock and impact events (<< 4 Ga). A unique R chondrite was recently found in the LaPaz Icefield of Antarctica - LAP 04840 [2]. This chondrite contains approx.15% hornblende and trace amounts of biotite, making it the first of its kind. Studies have revealed an equigranular texture, mineral equilibria yielding equilibration near 650-700 C and 250-500 bars, hornblende that is dominantly OH-bearing (very little Cl or F), and high D/H ratios [8,9,10]. To help gain a better understanding of the origin of this unique sample, we have measured the Ar-40/Ar-39 age. Age of 4.290 +/- 0.030 Ga is younger than one would expect for a sample that has cooled within a small body [4], and one might instead attribute the age to a younger shock event, On the other hand, there is no evidence for extensive shock in this meteorite (shock stage S2; [3]), so this sample may have been reannealed after the shock event. This age is similar to Ar-Ar ages determined for some other R chondrites

Na, K-Rich Rim Around a Chondrule in Unequilibrated Ordinary Chondrite Lew 86018 (L3.1)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mishra, R. K.; Simon, J. I.; Ross, D. K.; Needham, A. W.; Messenger, S.; Keller, L. P.; Han, J.; Marhas, K. K.

2015-01-01

Ordinary chondrites represent the most abundant early Solar system extra-terrestrial (approximately 85% abundance) material available for laboratory studies and expectedly record the most extensive range of alterations effects from unmetamorphosed chondritic material to the highest temperatures of thermal metamorphism. The least metamorphosed chondrites belonging to petrologic type 3, the so called unequili-brated ordinary chondrites (UOCs), provide insights into alteration that happened during the primeval, ear-liest stage of Solar system formation. The higher grade petrologic types 4-6 ordinary chondrites on the other hand document up to near textural equilibrium (in type 6) extensive thermal metamorphism consisting of minerals and phases providing evidence of equilibration of heterogeneous mineral composition, solid-state recrystallization. Despite being the most abundant, the effect of alteration is less explicitly understood in ordinary chondrites (even less in UOCs) compared to other groups (e.g. CV, CO, CR). Additionally, the relationship between metasomatism (also referred as aqueous alteration or fluid-assisted metamorphism) and metamorphism (primarily thermal driven) has not been studied and alterations in the ordinary chondrites have been considered to have occurred in absence of fluids in general. Despite this conventional view, UOCs of lowest grades (3.0-3.2) show some evidence of low temperature (approximately 200 C), fluid assisted metamorphism in the form of the presence of phyllosilicates, ferroan olivine, and magnetites in their matrices and occasionally in chondrules. Here, we present petrographic and mineralogical studies of UOC, Lewis Hills (LEW) 86018 to further our understanding of the extent and relative importance of metasomatism and/or metamorphism in UOCs.

The neodymium stable isotope composition of the silicate Earth and chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCoy-West, Alex J.; Millet, Marc-Alban; Burton, Kevin W.

2017-12-01

The non-chondritic neodymium (Nd) 142Nd/144Nd ratio of the silicate Earth potentially provides a key constraint on the accretion and early evolution of the Earth. Yet, it is debated whether this offset is due to the Earth being formed from material enriched in s-process Nd isotopes or results from an early differentiation process such as the segregation of a late sulfide matte during core formation, collisional erosion or a some combination of these processes. Neodymium stable isotopes are potentially sensitive to early sulfide segregation into Earth's core, a process that cannot be resolved using their radiogenic counterparts. This study presents the first comprehensive Nd stable isotope data for chondritic meteorites and terrestrial rocks. Stable Nd measurements were made using a double spike technique coupled with thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. All three of the major classes of chondritic meteorites, carbonaceous, enstatite and ordinary chondrites have broadly similar isotopic compositions allowing calculation of a chondritic mean of δ146/144Nd = -0.025 ± 0.025‰ (±2 s.d.; n = 39). Enstatite chondrites yield the most uniform stable isotope composition (Δ146/144Nd = 26 ppm), with considerably more variability observed within ordinary (Δ146/144Nd = 72 ppm) and carbonaceous meteorites (Δ146/144Nd = 143 ppm). Terrestrial weathering, nucleosynthetic variations and parent body thermal metamorphism appear to have little measurable effect on δ146/144Nd in chondrites. The small variations observed between ordinary chondrite groups most likely reflect inherited compositional differences between parent bodies, with the larger variations observed in carbonaceous chondrites being linked to varying modal proportions of calcium-aluminium rich inclusions. The terrestrial samples analysed here include rocks ranging from basaltic to rhyolitic in composition, MORB glasses and residual mantle lithologies. All of these terrestrial rocks possess a broadly similar Nd isotope composition giving an average composition for the bulk silicate Earth of δ146/144Nd = -0.022 ± 0.034‰ (n = 30). In the samples here magmatic differentiation appears to only have an effect on stable Nd in highly evolved magmas with heavier δ146/144Nd values observed in samples with >70 wt% SiO2. The average stable Nd isotope composition of chondrites and the bulk silicate Earth are indistinguishable at the 95% confidence level. However, mantle samples do possess variable stable Nd isotope compositions (Δ146/144Nd = 75 ppm) with an average δ 146 / 144Nd value of -0.008‰. If these heavier values represent the true composition of pristine mantle then it is not possible to completely rule out some role for core formation in accounting for some of the offset between the mantle and chondrites. Overall, these results indicate that the mismatch of 142Nd between the Earth and chondrites is best explained by a higher proportion of s-process Nd in the Earth, rather than partitioning into sulfide or S-rich metal in the core.

Antarctic meteorite descriptions 1976-1977-1978-1979

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Score, R.; Schwarz, C. M.; King, T. V. V.; Mason, B.; Bogard, D. D.; Gabel, E. M.

1981-01-01

All previously distributed meteorite data sheets, plus a number of new ones for 1979 chondrites are included. A comprehensive sample index listing meteorite name/number, classification, and weathering category is also included. Separate indexes listing all petrologic type 3 and type 4 chondrites, all irons, all achondrites, and all carbonaceous chondrites in the collection is provided.

Ubiquitous Exsolution of Pentlandite and Troilite in Pyrrhotite from the TIL 91722 CM2 Carbonaceous Chondrite: A Record of Low Temperature Solid State Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brearley, A. J.; Martinez, C.

2010-03-01

SEM and TEM studies show that submicron exsolution of pentlandite and troilite occurred at very low temperatures in pyrrhotite in the TIL 91722 CM2 chondrite. The exsolution occurred below 373K on the CM chondrite parent body.

Primitive Fine-Grained Matrix in the Unequilbrated Enstatite Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisberg, M. K.; Zolensky, M. E.; Kimura, M.; Ebel, D. S.

2014-01-01

Enstatite chondrites (EC) have important implications for constraining conditions in the early solar system and for understanding the evolution of the Earth and other inner planets. They are among the most reduced solar system materials as reflected in their mineral compositions and assemblage. They are the only chondrites with oxygen as well as Cr, Ti, Ni and Zn stable isotope compositions similar to the earth and moon and most are completely dry, lacking any evidence of hydrous alteration; the only exception are EC clasts in the Kaidun breccia which have hydrous minerals. Thus, ECs likely formed within the snow line and are good candidates to be building blocks of the inner planets. Our goals are to provide a more detailed characterization the fine-grained matrix in E3 chondrites, understand its origin and relationship to chondrules, decipher the relationship between EH and EL chondrites and compare E3 matrix to matrices in C and O chondrites as well as other fine-grained solar system materials. Is E3 matrix the dust remaining from chondrule formation or a product of parent body processing or both?

Oxygen isotopic ratios of primordial water in carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujiya, Wataru

2018-01-01

In this work, I estimate the δ18 O and δ17 O values of primordial water in CM chondrites to be 55 ± 13 and 35 ± 9‰, respectively, based on whole-rock O and H data. Also, I found that the O and/or H data of Antarctic meteorites are biased, which is attributed to terrestrial weathering. This characteristic O isotopic ratio of water together with corresponding water abundances in CM chondrites are consistent with the origin of water as ice processed by photochemical reactions at the outer regions of the solar nebula, where mass-independent O isotopic fractionation and water destruction may have occurred. Another possible mechanism to produce the inferred O isotopic ratio of water would be O isotopic fractionation between water vapor and ice, which likely occurred near the condensation front of H2O (snow line) in the solar nebula. The inferred O isotopic ratio of water suggests that carbonate in CM chondrites formed at low temperatures of <150 °C. The O isotopic ratios of primordial water in chondrites other than CM chondrites are not well constrained.

HRTEM and EFTEM Studies of Phyllosilicate-Organic Matter Associations in Matrix and Dark Inclusions in the EET92042 CR2 Carbonaceous Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abreu, Neyda M.; Brearley, Adrian J.

2005-01-01

Based on petrologic and isotopic observations, the CR chondrites represent one of the most primitive carbonaceous chondrite groups. The organic matter in CR chondrite matrices is considered to be among the most ancient carbonaceous matter known, potentially providing a link between organic matter in the interstellar medium and our solar system [1]. However, the organic chemistry of CR chondrites may be complicated by the fact that these meteorites have undergone moderate secondary alteration, which potentially overprints primordial features [2]. Although the general effects of this alteration have been documented [2], the details of the fine-grained mineralogy and alteration styles of CR matrices are not fully understood. Here we present TEM observations of matrix in EET 92042, a CR chondrite that contains particularly primitive insoluble organic matter [1]. Preliminary studies [3] determined that EET 92042 matrix is heterogeneous in terms of mineralogy, texture, and petrographic fabric on the micron scale. EET 92042 contains magnetite-rich regions, foliated matrix and dark inclusions (DIs). Some chondrules show fine-grained rims, similar to those described by [4].

Chemical studies of H chondrites. II - Weathering effects in the Victoria Land, Antarctic population and comparison of two Antarctic populations with non-Antarctic falls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennison, J. E.; Lipschutz, M. E.

1987-03-01

The authors report RNAA data for 14 siderophile, lithophile and chalcophile volatile/mobile trace elements in interior portions of 45 different H4-6 chondrites (49 samples) from Victoria Land, Antarctica and 5 H5 chondrites from the Yamato Mts., Antarctica. Relative to H5 chondrites of weathering types A and B, all elements are depleted (10 at statistically significant levels) in extensively weathered (types B/C and C) samples. Chondrites of weathering types A and B seem compositionally uncompromised and as useful as contemporary falls for trace-element studies. When data distributions for these 14 trace elements in non-Antarctic H chondrite falls and unpaired samples from Victoria Land and from the Yamato Mts. (Queen Maud Land) are compared statistically, numerous significant differences are apparent. These and other differences give ample cause to doubt that the various sample populations derive from the same parent population. The observed differences do no reflect weathering, chance or other trivial causes: a preterrestrial source must be responsible.

Multiple parent bodies of ordinary chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yomogida, K.; Matsui, T.

1984-01-01

Thermal histories of chondrite parent bodies are calculated from an initial state with material in a powder-like form, taking into account the effect of consolidation state on thermal conductivity. The very low thermal conductivity of the starting materials makes it possible for a small body with a radius of less than 100 km to be heated by several hundred degrees even if long-lived radioactive elements in chondritic abundances are the only source of heat. The maximum temperature is determined primarily by the temperature at which sintering of the constituent materials occurs. The thermal state of the interior of a chondrite parent body after sintering has begun is nearly isothermal. Near the surface, however, where the material is unconsolidated and the thermal conductivity is much lower, the thermal gradient is quite large. This result contradicts the conventional 'onion-shell' model of chondrite parent bodies. But because the internal temperature is almost constant through the whole body, it supports a 'multiple-parent bodies' model, according to which each petrologic type of chondrite comes from a different parent body.

The Evolution of the EH4 Chondrite Indarch at High Pressure and Temperature: The First Experimental Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berthet, S.; Malavergne, V.; Righter, K.; Corgne, A.; Combes, R.

2006-01-01

Chondrite groups are characterized by variations in bulk composition and oxidation state, illustrating in part heterogeneity in the early solar nebula. Planetary accretion could be explained by at least two different scenarios: the homogeneous [1] and heterogeneous accretion models [2, 3]. In particular, for the formation of the Earth, some studies (e.g. [2, 3]) assume that one component is highly reduced material comparable to enstatite chondrites, devoid of volatile elements but containing all other elements in C1 abundance ratios. To derive constraints on the understanding of early differentiation processes, studies of the silicate phase relations and their interactions with metal, at relevant P-T-fO2, are required. Melting relations and equilibrium partitioning behaviour have been studied on peridotitic and chondritic starting compositions at pressures and temperatures corresponding to the transition zone and lower mantle [4, 5, 6]. However, enstatite chondrites, which are highly reduced primitive meteorites, have not yet been studied experimentally under such conditions. Thus, multianvil experiments have been performed at 20-25 GPa and 2000-2400 C on the EH4 chondrite Indarch.

FIB-TEM Investigations of Fe-NI-Sulfides in the CI Chondrites Alais and Orgueil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berger, Eve L.; Lauretta, D. S.; Zega, T. J.; Keller, L. P.

2013-01-01

The CI chondrites are primitive meteorites with bulk compositions matching the solar photosphere for all but the lightest elements. They have been extensively aqueously altered, and are composed primarily of fine-grained phyllosilicate matrix material which is host to carbonates, sulfates, sulfides, and minor amounts of olivine and pyroxene. The alteration, while extensive, is heterogeneous. For example, CI-chondrite cubanite and carbonate grains differ on mm to sub-mm scales, demonstrating multiple aqueous episodes. CI-chondrite variability is also evidenced by degree of brecciation, abundance and size of coarse-grained phyllosilicates, olivine and pyroxene abundance, as well as Ni-content and size of sulfide grains. Our previous work revealed Orgueil sulfide grains with variable Ni-contents, metal:S ratios, crystal structures and textures. We continue to explore the variability of CI-chondrite pyrrhotite (Po, (FeNi)1-xS) and pentlandite (Pn, (Fe,Ni)9S8) grains. We investigate the microstructure of sulfides within and among CI-chondrite meteorites in order to place constraints on the conditions under which they formed.

Cosmic-ray exposure ages of the ordinary chondrites and their significance for parent body stratigraphy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crabb, J.; Schultz, L.

1981-01-01

Improved exposure ages are derived for 201 H, 203 L, and 38 LL chondrites in an effort to understand the characteristics of the chondrite parent body. The Ne-21 exposure ages were calculated from literature values taking into account shielding differences, a trapped component and radiogenic He. The exposure age distributions show clear peaks at 4.5 and 20 million years for the H chondrites, while the Ls and LLs appear more as a continuous series of intermediate peaks which may be modeled by at least six peaks between 1 and 35 million years in the case of L chondrites. The observations that every petrological type occurs in each large peak and contain solar wind gases suggest that the parent bodies have been fragmented and reassembled into a megabreccia. The H meteorites are proposed to represent the surface layer of a body with a substantial, active regolith as indicated by the relatively high abundances of solar gases. The L chondrites, on the other hand, are attributed to a parent body that was fragmented by collision about 500 million years ago.

Evidence for Impact Shock Melting in CM and CI Chondrite Regolith Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael; Mikouchi, Takashi; Hagiya, Kenji; Ohsumi, Kazumasa; Komatsu, Mutsumi; Le, Loan

2014-01-01

C class asteroids frequently exhibit reflectance spectra consistent with thermally metamorphosed carbonaceous chondrites, or a mixture of phyllosilicate-rich material along with regions where they are absent. One particularly important example appears to be near-Earth asteroid 1999 JU3, the target of the Hayabusa II sample return mission [1], although not all spectra indicate this. In fact most spectra of 1999 JU3 are featureless, suggesting a heterogeneous regolith. Here we explore an alternative cause of dehydration of regolith of C class asteroids - impact shock melting. Impact shock melting has been proposed to explain some mineralogical characteristics of CB chondrites, but has not been considered a major process for hydrous carbonaceous chondrites. What evidence is there for significant shock melting in the very abundant CMs, or less abundant but still important CI chondrites?

Evolution of carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies: Insights into cometary nuclei

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcsween, Harry Y., Jr.

1989-01-01

It is thought that cometary samples will comprise the most primitive materials that are able to be sampled. Although parent body alteration of such samples would not necessarily detract from scientists' interest in them, the possibility exists that modification processes may have affected cometary nuclei. Inferences about the kinds of modifications that might be encountered can be drawn from data on the evolution of carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies. Observations suggest that, of all the classes of chondrites, these meteorites are most applicable to the study of comets. If the proportion of possible internal heat sources such as Al-26 in cometary materials are similar to those in chondrites, and if the time scale of comet accretion was fast enough to permit incorporation of live radionuclides, comets might have had early thermal histories somewhat like those of carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies.

Cumberland Falls chondritic inclusions. III - Consortium study of relationship to inclusions in Allan Hills 78113 aubrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipschutz, Michael E.; Verkouteren, R. Michael; Sears, Derek W. G.; Hasan, Fouad A.; Prinz, Martin.; Weisberg, M. K.; Nehru, Cherukupalli E.; Delaney, Jeremy S.; Grossman, Lawrence; Boily, Michel

1988-07-01

The contents of Ag, Au, Bi, Cd, Co, Cs, Ga, In, Rb, Sb, Se, Te, Tl, U, and Zn in large chondritic clasts from the Cumbersand Falls aubrite were determined by radiochemical neutron activation analysis, and the results, together with the results of a mineralogical investigation, were compared with respective data obtained for three primitive inclusions from the ALH A78113 aubrite. The results indicated that the clasts from both aubrite sources constitute a single chondritic suite. The analyses data, together with the results of thermoluminescence data for Cumberland Falls chondritic inclusions and achondritic host, indicate that inclusions in Cumberland Falls and in ALH A78113 aubrite represent a primitive chondrite sample suite whose properties were established during primary nebular accretion and condensation over a broad redox range.

Coordinates Analyses of Hydrated Interplanetary Dust Particles: Samples of Primitive Solar System Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, L. P.; Snead, C.; McKeegan, K. D.

2016-01-01

Interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) collected in the stratosphere fall into two major groups: an anhydrous group termed the "chondritic-porous (CP) IDPs and a hydrated group, the "chondritic-smooth (CS) IDPs, although rare IDPs with mineralogies intermediate between these two groups are known [1]. The CP-IDPs are widely believed to be derived from cometary sources [e.g. 2]. The hydrated CS-IDPs show mineralogical similarities to heavily aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites (e.g. CI chondrites), but only a few have been directly linked to carbonaceous meteorite parent bodies [e.g. 3, 4]. Most CS-IDPs show distinct chemical [5] and oxygen isotopic composition differences [6-8] from primitive carbonaceous chondrites. Here, we report on our coordinated analyses of a suite of carbon-rich CS-IDPs focusing on their bulk compositions, mineralogy, mineral chemistry, and isotopic compositions.

The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 105

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouvier, Audrey; Gattacceca, Jérôme; Grossman, Jeffrey; Metzler, Knut

2017-11-01

Meteoritical Bulletin 105 contains 2666 meteorites including 12 falls (Aouinet Legraa, Banma, Buritizal, Ejby, Kamargaon, Moshampa, Mount Blanco, Murrili, Osceola, Sariçiçek, Sidi Ali Ou Azza, Stubenberg), with 2244 ordinary chondrites, 142 HED achondrites, 116 carbonaceous chondrites, 37 Lunar meteorites, 20 enstatite chondrites, 20 iron meteorites, 20 ureilites, 19 Martian meteorites, 12 Rumuruti chondrites, 10 primitive achondrites, 9 mesosiderites, 5 angrites, 4 pallasites, 4 ungrouped achondrites, 2 ungrouped chondrites, 1 enstatite achondrite, and 1 relict meteorite, and with 1545 from Antarctica, 686 from Africa, 245 from Asia, 147 from South America, 22 from North America, 14 from Europe, 5 from Oceania, 1 from unknown origin. Note: 5 meteorites from Russia were counted as European. It also includes a list of approved new Dense Collection Areas and a nomenclature of the Aletai (IIIE-an) iron meteorites from Xinjiang, China.

A nucleosynthetic origin for the Earth’s anomalous 142Nd composition

PubMed Central

Burkhardt, C.; Borg, L.E.; Brennecka, G.A.; Shollenberger, Q.R.; Dauphas, N.; Kleine, T.

2016-01-01

A long-standing paradigm assumes that the chemical and isotopic composition of many elements in the bulk silicate Earth are the same as in chondrites1–4. However, the accessible Earth has a greater 142Nd/144Nd than chondrites. Because 142Nd is the decay product of now-extinct 146Sm (t1/2= 103 million years5), this 142Nd difference seems to require a higher-than-chondritic Sm/Nd of the accessible Earth. This must have been acquired during global silicate differentiation within the first 30 million years of Solar System formation6 and implies the formation of a complementary 142Nd-depleted reservoir that either is hidden in the deep Earth6, or was lost to space by impact erosion3,7. Whether this complementary reservoir existed, and whether or not it has been lost from Earth is a matter of debate3,8,9, but has tremendous implications for determining the bulk composition of Earth, its heat content and structure, and for constraining the modes and timescales of its geodynamical evolution3,7,9,10. Here, we show that compared to chondrites, Earth’s precursor bodies were enriched in Nd produced by the slow neutron capture process (s-process) of nucleosynthesis. This s-process excess leads to higher 142Nd/144Nd, and, after correction for this effect, the 142Nd/144Nd of chondrites and the accessible Earth are indistinguishable within 5 parts per million. The 142Nd offset between the accessible silicate Earth and chondrites, therefore, reflects a higher proportion of s-process Nd in the Earth, and not early differentiation processes. As such, our results obviate the need for hidden reservoir or super-chondritic Earth models, and imply a chondritic Sm/Nd for bulk Earth. Thus, although chondrites formed at greater heliocentric distance and contain a different mix of presolar components than Earth, they nevertheless are suitable proxies for Earth’s bulk chemical composition. PMID:27629643

Chemistry of Earth's Putative Steam Atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fegley, B.; Schaefer, L.

2007-12-01

The concept of a steam atmosphere generated by impact devolatilization of planetesimals accreted during Earth's formation is over 20 years old (Matsui and Abe, 1986; Lange and Ahrens, 1982). Surprisingly, with the possible exception of a few qualitative remarks, no one has critically assessed this scenario. We use thermochemical equilibrium and, where relevant, thermochemical kinetic calculations to model the chemistry of the "steam" atmosphere produced by impact volatilization of different types of accreting material. We present results for our nominal conditions (1500 K, total P = 100 bar). We also studied the effects of variable temperature and total pressure. The composition of the accreting material is modeled using average compositions of the Orgueil CI chondrite, the Murchison CM2 chondrite, the Allende CV3 chondrite, average ordinary (H, L, LL) chondrites, and average enstatite (EH, EL) chondrites. The major gases released from CI and CM chondritic material are H2O, CO2, H2, H2S, CO, CH4, and SO2 in decreasing order of abundance. About 10% of the atmosphere is CO2. The major gases released from CV chondritic material are CO2, H2O, CO, H2, and SO2 in decreasing order of abundance. About 20% of the total atmosphere is steam. The major gases released from average ordinary chondritic material are H2, CO, H2O, CO2, CH4, H2S, and N2 in decreasing order of abundance. The "steam" atmosphere is predominantly H2 + CO with steam being about 10% of the total atmosphere. The major gases released from EH chondritic material are H2, CO, H2O, CO2, N2, and CH4 in decreasing order of abundance. The "steam" atmosphere is predominantly H2 + CO with about 10% of the total atmosphere as steam. This work was supported by the NASA Astrobiology and Origins Programs.

A strongly hydrated microclast in the Rumuruti chondrite NWA 6828: Implications for the distribution of hydrous material in the solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greshake, Ansgar

2014-05-01

Hydrous carbonaceous microclasts are by far the most abundant foreign fragments in stony meteorites and mostly resemble CI1-, CM2-, or CR2-like material. Their occurrence is of great importance for understanding the distribution and migration of water-bearing volatile-rich matter in the solar system. This paper reports the first finding of a strongly hydrated microclast in a Rumuruti chondrite. The R3-6 chondrite Northwest Africa 6828 contains a 420 × 325 μm sized angular foreign fragment exhibiting sharp boundaries to the surrounding R-type matrix. The clast is dominantly composed of magnetite, pyrrhotite, rare Ca-carbonate, and very rare Mg-rich olivine set in an abundant fine-grained phyllosilicate-rich matrix. Phyllosilicates are serpentine and saponite. One region of the clast is dominated by forsteritic olivine (Fa<2) supported by a network of interstitial Ca-carbonate. The clast is crosscut by Ca-carbonate-filled veins and lacks any chondrules, calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions, or their respective pseudomorphs. The hydrous clast contains also a single grain of the very rare phosphide andreyivanovite. Comparison with CI1, CM2, and CR2 chondrites as well as with the ungrouped C2 chondrite Tagish Lake shows no positive match with any of these types of meteorites. The clast may, thus, either represent a fragment of an unsampled lithology of the hydrous carbonaceous chondrite parent asteroids or constitute a sample from an as yet unknown parent body, maybe even a comet. Rumuruti chondrites are a unique group of highly oxidized meteorites that probably accreted at a heliocentric distance >1 AU between the formation regions of ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites. The occurrence of a hydrous microclast in an R chondrite attests to the presence of such material also in this region at least at some point in time and documents the wide distribution of water-bearing (possibly zodiacal cloud) material in the solar system.

A nucleosynthetic origin for the Earth's anomalous (142)Nd composition.

PubMed

Burkhardt, C; Borg, L E; Brennecka, G A; Shollenberger, Q R; Dauphas, N; Kleine, T

2016-09-15

A long-standing paradigm assumes that the chemical and isotopic compositions of many elements in the bulk silicate Earth are the same as in chondrites. However, the accessible Earth has a greater (142)Nd/(144)Nd ratio than do chondrites. Because (142)Nd is the decay product of the now-extinct (146)Sm (which has a half-life of 103 million years), this (142)Nd difference seems to require a higher-than-chondritic Sm/Nd ratio for the accessible Earth. This must have been acquired during global silicate differentiation within the first 30 million years of Solar System formation and implies the formation of a complementary (142)Nd-depleted reservoir that either is hidden in the deep Earth, or lost to space by impact erosion. Whether this complementary reservoir existed, and whether or not it has been lost from Earth, is a matter of debate, and has implications for determining the bulk composition of Earth, its heat content and structure, as well as for constraining the modes and timescales of its geodynamical evolution. Here we show that, compared with chondrites, Earth's precursor bodies were enriched in neodymium that was produced by the slow neutron capture process (s-process) of nucleosynthesis. This s-process excess leads to higher (142)Nd/(144)Nd ratios; after correction for this effect, the (142)Nd/(144)Nd ratios of chondrites and the accessible Earth are indistinguishable within five parts per million. The (142)Nd offset between the accessible silicate Earth and chondrites therefore reflects a higher proportion of s-process neodymium in the Earth, and not early differentiation processes. As such, our results obviate the need for hidden-reservoir or super-chondritic Earth models and imply a chondritic Sm/Nd ratio for the bulk Earth. Although chondrites formed at greater heliocentric distances and contain a different mix of presolar components than Earth, they nevertheless are suitable proxies for Earth's bulk chemical composition.

Chondritic Meteorites: Nebular and Parent-Body Formation Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, Alan E.; Lindstrom, David (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

It is important to identify features in chondrites that formed as a result of parent-body modification in order to disentangle nebular and asteroidal processes. However, this task is difficult because unmetamorphosed chondritic meteorites are mixtures of diverse components including various types of chondrules, chondrule fragments, refractory and mafic inclusions, metal-sulfide grains and fine-grained matrix material. Shocked chondrites can contain melt pockets, silicate-darkened material, metal veins, silicate melt veins, and impact-melt-rock clasts. This grant paid for several studies that went far in helping to distinguish primitive nebular features from those produced during asteroidal modification processes.

Relationship Between Iron Valence States of Serpentine in CM Chondrites and Their Aqueous Alteration Degrees

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikouchi, T.; Zolensky, M.; Satake, W.; Le, L.

2012-01-01

The 0.6-0.7 micron absorption band observed for C-type asteroids is caused by the presence of Fe(3+) in phyllosilicates . Because Fe-bearing phyllosilicates, especially serpentine, are the most dominant product of aqueous alteration in the most abundant carbonaceous chondrites, CM chondrites, it is important to understand the crystal chemistry of serpentine in CM chondrites to better understand spectral features of C-type asteroids. CM chondrites show variable degrees of aqueous alteration, which should be related to iron valences in serpentine. It is predicted that the Fe(3+)/Sum of (Fe) ratios of serpentine in CM chondrites decrease as alteration proceeds by Si and Fe(3+) substitutions from end-member cronstedtite to serpentine, which should be apparent in the absorption intensity of the 0.6-0.7 micron band from C-type asteroids. In fact, the JAXA Hayabusa 2 target (C-type asteroid: 1993 JU3) exhibits heterogeneous spectral features (0.7 micron absorption band disappears by rotation). From these points of view, we have analyzed iron valences of matrix serpentine in several CM chondrites which span the entire observed range of aqueous alteration using Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure (SR-XANES). In this abstract we discuss the relationship between obtained Fe(3+)/Sum of (Fe) ratios and alteration degrees by adding new data to our previous studies

Evolution of Indarch (EH4 Chondrite) at 1 GPa and High Temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berthet, S.; Malavergne, V.; Righter, K.

2008-01-01

The chondritic meteorites are materials that are as old as the solar system itself characterized by variations in bulk chemical and oxidation state, and have long been considered possible building blocks that accreted to form the terrestrial inner planets. Enstatite chondrites contain nearly FeO free enstatite, silicon-rich kamacite and various sulfides indicating formation under highly reducing conditions. These materials could have participated in the formation of the Earth. However, "fingerprinting" of meteoritic materials has shown that no known meteoritic class corresponds to a hypothetical bulk Earth composition in every aspect. To derive constraints on early accretion and differentiation processes and possibly resolve the debate on the formation of the Earth, it is required to study experimentally a variety of chondritic materials and investigate their melting relations and elemental partitioning behavior at variable pressure (P), temperature (T) and oxygen fugacities (fO2). Variations in fO2 can indeed change chemical features and phase equilibria dramatically. The P-T phase diagrams of peridotites and carbonaceous chondrites have been extensively studied experimentally up to pressures and temperatures corresponding to the transition zone and lower mantle. Even though partial melting experiments have been conducted at ambient pressure on the enstatite chondrite Indarch, enstatite meteorites have never been experimentally investigated at high PT. The following investigation focuses on the effect of the fO2 on the phase relations of Indarch, an EH4 chondrite.

Partial melting of ordinary chondrites: Lost City (H) and St. Severin (LL)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jurewicz, Amy J. G.; Jones, John H.; Weber, Egon T.; Mittlefehldt, David W.

1993-01-01

Eucrites and diogenites are examples of asteroidal basalts and orthopyroxenites, respectively. As they are found intermingled in howardites, which are inferred to be regolith breccias, eucrites and diogenites are thought to be genetically related. But the details of this relationship and of their individual origins remain controversial. Work by Jurewicz et al. showed that 1170-1180 C partial melts of the (anhydrous) Murchison (CM) chondrite have major element compositions extremely similar to primitive eucrites, such as Sioux County. However, the MnO contents of these melts were about half that of Sioux County, a problem for the simple partial melting model. In addition, partial melting of Murchison could not produce diogenites, because residual pyroxenes in the Murchison experiments were too Fe- and Ca-rich and were minor phases at all but the lowest temperatures. A parent magma for diogenites needs an expanded low-calcium pyroxene field. In their partial melting study of an L6 chondrite, Kushiro and Mysen found that ordinary chondrites did have an expanded low-Ca pyroxene field over that of CV chondrites (i.e., Allende), probably because ordinary chondrites have lower Mg/Si ratios. This study expands that of both Kushiro and Mysen and Jurewicz et al. to the Lost City (H) and St. Severin (LL) chondrites at temperatures ranging from 1170 to 1325 C, at an fO2 of one log unit below the iron-wuestite buffer (IW-1).

Effects of Microsecond Pulse Laser Irradiation on Vis-NIR Reflectance Spectrum of Carbonaceous Chondrite Simulant: Implications for Martian Moons and Primitive Asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hiroi, T.; Moroz, L. V.; Shingareva, T. V.; Basilevsky, A. T.; Pieters, M.

2003-01-01

Goal of this study is to make a progress in understanding the optical effects of space weathering on small bodies believed to be similar in composition to carbonaceous chondrites: C, G, B, F, T, D, and P asteroids and possibly Martian satellites Phobos and Deimos. The companion work focuses on petrological and mineralogical aspects of this process. One of the main factors of space weathering is meteorite and micrometeorite bombardment leading, in particular, to impact melting of components of the regolith. Studies of lunar regolith and laboratory experiments simulating impact melting show that the melting products differ from the unmelted material in mineralogy and distribution of chemical components among different phases that results in spectral changes. We simulate impact melting of CM chondrite by pulse laser irradiation of an artificial analog of such a meteorite. The analog is a mixture of 46 wt.% non-magnetic fraction of L5 ordinary chondrite Tsarev, 47 wt.% serpentine, 5 wt.% kerite, and 2 wt.% calcite. It simulates rather well bulk chemistry, including volatiles such as H2O and CO2, and only approximately the CM chondrite mineralogy. Thus, we do not expect the mixture to be spectrally similar to CM chondrites, but expect the laser melting products to be similar to those formed by impact melting of natural CM chondrites.

R Raman Spectroscopy and Petrology of Antarctic CR Chondrites: Comparison with Other Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komatsu, M.; Fagan, T. J.; Yamaguchi, A.; Mikouchi, T.; Zolensky, M. E.; Yasutake, M.

2015-01-01

In Renazzo-like carbonaceous (CR) chondrites, abundant original Fe,Ni-metal is preserved in chrondules, but the matrix is characterized by fine-grained magnetite with phyllosilicate. This combination of reduced Fe in chrodrules with oxidized Fe and phyllosilicate in the matrix has been attributed to aqueous alteration of matrix at relatively low temperatures.

The selenium isotopic variations in chondrites are mass-dependent; Implications for sulfide formation in the early solar system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labidi, J.; König, S.; Kurzawa, T.; Yierpan, A.; Schoenberg, R.

2018-01-01

Element transfer from the solar nebular gas to solids occurred either through direct condensation or via heterogeneous reactions between gaseous molecules and previously condensed solid matter. The precursors of altered sulfides observed in chondrites are for example attributed to reactions between gaseous hydrogen sulfide and metallic iron grains. The transfer of selenium to solids likely occurred through a similar pathway, allowing the formation of iron selenides concomitantly with sulfides. The formation rate of sulfide however remains difficult to assess. Here we investigate whether the Se isotopic composition of meteorites contributes to constrain sulfide formation during condensation stages of our solar system. We present high precision Se concentration and δ 82 / 78 Se data for 23 chondrites as well as the first δ 74 / 78 Se , δ 76 / 78 Se and δ 77 / 78 Se data for a sub-set of seven chondrites. We combine our dataset with previously published sulfur isotopic data and discuss aspects of sulfide formation for various types of chondrites. Our Se concentration data are within uncertainty to literature values and are consistent with sulfides being the dominant selenium host in chondrites. Our overall average δ 82 / 78 Se value for chondrites is - 0.21 ± 0.43 ‰ (n = 23, 2 s.d.), or - 0.14 ± 0.21 ‰ after exclusion of three weathered chondrites (n = 20, 2 s.d.). These average values are within uncertainty indistinguishable from a previously published estimate. For the first time however, we resolve distinct δ 82 / 78 Se between ordinary (- 0.14 ± 0.07 ‰, n = 9, 2 s.d.), enstatite (- 0.27 ± 0.05 ‰, n = 3, 2 s.d.) and CI carbonaceous chondrites (- 0.01 ± 0.06 ‰, n = 2, 2 s.d.). We also resolve a Se isotopic variability among CM carbonaceous chondrites. In addition, we report on δ 74 / 78 Se , δ 76 / 78 Se and δ 77 / 78 Se values determined for 7 chondrites. Our data allow evaluating the mass dependency of the δ 82 / 78 Se variations. Mass-independent deficits ro excesses of 74Se, 76Se and 77Se are calculated relative to the observed 82Se/78Se ratios, and were observed negligible. This rules out poor mixing of nucleosynthetic components to account for the δ 82 / 78 Se variability and implies that the mass dependent Se isotopic variations were produced in a once-homogeneous disk. The mass-dependent isotopic difference between enstatite and ordinary chondrites may reflect the contribution of a kinetic sulfidation process at anomalously high H2S-H2Se contents in the region of enstatite chondrite formation. Experimental studies showed that high H2S contents favor the formation of compact sulfide layers around metallic grains. This decreases the reactive surface, which tends to inhibit the continuation of the sulfidation reaction. Under these conditions sulfide growth likely occurs under isotopic disequilibrium and favors the trapping of light S and Se isotopes in solids; This hypothesis provides an explanation for our Se isotope as well as for previously published S isotope data. On the other hand, high δ 82 / 78 Se values in carbonaceous chondrites may result from sample heterogeneities generated by parent body aqueous alteration, or could reflect the contribution of ices carrying photo-processed Se from the outer solar system.

Barium isotope abundances in meteorites and their implications for early Solar System evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bermingham, K. R.; Mezger, K.; Scherer, E. E.; Horan, M. F.; Carlson, R. W.; Upadhyay, D.; Magna, T.; Pack, A.

2016-02-01

Several nucleosynthetic processes contributed material to the Solar System, but the relative contributions of each process, the timing of their input into the solar nebula, and how well these components were homogenized in the solar nebula remain only partially constrained. The Ba isotope system is particularly useful in addressing these issues because Ba isotopes are synthesized via three nucleosynthetic processes (s-, r-, p-process). In this study, high precision Ba isotope analyses of 22 different whole rock chondrites and achondrites (carbonaceous chondrites, ordinary chondrites, enstatite chondrites, Martian meteorites, and eucrites) were performed to constrain the distribution of Ba isotopes on the regional scale in the Solar System. A melting method using aerodynamic levitation and CO2-laser heating was used to oxidize SiC, a primary carrier of Ba among presolar grains in carbonaceous chondrites. Destruction of these grains during the fusion process enabled the complete digestion of these samples. The Ba isotope data presented here are thus the first for which complete dissolution of the bulk meteorite samples was certain. Enstatite chondrites, ordinary chondrites, and all achondrites measured here possess Ba isotope compositions that are not resolved from the terrestrial composition. Barium isotope anomalies are evident in most of the carbonaceous chondrites analyzed, but the 135Ba anomalies are generally smaller than previously reported for similarly sized splits of CM2 meteorites. Variation in the size of the 135Ba anomaly is also apparent in fused samples from the same parent body (e.g., CM2 meteorites) and in different pieces from the same meteorite (e.g., Orgueil, CI). Here, we investigate the potential causes of variability in 135Ba, including the contribution of radiogenic 135Ba from the decay of 135Cs and incomplete homogenization of the presolar components on the <0.8 g sample scale.

A Cabonaceous Chondrite Dominated Lithology from the HED Parent; PRA 04401

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herrin, Jason S.; Zolensky, M. E.; Mittlefehldt, David W.

2010-01-01

The paired howardite breccias Mt. Pratt (PRA) 04401 and PRA 04402 are notable for their high proportion of carbonaceous chondrite clasts [1]. They consist predominantly of coarse (0.1-7 mm) diogenite (orthopyroxene), eucrite (plagioclase + pyroxene), and carbonaceous chondrite clasts set in a finer grained matrix of these same materials. Coarse C-chondrite clasts up to 7 mm are composed mainly of fine-grained phyllosilicates with lesser sulfides and high-mg# anhydrous magnesian silicates. Most of these clasts appear to be texturally consistent with CM2 classification [1] and some contain relict chondrules. The clasts are angular and reaction or alteration textures are not apparent in the surrounding matrix. PRA 04401 contains about 70 modal% C-chondrite clasts while PRA 04402 contains about 7%. Although many howardites are known to contain abundant C-chondrite clasts [2,3,4], PRA 04401 is, to our knowledge, the most chondrite-rich howardite lithology identified to date. Low EPMA totals from CM2-type clasts in other howardites suggest that they frequently contain 10 wt% or more water [2], a figure consistent with their mineralogy. PRA 04401, therefore, demonstrates the potential for hydrous lithologies with greater than 5 wt% water to occur locally within the nominally anhydrous HED parent body. Since the origin of this water is xenogenic, it might therefore be concentrated in portions of the asteroid surface where it would be more readily observable by remote sensing techniques. We plan to further examine C-chondrite clasts in PRA 04401/2 with the intent of establishing firm chemical classification, estimating water content, and evaluating their relationship with the host breccia. To help place them in context of the HED parent, we will also compare these breccias with other howardites to evaluate which lithologies are likely to be more prevalent on the asteroid surface.

Principal components - Petrology and chemistry of polyphase units in chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rietmeijer, Frans J. M.

1997-03-01

Chondritic porous (CP) interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) can be described as 'cosmic sediments'. It should be possible to recognize in these IDPs the 4500 Myrs old solar nebula dusts. The studies of unaltered chondritic IDPs show that their matrices are a mixture of three different principal components (PCs) that also describe variable C/Si ratios of chondritic IDPs. Among others, PCs include polyphase units (PUs) that are amorphous to holocrystalline, both ultrafine- and coarse-grained, ferromagnesiosilica(te) materials with minor Al and Ca. The properties of PCs and their alteration products define the physical and chemical processes that produced and altered these components. PCs are also cornerstones of IDP classification. For example, the bulk composition of ultrafine-grained PCs can be reconstructed using the 'butterfly method' and also allows an evaluation of the metamorphic signatures, (e.g., dynamic pyrometamorphism), in chondritic IDPs.

Thermomagnetic analysis of meteorites, 2: C2 chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, D. E.; Larson, E. E.; Herndon, J. M.; Rowe, M. W.

1974-01-01

Samples of all eighteen of the known C2 chondrites were analyzed thermomagnetically. For eleven of these, initial Fe3O4 content is low(generally 1%) and the J sub s-T curves are irreversible. The heating curves show variable and erratic behavior, whereas the cooling curves appear to be that of Fe3O4. The saturation moment after cooling is greater (up to 10 times larger) than it is initially. This behavior is interpreted to be the result of the production of magnetite from a thermally unstable phase--apparently FeS. Four of the remaining 7 C2 chondrites contain Fe3O4 as the only significant magnetic phase: initial magnetite contents range from 4 to 13 percent. The remaining three C2 chondrites contain iron or nickel-iron in addition to Fe3O4. These seven C2 chondrites show little evidence of the breakdown of a thermally unstable phase.

Spectral characteristics of iron-bearing phyllosilicates: Comparison to Orgueil (CI1), Murchison and Murray (CM2)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Calvin, W.M.; King, T.V.V.

1997-01-01

Phyllosilicate alteration minerals are commonly found in low petrologic types of carbonaceous chondrites. Previous spectral studies have examined Mg-bearing phyllosilicates with limited success in matching the spectral properties of CM and CI chondrites. Transmission electron microscope and other analytical techniques suggest that Fe-bearing clays are more abundant in CI and CM chondrites than magnesian varieties. Here, we present the results of an examination of the reflectance spectra of Fe-phyllosilicates, including serpentines and berthierines, of which the latter were formerly known as septechlorites. We have measured the diffuse reflectance spectra of powdered samples from 0.3 to 25 ??m. We find that these minerals provide a better spectral match to many of the features seen in CI and CM chondrites, and simple linear combinations of the spectra of both Fe- and Mg-phyllosilicates closely approximate the spectra of CM and CI chondrites.

Contributors to chromium isotope variation of meteorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Liping; Alexander, Conel M. O.'D.; Carlson, Richard W.; Horan, Mary F.; Yokoyama, Tetsuya

2010-02-01

We report the results of a comprehensive, high precision survey of the Cr isotopic compositions of primitive chondrites, along with some differentiated meteorites. To ensure complete dissolution of our samples, they were first fused with lithium borate-tetraborate at 1050-1000 °C. Relative to the NIST Cr standard SRM 3112a, carbonaceous chondrites exhibit excesses in 54Cr/ 52Cr from 0.4 to 1.6 ɛ (1 ɛ = 1 part in 10,000), and ordinary chondrites display a common 54Cr/ 52Cr deficit of ˜0.4 ɛ. Analyses of acid-digestion residues of chondrites show that carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites share a common 54Cr-enriched carrier, which is characterized by a large excess in 54Cr/ 52Cr (up to 200 ɛ) associated with a very small deficit in 53Cr/ 52Cr (<2 ɛ). We did not find 54Cr anomalies in either bulk enstatite chondrites or in leachates of their acid-digestion residues. This either requires that the enstatite chondrite parent bodies did not incorporate the 54Cr anomaly carrier phase during their accretion, or the phase was destroyed by parent body metamorphism. Chromium in the terrestrial rocks and lunar samples analyzed here show no deviation from the NIST SRM 3112a Cr standard. The eucrite and Martian meteorites studied exhibit small deficits in 54Cr/ 52Cr. The 54Cr/ 52Cr variations among different meteorite classes suggest that there was a spatial and/or temporal heterogeneity in the distribution of a 54Cr-rich component in the inner Solar System. We confirm the correlated excesses in 54Cr/ 52Cr and 53Cr/ 52Cr for bulk carbonaceous chondrites, but the new data yield a steeper slope (˜6.6) than that reported in Shukolyukov and Lugmair (2006). The correlated excesses may affect the use of the Mn-Cr chronometer in carbonaceous chondrites. We could not confirm the bulk carbonaceous chondrite Mn-Cr isochron reported by Shukolyukov and Lugmair (2006) and Moynier et al. (2007), mostly because we find much smaller total variations in ɛ53Cr (˜0.2). All bulk chondrites have small ɛ53Cr excesses (up to 0.3) relative to the Earth, most likely reflecting the sub-chondritic Mn/Cr ratio of the Earth. The ɛ53Cr variations in chondrites do seem to grossly correlate with Mn/Cr and yield an initial Solar System 53Mn/ 55Mn value of 5.4(±2.4) × 10 -6, corresponding to an absolute age of 4566.4 (±2.2) Ma. Nuclear interactions with cosmic rays result in coupled excesses in ɛ54Cr and ɛ53Cr with a ˜4:1 ratio in phases with high Fe/Cr. These are most dramatically demonstrated in the iron meteorite Carbo, showing excesses in ɛ54Cr of up to 140 ɛ. These new results show that the Mn-Cr chronometer should be used with caution in samples/minerals with high Fe/Cr and long cosmic ray exposure ages.

The accretion and impact history of the ordinary chondrite parent bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blackburn, Terrence; Alexander, Conel M. O'D.; Carlson, Richard; Elkins-Tanton, Linda T.

2017-03-01

A working timeline for the history of ordinary chondrites includes chondrule formation as early as 0-2 Ma after our Solar System's earliest forming solids (CAIs), followed by rapid accretion into undifferentiated planetesimals that were heated internally by 26Al decay and cooled over a period of tens of millions of years. There remains conflict, however, between metallographic cooling rate (Ni-metal) and radioisotopic thermochronometric data over the sizes and lifetimes of the chondrite parent bodies, as well as the timing of impact related disruptions. The importance of establishing the timing of parent body disruption is heightened by the use of meteorites as recorders of asteroid belt wide disruption events and their use to interpret Solar System dynamical models. Here we attempt to resolve these records by contributing new 207Pb-206Pb data obtained on phosphates isolated from nine previously unstudied ordinary chondrites. These new results, along with previously published Pb-phosphate, Ni-metal and thermometry data, are interpreted with a series of numerical models designed to simulate the thermal evolution for a chondrite parent body that either remains intact or is disrupted by impact prior to forming smaller unsorted "rubble piles". Our thermal model and previously published thermometry data limit accretion time to 2.05-2.25 Ma after CAIs. Measured Pb-phosphate data place minimum estimates on parent body diameters of ∼260-280 km for both the L and H chondrite parent bodies. They also consistently show that petrologic Type 6 (highest thermal metamorphism) chondrites from both the H and L bodies have younger ages and, therefore, cooled more slowly than Type 5 (lesser metamorphism) chondrites. This is interpreted as evidence for Type 5 chondrite origination from shallower depths than Type 6 chondrites within initially concentrically zoned bodies. This contrasts metallographic cooling rate data that are inconsistent with such a simple onion shell scenario. One model that can reconcile these two data sets takes into account subtle differences in temperature to which each system responds. This working model requires that disruption occur early enough such that the Ni-metal system can record the cooling rate associated with a rubble pile (<70 Ma), yet late enough that the Pb-phosphate system can record an onion shell structure (>30 Ma). For this 30-70 Ma timeline, reaccretion into smaller rubble piles will ensure that the originally deeply buried and hot Type 6 samples will always cool faster as a result of disruption, yielding nearly uniform ages that record the time of parent body disruption. This is consistent with the available Pb-phosphate data, where all but one Type 6 chondrite (H, n = 3; L, n = 4) yields a cooling age within a narrow 4505 ± 5 Ma timeframe. These data collectively imply that both the H and L chondrite parent bodies were catastrophically disrupted at ∼60 Ma. In addition, combined Ni-metal and Pb-phosphate models confirm that a subset of Type 4 chondrites record early rapid cooling likely associated with erosional impacting of the H and L parent bodies on ∼5 Ma timescales.

In Situ Observation of Carbonaceous Material in the Matrices of CV and CM Carbonaceous Chondrites: Preliminary Results from Energy Filtered Transmission Electron Microscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brearley, A. J.; Abreu, N. M.

2001-01-01

Energy filtered transmission electron microscopy shows that organic matter can be detected in situ in the matrices of carbonaceous chondrites at a spatial resolution of at least 1 nm. In CM chondrites, carbon is often associated with sulfide particles. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

The Shaw meteorite - History of a chondrite consisting of impact-melted and metamorphic lithologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, G. J.; Keil, K.; Berkley, J. L.; Lange, D. E.; Fodor, R. V.

1979-01-01

Three intermingled lithologies are identified in the Shaw L-group chondrite: a light-colored lithology with a poikilitic texture, consisting of olivine and augite crystals surrounded by larger orthopyroxene grains; a dark-colored lithology containing remnant chondrules and exhibiting a microgranular texture; and a gray lithology which appears to be intermediate between the other two. Contrary to published opinions, the Shaw meteorite contains normal L-group chondrite abundances of metal and troilite, though these phases are irregularly distributed. The lithological analyses suggest that 4.52 Byr ago an impact took place on the L-group chondrite parent object of Shaw.

The Nature of C Asteroid Regolith Revealed from the Jbilet Winselwan CM Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael; Mikouchi, Takashi; Hagiya, Kenji; Ohsumi, Kazumasa; Komatsu, Mutsumi; Chan, Queenie H. S.; Le, Loan; Kring, David; Cato, Michael; Fagan, Amy L.

2016-01-01

C-class asteroids frequently exhibit reflectance spectra consistent with thermally metamorphosed carbonaceous chondrites, or a mixture of phyllosilicate-rich material along with regions where they are absent. One particularly important example appears to be asteroid 162173 Ryugu, the target of the Hayabusa 2 mission, although most spectra of Ryugu are featureless, suggesting a heterogeneous regolith. Here we explore an alternative cause of dehydration of regolith of C-class asteroids - impact shock melting. Impact shock melting has been proposed to ex-plain some mineralogical characteristics of CB chondrites, but has rarely been considered a major process for hydrous carbonaceous chondrites.

Indigenous Amino Acids in Iron Meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elsila, J. E.; Dworkin, J. P.; Glavin, D. P.; Johnson, N. M.

2018-01-01

Understanding the organic content of meteorites and the potential delivery of molecules relevant to the origin of life on Earth is an important area of study in astrobiology. There have been many studies of meteoritic organics, with much focus on amino acids as monomers of proteins and enzymes essential to terrestrial life. The majority of these studies have involved analysis of carbonaceous chondrites, primitive meteorites containing approx. 3-5 wt% carbon. Amino acids have been observed in varying abundances and distributions in representatives of all eight carbonaceous chondrite groups, as well as in ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites, ordinary and R chondrites, ureilites, and planetary achondrites [1 and references therein].

The chemistry and origin of the ordinary chondrites Implications from refractory-lithophile and siderophile elements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fulton, C. R.; Rhodes, J. M.

1984-01-01

Thirty-eight ordinary chondrites (17 H, 20 L, and 1 LL) have been analyzed for major and selected trace elements. These data indicate that the lithophile elements Mg, Ca, Al, Cr, and V normalized to Si are in higher abundance in the H than in the L chondrites. The siderophile elements Ni, Co, and Fe show very good correlation within, as well as between, the two major ordinary chondrite groups. Twenty-four of the analyses are of Antarctic finds, while ten are samples of falls. Comparing the Antarctic data with the fall data reveals no evidence that any of the elements studied here have been mobilized by terrestrial weathering processes. Within the H and L chondrite groups there is little chemical variation, indicating that the source of these samples is remarkably homogeneous. Equilibrium condensate fractionation from a nebula of CI composition can result in the observed ordinary chondrite compositions. The fractionation of metal at about 1440 K (and 0.001 atm) into high and low iron groups, followed by a gas-solid fractionation at about 1380 K with the H group losing more solids than the L, will produce the observed H and L compositions and intragroup trends.

147Sm-143Nd systematics of Earth are inconsistent with a superchondritic Sm/Nd ratio

PubMed Central

Huang, Shichun; Jacobsen, Stein B.; Mukhopadhyay, Sujoy

2013-01-01

The relationship between the compositions of the Earth and chondritic meteorites is at the center of many important debates. A basic assumption in most models for the Earth’s composition is that the refractory elements are present in chondritic proportions relative to each other. This assumption is now challenged by recent 142Nd/144Nd ratio studies suggesting that the bulk silicate Earth (BSE) might have an Sm/Nd ratio 6% higher than chondrites (i.e., the BSE is superchondritic). This has led to the proposal that the present-day 143Nd/144Nd ratio of BSE is similar to that of some deep mantle plumes rather than chondrites. Our reexamination of the long-lived 147Sm-143Nd isotope systematics of the depleted mantle and the continental crust shows that the BSE, reconstructed using the depleted mantle and continental crust, has 143Nd/144Nd and Sm/Nd ratios close to chondritic values. The small difference in the ratio of 142Nd/144Nd between ordinary chondrites and the Earth must be due to a process different from mantle-crust differentiation, such as incomplete mixing of distinct nucleosynthetic components in the solar nebula. PMID:23479630

Pb-Pb dating of individual chondrules from the CBa chondrite Gujba: Assessment of the impact plume formation model

PubMed Central

Bollard, Jean; Connelly, James N.; Bizzarro, Martin

2016-01-01

The CB chondrites are metal-rich meteorites with characteristics that sharply distinguish them from other chondrite groups. Their unusual chemical and petrologic features and a young formation age of bulk chondrules dated from the CBa chondrite Gujba are interpreted to reflect a single-stage impact origin. Here, we report high-precision internal isochrons for four individual chondrules of the Gujba chondrite to probe the formation history of CB chondrites and evaluate the concordancy of relevant short-lived radionuclide chronometers. All four chondrules define a brief formation interval with a weighted mean age of 4562.49 ± 0.21 Myr, consistent with its origin from the vapor-melt impact plume generated by colliding planetesimals. Formation in a debris disk mostly devoid of nebular gas and dust sets an upper limit for the solar protoplanetary disk lifetime at 4.8 ± 0.3 Myr. Finally, given the well-behaved Pb-Pb systematics of all four chondrules, a precise formation age and the concordancy of the Mn-Cr, Hf-W, and I-Xe short-lived radionuclide relative chronometers, we propose that Gujba may serve as a suitable time anchor for these systems. PMID:27429545

Refractory Inclusion Size Distribution and Fabric Measured in a Large Slab of the Allende CV3 Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinivasan, P.; Simon, Justin I.; Cuzzi, J. N.

2013-01-01

Aggregate textures of chondrites reflect accretion of early-formed particles in the solar nebula. Explanations for the size and density variations of particle populations found among chondrites are debated. Differences could have risen out of formation in different locations in the nebula, and/or they could have been caused by a sorting process [1]. Many ideas on the cause of chondrule sorting have been proposed; some including sorting by mass [2,3], by X-winds [4], turbulent concentration [5], and by photophoresis [6]. However, few similar studies have been conducted for Ca-, Al-rich inclusions (CAIs). These particles are known to have formed early, and their distribution could attest to the early stages of Solar System (ESS) history. Unfortunately, CAIs are not as common in chondrites as chondrules are, reducing the usefulness of studies restricted to a few thin sections. Furthermore, the largest sizes of CAIs are generally much larger than chondrules, and therefore rarely present in most studied chondrite thin sections. This study attempts to perform a more representative sampling of the CAI population in the Allende chondrite by investigating a two decimeter-sized slab.

The Th and U abundances in chondritic meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, J. H.; Wasserburg, G. J.; Papanastassiou, D. A.

1993-01-01

We present new analyses of Th-232/U-238 in CI and CM meteorites. The relative abundance of these nuclides is important in estimates of the age of r-process elements. The cosmochronology based upon the Th-232/U-238 ratio (kappa) depends on the precise determinations of these two different elements in meteorites and on the production ratios. Both parameters are subject to substantial errors. Recent recalculations of this chronology have used selected values from compilations but do not adequately address the errors in terms of a reliable data base. Morgan and Lovering provided extensive neutron activation analyses for ordinary chondrites which yield an average kappa of 3.6 +/- 0.4. Their work on carbonaceous chondrites showed a wide range in kappa from 2 to 6. More recent investigations by isotopic dilution have established the following: (1) highly variable kappa from 2.7 to 11 in Allende Ca-Al-rich inclusions and a value of 3.6 in the Orgueil CI1 chondrite; (2) a range from 2.71 to 6.63 for 7 L-type chondrites and a range from 2.7 to 4.4 for 6 L, H, and LL chondrites. A further investigation of this subject matter is presented.

Dark inclusions in CO3 chondrites: new indicators of parent-body processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itoh, Daisuke; Tomeoka, Kazushige

2003-01-01

A petrographic and scanning electron microscopic study of the four CO3 chondrites Kainsaz, Ornans, Lancé, and Warrenton reveals for the first time that dark inclusions (DIs) occur in all the meteorites. DIs are mostly smaller in size than those reported from CV3 chondrites. They show evidence suggesting that they were formed by aqueous alteration and subsequent dehydration of a chondritic precursor and so probably have a formation history similar to that of DIs in CV3 chondrites. DIs in the CO3 chondrites consist mostly of fine-grained, Fe-rich olivine and can be divided into two types on the basis of texture. Type I DIs contain rounded, porous aggregates of fine grains in a fine-grained matrix and have textures suggesting that they are fragments of chondrule pseudomorphs. Veins filled with Fe-rich olivine are common in type I DIs, providing evidence that they experienced aqueous alteration on the parent body. Type II DIs lack rounded porous aggregates and have a matrix-like, featureless texture. Bulk chemical compositions of DIs and mineralogical characteristics of olivine grains in DIs suggest that these two types of DIs have a close genetic relationship. The DIs are probably clasts that have undergone aqueous alteration and subsequent dehydration at a location different from the present location in the meteorites. The major element compositions, the mineralogy of metallic phases, and the widely dispersed nature of the DIs suggest that their precursor was CO chondrite material. The CO parent body has been commonly regarded to have been dry, homogeneous, and unprocessed. However, the DIs suggest that the CO parent body was a heterogeneous conglomerate consisting of water-bearing regions and water-free regions and that during asteroidal heating, the water-bearing regions were aqueously altered and subsequently dehydrated. Brecciation may also have been active in the parent body. The DIs and the matrices are similarly affected by thermal metamorphism in their own host CO3 chondrites (petrologic subtypes 3.1 to 3.6), but the degree of the secondary processing (aqueous alteration and subsequent dehydration) of the DIs has no apparent correlation with the petrologic grades of the host chondrites. These observations suggest that the DIs had been incorporated into the host chondrites before the thermal metamorphism took place and that the secondary processes that affected the DIs largely occurred before the thermal metamorphism.

The Chlorine Isotope Composition of the Solar Nebula & Implications to the Sources of Volatiles to the Terrestrial Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gargano, A. M.; Sharp, Z. D.

2017-12-01

It was originally proposed by Sharp et al., 2016 that the solar nebula was isotopically light based on limited sampling of the Ol-phyric shergottites and two ordinary chondrites (Parnallee LL3.00, and NWA 8276 L3.00). Iron meteorites are remnants of early planetesimals which segregated cores <1Ma after CAI's and have δ37Cl values as low as -7‰, consistent with a light nebular source. Chondrules are relatively younger than iron meteorite parent bodies (2-3Ma after CAI's) and exhibit evidence for mixing with & recycling numerous isotopically distinct precursors as observed by Cl rich chondrules in Semarkona, and Qingzhen. The average δ37Cl values of chondrites are around 0‰, independent of petrologic type or [Cl], suggesting that chondrule forming regions have similar chlorine isotope sources. The average δ37Cl values of chondrites are consistent with a +3 to +6‰ isotopic fractionation of HCl clathrate from HCl gas, which occurred beyond the snow-line at 150K. The recycling of chondritic precursors mixed with HCl clathrate can account for pristine type 3.00 chondrites with δ37Cl values at approximately 0‰ independent of [Cl], or petrologic type. The source of volatiles to the terrestrial planets is commonly assumed to be chondritic in origin. These preliminary chlorine isotope data suggest that early planetesimals and planetary embryos had a solar Cl component at -7‰ or less, and secondary processes has since increased the δ37Cl values of Earth, Mars, and most chondrites. The chlorine isotope system therefore provides a new constraint regarding the sources of volatiles to the terrestrial planets. The δ37Cl value of the bulk Earth is around 0‰, inconsistent with a nebular source as measured in the Martian mantle but similar to that of chondrites with HCl clathrate precursors. The prolonged accretion of heavy chondritic material to Earth can account for the chlorine isotope discrepancy between the Earth and Mars, but is unconstrained by HSE abundances before complete core-mantle differentiation. Here, we examine the amount of chondritic chlorine and water that can added to the Earth allowable by HSE abundances and explore other potential sources of volatiles to the terrestrial planets to account for isotopic and elemental discrepancies.

LEW85332: A C2 Chondrite in the CR Clan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prinz, M.; Weisberg, M. K.; Brearley, A.; Grady, M. M.; Pillinger, C.; Clayton, R. N.; Mayeda, T. K.

1992-07-01

Introduction. LEW85332 was described as a unique C3 chondrite [1] and we undertook this study to learn more about its relationship to other carbonaceous chondrites. We find it to be a C2 chondrite with significant similarites to CR2 chondrites. This linkage extends to the ALH85085 [2] and Acfer 182 [3,4] chondrites, although there are some important differences among them. Petrologic and isotopic similarities define the CR clan, which consists of CR chondrites and their three relatives noted above (and Bencubbin). Some differences are due to major component abundances (chondrules, matrix, metal), and some to minor differences between components, but the similarities are greater and define the clan. Results. Petrogically, LEW85332 has over 60% (vol) chondrules, about 30% matrix and matrix clasts, and about 4-7% metal. Extensive weathering makes modal abundances uncertain. Chondrules are anhydrous, about 170 micrometers wide [1] and of all textural types. ALH85085 chondrules average 20 micrometers and are mainly pyroxene-rich, whereas Acfer 182 is more like LEW85332. Matrix is hydrous and occurs as interstitial matrix, matrix clasts, and chondrule rims [5]. The matrix contains phyllosilicates and magnetite framboids. Matrix clasts are not foreign [1], but part of the chondrite, making it C2. This is also the case for Acfer 182 [3], and perhaps ALH85085. Phyllosilicates are mainly saponite and serpentine [5], and their composition is similar to that in CR chondrites. The water/rock ratio was low. Metal abundances in LEW85332 [1] are lower than in Acfer 182 (9.3 vol%) [4] and ALH85085 (22%) [6]. However, FeNi composition is the same, with a positive Ni-Co trend equivalent to the solar abundance ratio. This is the same as that in CR chondrites [7]. LEW85332 contains 0.5% carbon, combusting between 200 and 500 degrees C, indicating fine-grained, poorly crystalline carbon, or organic material. It contains 259 ppm nitrogen with delta^15N = +249o/oo. Most nitrogen is released between 200 and 500 degrees C, but at 325 C the delta^15N reaches +306o/oo indicating at least two N-bearing components with differing C/N atomic ratios. The LEW85332 nitrogen isotopic composition is intermediate between ALH85085, Acfer 182 and CR chondrites, closer to CR. The extremely heavy, high- temperature component found in ALH85085 is absent (or nearly so) in LEW85332. Nitrogen abundance is similar to ALH85085, but lower than in CRs. The oxygen isotopic composition of LEW85332 is delta^18O = -0.92, delta^17O = -1.93. This, plus ALH85085 and Acfer 182 define a line (figure) identical to that of the CR chondrite mixing line (slope = 0.7) [7]. The composition of LEW85332 is close to that of unaltered olivine and pyroxene in Renazzo and Al Rais. Conclusions. (1) The important similarities between components in LEW85332 and CR2 chondrites put it in the CR clan. (2) Recognition of LEW85332, Acfer 182, and ALH85085 as relatives in the CR clan indicates that carbonaceous chondrites can no longer be classified only into coherent groups with highly similar characteristics. Recognition of clan relationships will be needed for IDPs and micrometeorites. (3) LEW85332, Acfer 182, and ALH85085 contain hydrous matrices and anhydrous chondrules, and the implications of this observation requires further study. References. [1] Rubin, A.E. and Kallemeyn, G.W. (1990) Meteoritics 25, 215-225. [2] Weisberg, M.K. et al. (1990) Meteoritics 25, 269-279. [3] Prinz, M. and Weisberg, M.K. (1992) LPSCXXIII, 1109-1110. [4] Bischoff, A. et al. (1992) Acfer 182 ms. GCA (in press). [5] Brearley, A.J. (1992) LPSCXXIII, 155-156. [6] Weisberg, M.K. et al. (1988) EPSL 91, 19-32. [7] Weisberg, M.K. et al. (1992) CR chondrite ms. GCA (in press).

Theoretical predictions of volatile bearing phases and volatile resources in some carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ganguly, Jibamitra; Saxena, Surendra K.

1989-01-01

Carbonaceous chondrites are usually believed to be the primary constituents of near-Earth asteroids and Phobos and Diemos, and are potential resources of fuels which may be exploited for future planetary missions. The nature and abundances are calculated of the major volatile bearing and other phases, including the vapor phase that should form in C1 and C2 type carbonaceous chondrites as functions of pressure and temperature. The results suggest that talc, antigorite plus or minus magnesite are the major volatile bearing phases and are stable below 400 C at 1 bar in these chondritic compositions. Simulated heating of a kilogram of C2 chondrite at fixed bulk composition between 400 and 800 C at 1 bar yields about 135 gm of volatile, which is made primarily of H2O, H2, CH4, CO2 and CO. The relative abundances of these volatile species change as functions of temperature, and on a molar basis, H2 becomes the most dominant species above 500 C. In contrast, Cl chondrites yield about 306 gm of volatile under the same condition, which consist almost completely of 60 wt percent H2O and 40 wt percent CO2. Preliminary kinetic considerations suggest that equilibrium dehydration of hydrous phyllosilicates should be attainable within a few hours at 600 C. These results provide the framework for further analyses of the volatile and economic resource potentials of carbonaceous chondrites.

Noble Metal Arsenides and Gold Inclusions in Northwest Africa 8186

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinivasan, P.; McCubbin, F. M.; Rahman, Z.; Keller, L. P.; Agee, C. B.

2016-01-01

CK carbonaceous chondrites are a highly thermally altered group of carbonaceous chondrites, experiencing temperatures ranging between approximately 576-867 degrees Centigrade. Additionally, the mineralogy of the CK chondrites record the highest overall oxygen fugacity of all chondrites, above the fayalite-magnetite-quartz (FMQ) buffer. Me-tallic Fe-Ni is extremely rare in CK chondrites, but magnetite and Fe,Ni sulfides are commonly observed. Noble metal-rich inclusions have previously been found in some magnetite and sulfide grains. These arsenides, tellurides, and sulfides, which contain varying amounts of Pt, Ru, Os, Te, As, Ir, and S, are thought to form either by condensation from a solar gas, or by exsolution during metamorphism on the chondritic parent body. Northwest Africa (NWA) 8186 is a highly metamorphosed CK chondrite. This meteorite is predominately composed of NiO-rich forsteritic olivine (Fo65), with lesser amounts of plagioclase (An52), augite (Fs11Wo49), magnetite (with exsolved titanomagnetite, hercynite, and titanohematite), monosulfide solid solution (with exsolved pentlandite), and the phosphate minerals Cl-apatite and merrillite. This meteorite contains coarse-grained, homogeneous silicates, and has 120-degree triple junctions between mineral phases, which indicates a high degree of thermal metamorphism. The presence of NiO-rich olivine, oxides phases all bearing Fe3 plus, and the absence of metal, are consistent with an oxygen fugacity above the FMQ buffer. We also observed noble metal-rich phases within sulfide grains in NWA 8186, which are the primary focus of the present study.

Noble Metal Arsenides and Gold Inclusions in Northwest Africa 8186

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinivasan, P.; McCubbin, F. M.; Rahman, Z.; Keller, L. P.; Agee, C. B.

2016-01-01

CK carbonaceous chondrites are a highly thermally altered group of carbonaceous chondrites, experiencing temperatures ranging between approx.576-867 C. Additionally, the mineralogy of the CK chondrites record the highest overall oxygen fugacity of all chondrites, above the fayalite-magnetite-quartz (FMQ) buffer. Metallic Fe-Ni is extremely rare in CK chondrites, but magnetite and Fe,Ni sulfides are commonly observed. Noble metal-rich inclusions have previously been found in some magnetite and sulfide grains. These arsenides, tellurides, and sulfides, which contain varying amounts of Pt, Ru, Os, Te, As, Ir, and S, are thought to form either by condensation from a solar gas, or by exsolution during metamorphism on the chondritic parent body. Northwest Africa (NWA) 8186 is a highly metamorphosed CK chondrite. This meteorite is predominately composed of NiO-rich forsteritic olivine (Fo65), with lesser amounts of plagioclase (An52), augite (Fs11Wo49), magnetite (with exsolved titanomagnetite, hercynite, and titanohematite), monosulfide solid solution (with exsolved pentlandite), and the phosphate minerals Cl-apatite and merrillite. This meteorite contains coarse-grained, homogeneous silicates, and has 120deg triple junctions between mineral phases, which indicates a high degree of thermal metamorphism. The presence of NiO-rich olivine, oxides phases all bearing Fe3+, and the absence of metal, are consistent with an oxygen fugacity above the FMQ buffer. We also observed noble metal-rich phases within sulfide grains in NWA 8186, which are the primary focus of the present study.

On the Behavior of Phosphorus During the Aqueous Alteration of CM2 Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brearley, Adrian J.; Chizmadia, Lysa J.

2005-01-01

During the earliest period of solar system formation, water played an important role in the evolution of primitive dust, both after accretion of planetesimals and possible before accretion within the protoplanetary disk. Many chondrites show evidence of variable degrees of aqueous alteration, the CM2 chondrites being among the most studied [1]. This group of chondrites is characterized by mineral assemblages of both primary and secondary alteration phases. Hence, these meteorites retain a particularly important record of the reactions that occurred between primary high temperature nebular phases and water. Studies of these chondrites can provide information on the conditions and environments of aqueous alteration and the mobility of elements during alteration. This latter question is at the core of a debate concerning the location of aqueous alteration, i.e. whether alteration occurred predominantly within a closed system after accretion (parent body alteration) or whether some degree of alteration occurred within the solar nebula or on ephemeral protoplanetary bodies prior to accretion. At the core of the parent body alteration model is the hypothesis that elemental exchange between different components, principally chondrules and matrix, must have occurred. chondrules and matrix, must have occurred. In this study, we focus on the behavior of the minor element, phosphorus. This study was stimulated by observations of the behavior of P during the earliest stages of alteration in glassy mesostasis in type II chondrules in CR chondrites and extends the preliminary observations of on Y791198 to other CM chondrites.

Spectral parameters for Dawn FC color data: Carbonaceous chondrites and aqueous alteration products as potential cerean analog materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schäfer, Tanja; Nathues, Andreas; Mengel, Kurt; Izawa, Matthew R. M.; Cloutis, Edward A.; Schäfer, Michael; Hoffmann, Martin

2016-02-01

We identified a set of spectral parameters based on Dawn Framing Camera (FC) bandpasses, covering the wavelength range 0.4-1.0 μm, for mineralogical mapping of potential chondritic material and aqueous alteration products on dwarf planet Ceres. Our parameters are inferred from laboratory spectra of well-described and clearly classified carbonaceous chondrites representative for a dark component. We additionally investigated the FC signatures of candidate bright materials including carbonates, sulfates and hydroxide (brucite), which can possibly be exposed on the cerean surface by impact craters or plume activity. Several materials mineralogically related to carbonaceous chondrites, including pure ferromagnesian phyllosilicates, and serpentinites were also investigated. We tested the potential of the derived FC parameters for distinguishing between different carbonaceous chondritic materials, and between other plausible cerean surface materials. We found that the major carbonaceous chondrite groups (CM, CO, CV, CK, and CR) are distinguishable using the FC filter ratios 0.56/0.44 μm and 0.83/0.97 μm. The absorption bands of Fe-bearing phyllosilicates at 0.7 and 0.9 μm in terrestrial samples and CM carbonaceous chondrites can be detected by a combination of FC band parameters using the filters at 0.65, 0.75, 0.83, 0.92 and 0.97 μm. This set of parameters serves as a basis to identify and distinguish different lithologies on the cerean surface by FC multispectral data.

Neon produced by solar cosmic rays in ordinary chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roth, Antoine S. G.; Trappitsch, Reto; Metzler, Knut; Hofmann, Beda A.; Leya, Ingo

2017-06-01

Solar-cosmic-ray-produced Ne (SCR-Ne), in the form of low cosmogenic 21Ne/22Ne ratios (21Ne/22Necos <0.8), is more likely to be found in rare meteorite classes, like Martian meteorites, than in ordinary chondrites. This may be the result of a sampling bias: SCR-Ne is better preserved in meteorites with small preatmospheric radii and these specimens are often only studied if they belong to unusual or rare classes. We measured He and Ne isotopic concentrations and nuclear tracks in 25 small unpaired ordinary chondrites from Oman. Most chondrites have been intensively heated during atmospheric entry as evidenced by the disturbed track records, the low 3He/21Ne ratios, the low 4He concentrations, and the high peak release temperatures. Concentration depth profiles indicate significant degassing; however, the Ne isotopes are mainly undisturbed. Remarkably, six chondrites have low 21Ne/22Necos in the range 0.711-0.805. Using a new physical model for the calculation of SCR production rates, we show that four of the chondrites contain up to 20% of SCR-Ne; they are analyzed in terms of preatmospheric sizes, cosmic ray exposure ages, mass ablation losses, and orbits. We conclude that SCR-Ne is preserved, regardless of the meteorite class, in specimens with small preatmospheric radii. Sampling bias explains the predominance of SCR-Ne in rare meteorites, although we cannot exclude that SCR-Ne is more common in Martian meteorites than it is in small ordinary chondrites.

Chondrites and the Protoplanetary Disk, Part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Contents include the following: On the Dynamical Evolution of a Nebula and Its Effect on Dust Coagulation and the Formation of Centimeter-sized Particles. The Mineralogy and Grain Properties of the Disk Surfaces in Three Herbig Ae/Be Stars. Astrophysical Observations of Disk Evolution Around Solar Mass Stars. The Systematic Petrology of Chondrites: A Consistent Approach to Assist Classification and Interpretation. Understanding Our Origins: Formation of Sun-like Stars in H II Region Environments. Chondrule Crystallization Experiments. Formation of SiO2-rich Chondrules by Fractional Condensation. Refractory Forsterites from Murchison (CM2) and Yamato 81020 (CO3.0) Chondrites: Cathodoluminescence, Chemical Compositions and Oxygen Isotopes. Apparent I-Xe Cooling Rates of Chondrules Compared with Silicates from the Colomera Iron Meteorite. Chondrule Formation in Planetesimal Bow Shocks: Physical Processes in the Near Vicinity of the Planetesimal. Genetic Relationships Between Chondrules, Rims and Matrix. Chondrite Fractionation was Cosmochemical; Chondrule Fractionation was Geochemical. Chondrule Formation and Accretion of Chondrite Parent Bodies: Environmental Constraints. Amoeboid Olivine Aggregates from the Semarkona LL3.0 Chondrite. The Evolution of Solids in Proto-Planetary Disks. New Nickel Vapor Pressure Measurements: Possible Implications for Nebular Condensates. Chemical, Mineralogical and Isotopic Properties of Chondrules: Clues to Their Origin. Maximal Size of Chondrules in Shock-Wave Heating Model: Stripping of Liquid Surface in Hypersonic Rarefied Gas Flow. The Nature and Origin of Interplanetary Dust: High Temperature Components. Refractory Relic Components in Chondrules from Ordinary Chondrites. Constraints on the Origin of Chondrules and CAIs from Short-lived and Long-lived Radionuclides. The Genetic Relationship Between Refractory Inclusions and Chondrules. Contemporaneous Chondrule Formation Between Ordinary and Carbonaceous Chondrites. Chondrules and Isolated Grains in the Fountain Hills Bencubbinite. Implications of Chondrule Formation in a Gas of Solar Composition. Implications of Meteoritic Cl-36 Abundance for the Origin of Short-lived Radionuclides in the Early Solar System. Size Sorting and the Chondrule Size Spectrum. Comparative Study of Refractory Inclusions from Different Groups of Chondrites. In Situ Investigation of Mg Isotope Distributions in an Allende CAI by Combined LA-ICPMS and SIMS Analyses Photochemical Speciation of Oxygen Isotopes in the Solar Nebula.

A nucleosynthetic origin for the Earth’s anomalous 142Nd composition

DOE PAGES

Burkhardt, C.; Borg, L. E.; Brennecka, G. A.; ...

2016-09-14

A long-standing paradigm assumes that the chemical and isotopic compositions of many elements in the bulk silicate Earth are the same as in chondrites(1-4). But, the accessible Earth has a greater Nd-142/Nd-144 ratio than do chondrites. Because Nd-142 is the decay product of the now-extinct Sm-146 (which has a half-life of 103 million years(5)), this Nd-142 difference seems to require a higher-than-chondritic Sm/Nd ratio for the accessible Earth. This must have been acquired during global silicate differentiation within the first 30 million years of Solar System formation(6) and implies the formation of a complementary Nd-142-depleted reservoir that either is hiddenmore » in the deep Earth(6), or lost to space by impact erosion(3,7). Whether this complementary reservoir existed, and whether or not it has been lost from Earth, is a matter of debate(3,8,9), and has implications for determining the bulk composition of Earth, its heat content and structure, as well as for constraining the modes and timescales of its geodynamical evolution(3,7,9,10). We show that, compared with chondrites, Earth's precursor bodies were enriched in neodymium that was produced by the slow neutron capture process (s-process) of nucleosynthesis. This s-process excess leads to higher Nd-142/Nd-144 ratios; after correction for this effect, the Nd-142/Nd-144 ratios of chondrites and the accessible Earth are indistinguishable within five parts per million. The Nd-142 offset between the accessible silicate Earth and chondrites therefore reflects a higher proportion of s-process neodymium in the Earth, and not early differentiation processes. Our results obviate the need for hidden-reservoir or super-chondritic Earth models and imply a chondritic Sm/Nd ratio for the bulk Earth. Although chondrites formed at greater heliocentric distances and contain a different mix of presolar components than Earth, they nevertheless are suitable proxies for Earth's bulk chemical composition.« less

A nucleosynthetic origin for the Earth’s anomalous 142Nd composition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burkhardt, C.; Borg, L. E.; Brennecka, G. A.

A long-standing paradigm assumes that the chemical and isotopic compositions of many elements in the bulk silicate Earth are the same as in chondrites(1-4). But, the accessible Earth has a greater Nd-142/Nd-144 ratio than do chondrites. Because Nd-142 is the decay product of the now-extinct Sm-146 (which has a half-life of 103 million years(5)), this Nd-142 difference seems to require a higher-than-chondritic Sm/Nd ratio for the accessible Earth. This must have been acquired during global silicate differentiation within the first 30 million years of Solar System formation(6) and implies the formation of a complementary Nd-142-depleted reservoir that either is hiddenmore » in the deep Earth(6), or lost to space by impact erosion(3,7). Whether this complementary reservoir existed, and whether or not it has been lost from Earth, is a matter of debate(3,8,9), and has implications for determining the bulk composition of Earth, its heat content and structure, as well as for constraining the modes and timescales of its geodynamical evolution(3,7,9,10). We show that, compared with chondrites, Earth's precursor bodies were enriched in neodymium that was produced by the slow neutron capture process (s-process) of nucleosynthesis. This s-process excess leads to higher Nd-142/Nd-144 ratios; after correction for this effect, the Nd-142/Nd-144 ratios of chondrites and the accessible Earth are indistinguishable within five parts per million. The Nd-142 offset between the accessible silicate Earth and chondrites therefore reflects a higher proportion of s-process neodymium in the Earth, and not early differentiation processes. Our results obviate the need for hidden-reservoir or super-chondritic Earth models and imply a chondritic Sm/Nd ratio for the bulk Earth. Although chondrites formed at greater heliocentric distances and contain a different mix of presolar components than Earth, they nevertheless are suitable proxies for Earth's bulk chemical composition.« less

Intrinsic oxygen fugacity measurements on seven chondrites, a pallasite, and a tektite and the redox state of meteorite parent bodies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brett, R.; Sato, M.

1984-01-01

Intrinsic oxygen-fugacity (fO2) measurements were made on five ordinary chondrites, a carbonaceous chondrite, an enstatite chondrite, a pallasite, and a tektite. Results are of the form of linear log fO2 - 1 T plots. Except for the enstatite chondrite, measured results agree well with calculated estimates by others. The tektite produced fO2 values well below the range measured for terrestrial and lunar rocks. The lowpressure atmospheric regime that is reported to follow large terrestrial explosions, coupled with a very high temperature, could produce glass with fO2 in the range measured. The meteorite Salta (pallasite) has low fO2 and lies close to Hvittis (E6). Unlike the other samples, results for Salta do not parallel the iron-wu??stite buffer, but are close to the fayalite-quartz-iron buffer in slope. Minor reduction by graphite appears to have taken place during metamorphism of ordinary chondrites. fO2 values of unequilibrated chondrites show large scatter during early heating suggesting that the constituent phases were exposed to a range of fO2 conditions. The samples equilibrated with respect to fO2 in relatively short time on heating. Equilibration with respect to fO2 in ordinary chondrites takes place between grades 3 and 4 of metamorphism. Application of P - T - fO2 relations in the system C-CO-CO2 indicates that the ordinary chondrites were metamorphosed at pressures of 3-20 bars, as it appears that they lay on the graphite surface. A steep positive thermal gradient in a meteorite parent body lying at the graphite surface will produce thin reduced exterior, an oxidized near-surface layer, and an interior that is increasingly reduced with depth; a shallow thermal gradient will produce the reverse. A body heated by accretion on the outside will have a reduced exterior and oxidized interior. Meteorites from the same parent body clearly are not required to have similar redox states. ?? 1984.

High-precision Mg isotopic systematics of bulk chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schiller, Martin; Handler, Monica R.; Baker, Joel A.

2010-08-01

Variations of the mass-independent abundance of 26Mg ( δ26Mg*) and stable Mg ( δ25Mg) isotope composition of chondrites are important because they constrain the homogeneity of 26Al and Mg isotopes in the proto-planetary disc and the validity of the short-lived 26Al-to- 26Mg chronometer applied to meteorites. We present high-precision Mg isotope data and Al/Mg ratios of chondrites representing nearly all major chondrite classes, including a step-leaching experiment on the CM2 chondrite Murchison. δ26Mg* variations in leachates of Murchison representing acid soluble material are ≤ 30 times smaller than reported for neutron-rich isotopes of Ti and Cr and do not reveal resolvable deficits in δ26Mg* (-0.002 to + 0.118‰). Very small variations in δ26Mg* anomalies in bulk chondrites (-0.006 to + 0.019‰) correlate with increasing 27Al/ 24Mg ratios and δ50Ti, reflecting the variable presence of calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions (CAIs) in some types of carbonaceous chondrites. Similarly, release of radiogenic 26Mg produced by 26Al decay from CAI material in the step-leaching of Murchison best explains the high δ26Mg* observed in the last, aggressive, leaching steps of this experiment. Overall, the observed variations in δ26Mg* are small and potential differences beyond that which result from the presence of CAI-like material cannot be detected within the analytical uncertainties of this study (± 0.004‰). The results do not allow radical heterogeneity of 26Al (≥±30%) or measurable Mg nucleosynthetic heterogeneity (≥±0.005‰) to have existed on a planetesimal scale in the proto-planetary disc. Combined with published δ26Mg* data for CAIs, the bulk chondrite data yield a precise initial ( 26Al/ 27Al) 0 = (5.21 ± 0.06) × 10 -5 and δ26Mg* = -0.0340 ± 0.0016‰ for the Solar System. However, it is not possible with the currently available data to determine with certainty whether CAIs and the material from which planetesimals accreted including chondrite parent bodies had precisely the same initial levels of 26Al, although planetesimals and planets appear to have accreted from material with a mean initial ( 26Al/ 27Al) 0 in the range of 2.1 to 6.7 × 10 - 5 . The average stable Mg isotope composition of all analysed chondrites, with the exception of a chondrule from the CBa chondrite Gujba ( δ25Mg DSM-3 = -0.032 ± 0.035‰), is δ25Mg DSM-3 = -0.152 ± 0.079‰ (2 sd) and is indistinguishable from that of the Earth's mantle.

Original structures, and fragmentation and reassembly histories of asteroids - Evidence from meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, G. Jeffrey; Maggiore, Peter; Scott, Edward R. D.; Rubin, Alan E.; Keil, Klaus

1987-01-01

The validity of an onion shell model (OSM) for chondrite parent asteroids was assessed using metallographic cooling rates (MCR) derived from the compositions of metallic Fe-Ni grains. The hypothesis evaluated was that the hottest materials in chondrites would have been buried the deepest and cooled the slowest. The survey covered breccia from regolith and 13 different chondrites. The MCRs agreed well with cooling rates predicted by fission-track thermometry and Ar-40/Ar-39 ages. The OSM predicts an inverse correlation between the cooling rate and the petrographic type. Low correlations found between the MCRs and petrographic type indicate that chondrite parent asteroids were not assembled with onion shell structures.

Rapid Classification of Ordinary Chondrites Using Raman Spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fries, M.; Welzenbach, L.

2014-01-01

Classification of ordinary chondrites is typically done through measurements of the composition of olivine and pyroxenes. Historically, this measurement has usually been performed via electron microprobe, oil immersion or other methods which can be costly through lost sample material during thin section preparation. Raman microscopy can perform the same measurements but considerably faster and with much less sample preparation allowing for faster classification. Raman spectroscopy can facilitate more rapid classification of large amounts of chondrites such as those retrieved from North Africa and potentially Antarctica, are present in large collections, or are submitted to a curation facility by the public. With development, this approach may provide a completely automated classification method of all chondrite types.

Trace fossils of Marnoso-Arenacea Formation (Miocene), northern Italy: preliminary data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McBride, E.F.; Picard, M.D.

Many horizons in the Marnoso-arenacea Formation contain rare to abundant trace fossils at numerous localities. Slope, fan, and basin-plain deposits have trace fossils dominated by the Nereites ichnofacies but include taxa from the Zoophycos ichnofacies plus Ohphiomorpha and Thalassinoides. Slope deposits contain Chondrites, Cosmorhaphe, Desmograpton, Helminthoida, Neonereites, Paleodictyon, Pelecypodichnus, Planolites, Punctorhaphe, and Scolicia; fan-channel deposits contain Chondrites and Planolites; fan-lobe deposits contain Chondrites, Ophiomorpha, Thalassinoides, Scolicia, and Zoophycos; and basin-plain deposits contain Chondrites, Helminthoida, Planolites, and Zoophycos. The distribution of hypichnial taxa may be in part the result of selective preservation (i.e., dependent on the depth of erosion by turbiditymore » currents).« less

Discovery of a main-belt asteroid resembling ordinary chondrite meteorites.

PubMed

Binzel, R P; Xu, S; Bus, S J; Skrutskie, M F; Meyer, M R; Knezek, P; Barker, E S

1993-12-03

Although ordinary chondrite material dominates meteorite falls, the identification of a main-belt asteroid source has remained elusive. From a new survey of more than 80 small main-belt asteroids comes the discovery of one having a visible and near-infrared reflectance spectrum similar to L6 and LL6 ordinary chondrite meteorites. Asteroid 3628 BoZnemcová has an estimated diameter of 7 kilometers and is located in the vicinity of the 3:1 Jovian resonance, a predicted meteorite source region. Although the discovery of a spectral match may indicate the existence of ordinary chondrite material within the main asteroid belt, the paucity of such detections remains an unresolved problem.

The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 81, 1997 July

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grossman, J.N.

1997-01-01

Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 81 lists 181 new meteorites. Noteworthy among these are a new lunar meteorite (Dar al Gani 262), four observed falls (Dong Ujimqin Qi, Galkiv, Mount Tazerzait, and Piplia Kalan), four irons (Albion, Great Sand Sea 003, Hot Springs, and Mont Dieu), two mesosiderites (Dong Ujimqin Qi and Lamont), an acapulcoite (FRO 95029), a eucrite (Piplia Kalan), two probably-paired ureilites (Dar al Gani 164 and 165), an R chondrite (Hammadah al Hamra 119), an ungrouped type-3 chondrite (Hammadah al Hamra 180), a highly unequilibrated ordinary chondrite (Wells, LL3.3), and a variety of carbonaceous and unequilibrated ordinary chondrites from Libya and Antarctica. All italicized abbreviations refer to addresses listed in the appendix. ?? Meteoritical Society, 1997.

The geologic classification of the meteorites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elston, Donald Parker

1968-01-01

The meteorite classes of Prior and Mason are assigned to three proposed genetic groups on the basis of a combination of compositional, mineralogical, and elemental characteristics: l) the calcium-poor, volatile-rich carbonaceous chondrites and achondrites; 2) the calcium-poor, volatile-poor chondrites (enstatite, bronzite, hypersthene, and pigeonite), achondrites (enstatite, hypersthene, and pigeonite), stonyirons (pallasites, siderophyre), and irons; and, 3) the calcium-rich (basaltic) achondrites. Chondrites are correlated with calcium-poor achondrites and the silicate phase of the pallasitic meteorites on Fe contents of olivine and pyroxene; and with metal of the stony-irons and irons on the basis of trace elements (Ga and Ge). Transitions in structure and texture between the chondrites and achondrites are recognized. The Van Schmus-Wood chemical-petrologic classification of the chondrites has been modified and expanded to a mineralogic-petrologic classification of the chondrites and calcium-poor achondrites. Chondrites apparently are the first rocks of the solar system. Paragenetic and textural relations in the Murray carbonaceous chondrite shed new light on the manner of accretion, and on the character of dispersed solid materials ('dust', and chondrules and metal) that existed in the solar system before accretion. Two pre-accretionary mineral assemblages (components) are recognized in the carbonaceous chondrites and in the unequilibrated volatile-poor chondrites. They are: 1) a 'low temperature' water-, rare gas-, and carbon-bearing component; and, 2) a high temperature anhydrous silicate and metal component. Paragenetic relations indicate that component 2 materials predate chondrite formation. An accretionary assemblage (component 3) also is recognized in the carbonaceous chondrites and in the unequilibrated volatile-poor chondrites. Component 3 consists of very fine grains of olivine and pyroxene, which occur as pervasive disseminations, as small irregular aggregates of grains, and as large subround to round, finely granular accretional chondrules. Evidence in Murray indicates that component 3 silicates precipitated abruptly and at low pressures, possibly from a high temperature gas, in an environment that contained dispersed component 1 and 2 materials. All component 3 aggregates in Murray contain component 1 material, most commonly as flakes, and locally as tiny granules and larger spherules, some of which are hollow and some of which were broken prior to their mechanical incorporation in accretionary chondrules. Accretion may have occurred as ices associated with dispersed water-bearing component 1 materials temporarily melted during the precipitation of component 3 silicates, and then abruptly refroze to form an icy cementing material. Group 1 materials may be cometary, and group 2 materials may be asteroidal. Schematic models are proposed. Evidence is reviewed for the lunar origin of the pyroxeneplagioclase achondrites. On the basis of natural remanent magnetism, it is suggested that the very scarce diopside-olivine achondrites may be samples from Mars. A classification of the meteorite breccias, including the calcium-poor and calcium-rich mesosiderites, and irons that contain silicate fragments, is proposed. A fragmentation history of the meteorites is outlined on the basis of evidence in the polymict breccias, and from gas retention ages in stones and exposure ages in irons. Cometal impacts appear to have caused the initial fragmentation, stud possibly the perturbation of orbits, of two inferred asteroidal bodies (enstatite and bronzite), one and possibly both events occurring before 2000 m.y. ago. Several impacts apparently occurred on the inferred hypersthene body in the interval 1000 to 2000 m.y. ago. Major breakups of the three bodies apparently occurred as the result of interasteroidal collisions at about 900 m.y. ago, and 600 to 700 m.y. ago. The breakups were followed by a number of fr

Ultrafine-grained mineralogy and matrix chemistry of olivine-rich chondritic interplanetary dust particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rietmeijer, F. J. M.

1989-01-01

Olivine-rich chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) are an important subset of fluffy chondritic IDPs collected in the earth's stratosphere. Particles in this subset are characterized by a matrix of nonporous, ultrafine-grained granular units. Euhedral single crystals, crystals fragments, and platey single crystals occur dispersed in the matrix. Analytical electron microscopy of granular units reveals predominant magnesium-rich olivines and FeNi-sulfides embedded in amorphous carbonaceous matrix material. The variable ratio of ultrafine-grained minerals vs. carbonaceous matrix material in granular units support variable C/Si ratios, and some fraction of sulfur is associated with carbonaceous matrix material. The high Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratios in granular units is similar to this distribution in P/Comet Halley dust. The chondritic composition of fine-grained, polycrystalline IDPs gradually breaks down into nonchondritic, and ultimately, single mineral compositions as a function of decreased particle mass. The relationship between particle mass and composition in the matrix of olivine-rich chondritic IDPs is comparable with the relationship inferred for P/Comet Halley dust.

Enstatite chondrites and enstatite achondrites (aubrites) were not derived from the same parent body

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brett, Robin; Keil, Klaus

1986-01-01

Enstatite achondrites (aubrites) were not derived from known enstatite chondrites by melting and fractionation on one and the same parent body, for these and other reasons: (1) There is no satisfactory mechanism for fractionating metal plus troilite in enstatite chondrites to form these phases in different proportions and with different Ti contents in aubrites. (2) Many enstatite chondrites and aubrites are regolith or fragmental breccias, but clasts of one within the other have not been found. (3) Cosmic ray exposure ages of the two groups are difficult to explain if they are from the same parent body, but are easy to explain if they are from different parent bodies. Siderophile element abundances in metal from the Mt. Egerton meteorite, which consists of enstatite and metallic Fe, Ni, preclude it from being a complementary differentiate of the aubrites. Rather, it appears that Mt. Egerton was formed from the same source material as enstatite chondrites, but the components were mixed in different proportions.

Shock metamorphism of ordinary chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoeffler, Dieter; Keil, Klaus; Scott, Edward R. D.

1991-01-01

This study proposes a revised petrographic classification of progressive stages of shock metamorphism of 26 ordinary chondrites. Six stages of shock (S1 to S6) are defined on the basis of shock effects in olivine and plagioclase as recognized by thin section microscopy, and the characteristic shock effects of each shock stage are described. It is concluded that shock effects and the sequence of progressively increasing degrees of shock metamorphosis are very similar in H, L, and LL groups. Differences in the frequency distribution of shock stages are relatively minor. It is suggested that the collisional histories of the H, L, and LL parent bodies were similar. Petrologic type-3 chondrites are deficient in stages S4 and S6 and, with increasing petrologic type, the frequency of stages S4 to S6 increases. It is suggested that the more porous and volatile-rich Type-3 chondrites are subject to melting at a lower shock pressure than the nonporous chondrites of higher petrologic type. Stage S3 is the most abundant in nearly all petrologic types.

A Raman Study of Carbonates and Organic Contents in Five CM Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, Q. H. S.; Zolensky, M. E.; Bodnar, R. J.; Farley, C.; Cheung, J. C. H.

2016-01-01

Carbonates comprise the second most abundant class of carbon-bearing phases in carbonaceous chondrites after organic matter (approximately 2 wt.%), followed by other C-bearing phases such as diamond, silicon carbide, and graphite. Therefore, understanding the abundances of carbonates and the associated organic matter provide critical insight into the genesis of major carbonaceous components in chondritic materials. Carbonates in CM chondrites mostly occur as calcite (of varying composition) and dolomite. Properly performed, Raman spectroscopy provides a non-destructive technique for characterizing meteorite mineralogy and organic chemistry. It is sensitive to many carbonaceous phases, allows the differentiation of organic from inorganic materials, and the interpretation of their spatial distribution. Here, with the use of Raman spectroscopy, we determine the structure of the insoluble organic matter (IOM) in the matrix and carbonate phases in five CM chondrites: Jbilet Winselwan, Murchison, Nogoya, Santa Cruz, and Wisconsin Range (WIS) 91600, and interpret the relative timing of carbonate precipitation and the extent of the associated alteration events.

An Atlas of extraterrestrial particles collected with NASA U-2 aircraft, 1974 - 1976

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brownlee, D. E.; Tomandl, D.; Blanchard, M. B.; Ferry, G. V.; Kyte, F.

1976-01-01

Extraterrestrial particles collected during U-2 flights in the stratosphere were divided into four groups: chondritic, iron-sulfur--nickel, mafic silicates, and others. The chondritic aggregates are typically composed of Fe, Mg, Si, C, S, Ca, and Ni. Detectable levels of He-4 implanted from the solar wind occur in some. Olivine, spinel, and possibly pyrrhotite and a hydrated layered-lattice silicate were identified. The chondritic ablation particles contain no sulfur and appear to have been melted. Magnetite, olivine, and pyroxene were identified. The iron-sulfur-nickel type particles resemble meteoritic iron sulfide with a small amount of nickel, and contain magnetite and troilite. The mafic silicate type particles are iron magnesium silicate grains with clumps of chondritic aggregate particles adhering to their surfaces. Olivine and possibly pyrrhotite and pyroxene were identified. Most of the iron-nickel type particles are spherules and include taenite and wustite. The other type particles include nickel-iron mounds on spheroidal glassy-like grains having chondritic-like elemental abundances.

CI chondrite-like clasts in the Nilpena polymict ureilite - Implications for aqueous alteration processes in CI chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brearley, Adrian J.; Prinz, Martin

1992-01-01

Petrographic studies of Nilpena polymict ureilite have revealed the presence of small quantities of carbonaceous chondrite matrix clasts. Detailed electron microprobe and TEM studies show that the chemistry and fine-scale mineralogy of one of these clasts is consistent with CI carbonaceous chondrite matrix. Compared to Orgeuil, the phyllosilicate, sulfide, and oxide mineralogy suggests that the Nilpena clasts may represent a less altered type of CI matrix. It is suggested that increased oxidation and aqueous alteration of Nilpena-type materials could result in the formation of the type of mineral assemblage observed in Orgueil. Increased alteration produces progressive more Mg-rich phyllosilicates and more Fe(3+)-rich iron oxides, such as ferrihydrite. As a function of increased alteration, Ca is also progressively leached from the matrix material to form carbonate veins. The depletion of Ca in CI chondrite matrices suggests the Ivuna and Alais may be intermediate in their degree of alteration to Nilpena and Orgueil.

Preservation of ancient impact ages on the R chondrite parent body: 40Ar/39Ar age of hornblende-bearing R chondrite LAP 04840

USGS Publications Warehouse

Righter, Kevin; Cosca, Michael A.; Morgan, Leah

2016-01-01

The hornblende- and biotite-bearing R chondrite LAP 04840 is a rare kind of meteorite possibly containing outer solar system water stored during metamorphism or postshock annealing deep within an asteroid. Because little is known regarding its age and origin, we determined 40Ar/39Ar ages on hornblende-rich separates of the meteorite, and obtained plateau ages of 4340(±40) to 4380(±30) Ma. These well-defined plateau ages, coupled with evidence for postshock annealing, indicate this meteorite records an ancient shock event and subsequent annealing. The age of 4340–4380 Ma (or 4.34–4.38 Ga) for this and other previously dated R chondrites is much older than most impact events recorded by ordinary chondrites and points to an ancient event or events that predated the late heavy bombardment that is recorded in so many meteorites and lunar samples.

Enstatite chondrites and enstatite achondrites (aubrites) were not derived from the same parent body

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brett, R.; Keil, Klaus

1986-01-01

Enstatite achondrites (aubrites) were not derived from known enstatite chondrites by melting and fractionation on one and the same parent body, for these and other reasons: (1) There is no satisfactory mechanism for fractionating metal plus troilite in enstatite chondrites to form these phases in different proportions and with different Ti contents in aubrites. (2) Many enstatite chondrites and aubrites are regolith or fragmental breccias, but clasts of one within the other have not been found. (3) Cosmic ray exposure ages of the two groups are difficult to explain if they are from the same parent body, but are easy to explain if they are from different parent bodies. Siderophile element abundances in metal from the Mt. Egerton meteorite, which consists of enstatite and metallic Fe,Ni, preclude it from being a complementary differentiate of the aubrites. Rather, it appears that Mt. Egerton was formed from the same source material as enstatite chondrites, but the components were mixed in different proportions. ?? 1986.

Petrology and Geochemistry of LEW 88663 and PAT 91501: High Petrologic L Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Lindstrom, M. M.; Field, S. W.

1993-07-01

Primitive achondrites (e.g., Acapulco, Lodran) are believed to be highly metamorphosed chondritic materials, perhaps up to the point of anatexis in some types. Low petrologic grade equivalents of these achondrites are unknown, so the petrologic transition from chondritic to achondritic material cannot be documented. However, there are rare L chondrites of petrologic grade 7 that may have experienced igneous processes, and study of these may yield information relevant to the formation of primitive achondrites, and perhaps basaltic achondrites, from chondritic precursors. We have begun the study of the L7 chondrites LEW 88663 and PAT 91501 as part of our broader study of primitive achondrites. Here, we present our preliminary petrologic and geochemical data on these meteorites. Petrology and Mineral Compositions: LEW 88663 is a granular achondrite composed of equant, subhedral to anhedral olivine grains poikilitically enclosed in networks of orthopyroxene and plagioclase. Small grains of clinopyroxene are spatially associated with orthopyroxene. Troilite occurs as large anhedral and small rounded grains. The smaller troilite grains are associated with the orthopyroxene-plagioclase networks. PAT 91501 is a vesicular stone containing centimeter-sized troilite +/- metal nodules. Its texture consists of anhedral to euhedral olivine grains, anhedral orthopyroxene grains (some with euhedral clinopyroxene overgrowths), anhedral to euhedral clinopyroxene, and interstitial plagioclase and SiO2-Al2O3-K2O- rich glass. In some areas, olivine is poikilitically enclosed in orthopyroxene. Fine-grained troilite, metal, and euhedral chromite occur interstitial to the silicates. Average mineral compositions for LEW 88663 are olivine Fo(sub)75.8, orthopyroxene Wo(sub)3.4En(sub)76.2Fs(sub)20.4, clinopyroxene Wo(sub)42.6En(sub)47.8Fs(sub)9.6, plagioclase Ab(sub)75.0An(sub)21.6Or(sub)3.4. Mineral compositions for PAT 91501 are olivine Fo(sub)73.8, orthopyroxene Wo(sub)4.5En(sub)74.8Fs(sub)20.7, clinopyroxene Wo(sub)34.3En(sub)52.4Fs(sub)13.3, plagioclase Ab(sub)81.6An(sub)14.0Or(sub)44. Geochemistry: We have completed INM analysis of LEW 88663 only; analyses of PAT 91501 are in progress. The weighted mean lithophile element (refractory, moderately volatile, and volatile) content of LEW 88663 normalized to average L chondrites [1] is 0.97. The weighted mean siderophile element (excluding Fe) content is only 0.57x L. This supports the suggestion that LEW 88663 lost metal relative to average L chondrites, although not as complete as implied earlier [1]. The mean lithophile-element abundance is that of L chondrites, but the lithophile-element pattern is fractionated. Highly incompatible elements are enriched in LEW 88663 relative to L chondrites (e.g., La 2.6x, Sm 1.9x L chondrites), while the more compatible elements are near L chondrite levels or depleted (e.g., Lu 1.1x, Sc 0.94x, Cr 0.87x L chondrites). Discussion: LEW 88663 and PAT 91501 are texturally similar to the Shaw L7 chondrite [3] and to poikilitic textured clasts in LL chondrites [4]. Several textural and mineralogical characteristics of PAT 91501 indicate that this stone is in part igneous. Large rounded troilite +/- metal nodules imply that melting occurred in the metal-troilite system. Interstitial material consists of euhedral, zoned chromites, euhedral clinopyroxene overgrowths on orthopyroxene, and plagioclase + glass. Olivine often shows euhedral faces in contact with the interstitial regions. These textures indicate that the interstitial regions were molten. The average pyroxene compositions in PAT 91501 indicate equilibration at 1200 degrees C [5], above the ordinary chondrite solidus [6]. Although PAT 91501 is in part igneous in origin, we have yet to determine whether it represents an extension of parent body heating from that of metamorphosed L chondrites, or whether it represents impact melting on the parent body. We will evaluate shock features, cooling rates, and the bulk composition of PAT 91501 in order to investigate this further. Orthopyroxenes in LEW 88663 have a lower Wo content, and clinopyroxenes have a higher Wo content, than those in PAT 91501, and have equilibrated to lower temperatures, perhaps ~1000 degrees C [5]. References: [1] Wasson and Kallemeyn (1988) Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond., A325, 535. [2] Davis et al. (1993) LPS XXIV, 375. [3] Taylor et al. (1979) GCA, 43, 323. [4] Fodor and Keil (1975) Meteoritics, 10, 325. [5] Lindsley (1983) Am. Mineral., 68, 477. [6] Jurewicz et al. (1993) LPS XXIV, 739.

Trace element content of chondritic cosmic dust: Volatile enrichments, thermal alterations, and the possibility of contamination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flynn, G. J.; Sutton, S. R.; Bajt, S.

1993-01-01

Trace element abundances in 51 chondritic Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDP's) were measured by Synchrotron X-Ray Fluorescence (SXRF). The data allow us to determine an average composition of chondritic IDP's and to examine the questions of volatile loss during the heating pulse experienced on atmospheric entry and possible element addition due to contamination during atmospheric entry, stratospheric residence, and curation.

Evidence for a late thermal event of unequilibrated enstatite chondrites: a Rb-Sr study of Qingzhen and Yamato 6901 (EH3) and Khairpur (EL6)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torigoye, N.; Shima, M.

1993-01-01

The Rb-Sr whole rock and internal systematics of two EH3 chondrites, Qingzhen and Yamato 6901, and of one EL6 chondrite, Khairpur, were determined. The internal Rb-Sr systematics of the EH3 chondrites are highly disturbed. Fractions corresponding to sulfide phases show excess 87Sr, while other fractions corresponding to silicate phases produce a linear trend on a Rb-Sr evolution diagram. If these linear relations are interpreted as isochrons, the ages of the silicate phases are 2.12?? 0.23 Ga and 2.05 ??0.33 Ga with the initial Sr isotopic ratios of 0.7112 ?? 0.0018 and 0.7089 ?? 0.0032, for Qingzhen and Yamato 6901, respectively. The Rb-Sr results are interpeted as indicative of a late thermal event about 2Ga ago on the parent bodies of these EH3 chondrites. These ages agree well with previously published K-Ar ages. An older isochron age of 4.481 ?? 0.036 Ga with a low initial Sr isotopic ratio of 0.69866 ?? 0.00038 was obtained for the data from silicate fractions of Khairpur, indicating early petrological equilibrium on the parent body of EL6 chondrites. -from Authors

Consortium study of the unusual H chondrite regolith breccia, Noblesville

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lipschutz, Michael E.; Wolf, Stephen F.; Vogt, Stephan; Michlovich, Edward; Lindstrom, Marilyn M.; Zolensky, Michael E.; Mittlefehldt, David W.; Satterwhite, Cecilia; Schultz, Ludolf; Loeken, Thomas

1993-01-01

The Noblesville meteorite is a genomict, regolith breccia (H6 clasts in H4 matrix). Moessbauer analysis confirms that Noblesville is unusually fresh, not surprising in view of its recovery immediately after its fall. It resembles 'normal' H4-6 chondrites in its chemical composition and induced thermoluminescence (TL) levels. Thus, at least in its contents of volatile trace elements, Noblesville differs from other H chondrite, class A regolith breccias. Noblesville's small pre-atmospheric mass and fall near solar maximum and/or its peculiar orbit (with perihelion less than 0.8 AU as shown by natural TL intensity) may partly explain its levels of cosmogenic radionuclides. Its cosmic ray exposure age of about 44 Ma is long, is equalled or exceeded by less than 3 percent of all H chondrites, and also differs from the 33 +/- 3 Ma mean exposure age peak of other H chondrite regolith breccias. While Noblesville is now among the chondritic regolithic breccias richest in solar gases, elemental ratios indicate some loss, especially of He, perhaps by impacts in the regolith that heated individual grains. While general shock-loading levels in Noblesville did not exceed 4 GPa, individual clasts record shock levels of 5-10 GPa, doubtless acquired prior to lithification of the whole-rock meteoroid.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session "Meteorites" included the following reports:Description of a New Stony Meteorite Find from Bulloch County, Georgia; Meteorite Ablation Derived from Cosmic Ray Track Data Dhofar 732: A Mg-rich Orthopyroxenitic Achondrite Halogens, Carbon and Sulfur in the Tagish Lake Meteorite: Implications for Classification and Terrestrial Alteration; Electromagnetic Scrape of Meteorites and Probably Columbia Tiles; Pre-Atmospheric Sizes and Orbits of Several Chondrites; Research of Shock-Thermal History of the Enstatite Chondrites by Track, Thermoluminescence and Neutron-Activation (NAA) Methods; Radiation and Shock-thermal History of the Kaidun CR2 Chondrite Glass Inclusions; On the Problem of Search for Super-Heavy Element Traces in the Meteorites: Probability of Their Discovery by Three-Prong Tracks due to Nuclear Spontaneous Fission Trace Element Abundances in Separated Phases of Pesyanoe, Enstatite Achondrite; Evaluation of Cooling Rate Calculated by Diffusional Modification of Chemical Zoning: Different Initial Profiles for Diffusion Calculation; Mineralogical Features and REE Distribution in Ortho- and Clinopyroxenes of the HaH 317 Enstatite Chondrite Dhofar 311, 730 and 731: New Lunar Meteorites from Oman; The Deuterium Content of Individual Murchison Amino Acids; Clues to the Formation of PV1, an Enigmatic Carbon-rich Chondritic Clast from the Plainview H-Chondrite Regolith Breccia ;Numerical Simulations of the Production of Extinct Radionuclides and ProtoCAIs by Magnetic Flaring.

Post-metamorphic brecciation in type 3 ordinary chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, E. R. D.; Mccoy, T. J.; Keil, K.

1993-01-01

Type 3.1-3.9 ordinary chondrites can be divided into two kinds: those in which the compositions of chondrule silicates are entirely consistent with metamorphism of type 3.0 material, and those in which the computational heterogeneity appears to be too extreme for in situ metamorphism. We present petrologic data for three LL3 chondrites of the second kind--Ngawi, ALH A77278 (both type 3.6), and Hamlet (type 3.9)--and compare these data with results for the first kind of LL3-4 chondrites. Given that chondrules form in the nebula and that metamorphic equilibration occurs in asteroids, our new data imply that Ngawi, A77278, Hamlet, and many other type 3 ordinary chondrites are post-metamorphic breccias containing materials with diverse metamorphic histories; they are not metamorphic rocks or special kinds of 'primitive breccias.' We infer also that metamorphism to type 3.1-3.9 levels produces very friable material that is easily remixed into breccias and lithified by mild shock. Thus, petrologic types and subtypes of chondrites indicate the mean metamorphic history of the ingredients, not the thermal history of the rock. The metamorphic history of individual type 1 or 2 porphyritic chondrules in type 3 breccias is best derived from olivine and pyroxene analyses and the data of McCoy et al. for unbrecciated chondrites. The new chondrule classification schemes of Sears, DeHart et al., appears to provide less information about the original state and metamorphic history of individual porphyritic chondrules and should not replace existing classification schemes.

Post-metamorphic brecciation in type 3 ordinary chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, E. R. D.; McCoy, T. J.; Keil, K.

1993-03-01

Type 3.1-3.9 ordinary chondrites can be divided into two kinds: those in which the compositions of chondrule silicates are entirely consistent with metamorphism of type 3.0 material, and those in which the computational heterogeneity appears to be too extreme for in situ metamorphism. We present petrologic data for three LL3 chondrites of the second kind--Ngawi, ALH A77278 (both type 3.6), and Hamlet (type 3.9)--and compare these data with results for the first kind of LL3-4 chondrites. Given that chondrules form in the nebula and that metamorphic equilibration occurs in asteroids, our new data imply that Ngawi, A77278, Hamlet, and many other type 3 ordinary chondrites are post-metamorphic breccias containing materials with diverse metamorphic histories; they are not metamorphic rocks or special kinds of 'primitive breccias.' We infer also that metamorphism to type 3.1-3.9 levels produces very friable material that is easily remixed into breccias and lithified by mild shock. Thus, petrologic types and subtypes of chondrites indicate the mean metamorphic history of the ingredients, not the thermal history of the rock. The metamorphic history of individual type 1 or 2 porphyritic chondrules in type 3 breccias is best derived from olivine and pyroxene analyses and the data of McCoy et al. for unbrecciated chondrites. The new chondrule classification schemes of Sears, DeHart et al., appears to provide less information about the original state and metamorphic history of individual porphyritic chondrules and should not replace existing classification schemes.

Actinide abundances in ordinary chondrites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hagee, B.; Bernatowicz, T.J.; Podosek, F.A.; Johnson, M.L.; Burnett, D.S.; Tatsumoto, M.

1990-01-01

Measurements of 244Pu fission Xe, U, Th, and light REE (LREE) abundances, along with modal petrographic determinations of phosphate abundances, were carried out on equilibrated ordinary chondrites in order to define better the solar system Pu abundance and to determine the degree of variation of actinide and LREE abundances. Our data permit comparison of the directly measured Pu/ U ratio with that determined indirectly as (Pu/Nd) ?? (Nd/U) assuming that Pu behaves chemically as a LREE. Except for Guaren??a, and perhaps H chondrites in general, Pu concentrations are similar to that determined previously for St. Se??verin, although less precise because of higher trapped Xe contents. Trapped 130Xe 136Xe ratios appear to vary from meteorite to meteorite, but, relative to AVCC, all are similar in the sense of having less of the interstellar heavy Xe found in carbonaceous chondrite acid residues. The Pu/U and Pu/Nd ratios are consistent with previous data for St. Se??verin, but both tend to be slightly higher than those inferred from previous data on Angra dos Reis. Although significant variations exist, the distribution of our Th/U ratios, along with other precise isotope dilution data for ordinary chondrites, is rather symmetric about the CI chondrite value; however, actinide/(LREE) ratios are systematically lower than the CI value. Variations in actinide or LREE absolute and relative abundances are interpreted as reflecting differences in the proportions and/or compositions of more primitive components (chondrules and CAI materials?) incorporated into different regions of the ordinary chondrite parent bodies. The observed variations of Th/U, Nd/U, or Ce/U suggest that measurements of Pu/U on any single equilibrated ordinary chondrite specimen, such as St. Se??verin, should statistically be within ??20-30% of the average solar system value, although it is also clear that anomalous samples exist. ?? 1990.

Osmium Stable Isotope Composition of Chondrites and Iron Meteorites: Implications for Planetary Core Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nanne, J. A. M.; Millet, M. A.; Burton, K. W.; Dale, C. W.; Nowell, G. M.; Williams, H. M.

2016-12-01

Mass-dependent Os stable isotope fractionation is expected to occur during metal-silicate segregation as well as during crystallization of metal alloys due to the different bonding environment between silicate and metals. As such, Os stable isotopes have the potential to resolve questions pertaining to planetary accretion and differentiation. Here, we present stable Os isotope data for a set of chondrites and iron meteorites to examine the processes associated with core solidification. Carbonaceous, ordinary, and enstatite chondrites show no detectable stable isotope variation with a δ190Os weighted average of +0.12±0.04 (n=37). The uniform composition observed for chondrites implies Os stable isotope homogeneity of the bulk solar nebula. Contrary to chondrites, iron meteorites display a large range in Os stable isotope compositions from δ190Os of +0.05 up to +0.49‰. Variation is only observed in the IIAB and IIIAB irons. Type IVB irons display values similar to chondrites (+0.107±0.047 [n=3]) and IVA compositions are slightly different +0.187±0.004 (n=2). The type IIAB and IIIAB groups show values both within the chondritic range and up to heavier values extending up to +0.49‰. Since core formation in small planetary bodies is expected to quantitatively sequester Os in metal phases, bulk planetary cores are expected to display chondritic δ190Os values. Conversely, samples of the IIAB and IIIAB group display significant variation, possibly indicating that stable isotope fractionation occurred during solidification of the parent-body core. However, no covariation is observed between δ190Os and either Os abundance or radiogenic Os isotope ratios. Instead, liquid immiscibility during core crystallization, where the liquid metal splits into separate S- and P-rich liquids, may be a source of Os stable isotope fractionation.

Magnetic Evidence for a Partially Differentiated Carbonaceous Chondrite Parent Body and Possible Implications for Asteroid 21 Lutetia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, Benjamin; Carporzen, L.; Elkins-Tanton, L.; Shuster, D. L.; Ebel, D. S.; Gattacceca, J.; Binzel, R. P.

2010-10-01

The origin of remanent magnetization in the CV carbonaceous chondrite Allende has been a longstanding mystery. The possibility of a core dynamo like that known for achondrite parent bodies has been discounted because chondrite parent bodies are assumed to be undifferentiated. Here we report that Allende's magnetization was acquired over several million years (Ma) during metasomatism on the parent planetesimal in a > 20 microtesla field 8-9 Ma after solar system formation. This field was present too recently and directionally stable for too long to have been the generated by the protoplanetary disk or young Sun. The field intensity is in the range expected for planetesimal core dynamos (Weiss et al. 2010), suggesting that CV chondrites are derived from the outer, unmelted layer of a partially differentiated body with a convecting metallic core (Elkins-Tanton et al. 2010). This suggests that asteroids with differentiated interiors could be present today but masked under chondritic surfaces. In fact, CV chondrites are spectrally similar to many members of the Eos asteroid family whose spectral diversity has been interpreted as evidence for a partially differentiated parent asteroid (Mothe-Diniz et al. 2008). CV chondrite spectral and polarimetric data also resemble those of asteroid 21 Lutetia (e.g., Belskaya et al. 2010), recently encountered by the Rosetta spacecraft. Ground-based measurements of Lutetia indicate a high density of 2.4-5.1 g cm-3 (Drummond et al. 2010), while radar data seem to rule out a metallic surface composition (Shepard et al. 2008). If Rosetta spacecraft measurements confirm a high density and a CV-like surface composition for Lutetia, then we propose Lutetia may be an example of a partially differentiated carbonaceous chondrite parent body. Regardless, the very existence of primitive achondrites, which contain evidence of both relict chondrules and partial melting, are prima facie evidence for the formation of partially differentiated bodies.

Petrology and geochemistry of Patuxent Range 91501, a clast-poor impact-melt from the L chondrite parent body, and Lewis Cliff 88663, an L7 chondrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mittlefehldt, David W.; Lindstrom, Marilyn M.

2001-03-01

We have performed petrologic and geochemical studies of Patuxent Range 91501 and Lewis Cliff 88663. PAT 91501, originally classified as an L7 chondrite, is rather a unique, near total impact-melt from the L chondrite parent body. Lewis Cliff 88663 was originally classified as an "achondrite (?)," but we find that it is a very weakly shocked L7 chondrite. PAT 91501 is an unshocked, homogeneous, igneous-textured ultramafic rock composed of euhedral to subhedral olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, augite and chrome-rich spinels with interstitial albitic plagioclase and minor silica-alumina-alkali-rich glass. Only ~10% relict chondritic material is present. Olivine grains are homogeneous (Fa25.2-26.8). Low-Ca pyroxene (Wo1.9-7.2En71.9-78.2Fs19.9-20.9) and augite (Wo29.8-39.0En49.2-55.3Fs11.8-14.9) display a strong linear TiO2-Al2O3 correlations resulting from igneous fractionation. Plagioclase is variable in composition; Or3.0-7.7Ab79.8-84.1An8.2-17.2. Chrome-rich spinels are variable in composition and zoned from Cr-rich cores to Ti-Al-rich rims. Some have evolved compositions with up to 7.9 wt% TiO2. PAT 91501 bulk silicate has an L chondrite lithophile element composition except for depletions in Zn and Br. Siderophile and chalcophile elements are highly depleted due to sequestration in cm-size metal-troilite nodules. The minerals in LEW 88663 are more uniform in composition than those in PAT 91501. Olivine grains have low CaO and Cr2O3 contents similar to those in L5-6 chondrites. Pyroxenes have high TiO2 contents with only a diffuse TiO2-Al2O3 correlations. Low-Ca pyroxenes are less calcic (Wo1.6-3.1En76.5-77.0Fs20.4-21.4), while augites (Wo39.5-45.6En46.8-51.1Fs7.6-9.4) and plagioclases (Or2.6-5.7Ab74.1-83.1An11.2-23.3) are more calcic. Spinels are homogeneous and compositionally similar to those in L6 chondrites. LEW 88663 has an L chondrite bulk composition for lithophile elements, and only slight depletions in siderophile and chalcophile elements that are plausibly due to weathering and/or sample heterogeneity.

Experimental Impacts into Chondritic Targets. Part 1; Disruption of an L6 Chondrite by Multiple Impacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cintala, Mark J.; Horz, Friedrich

2007-01-01

A fragment of an L6 chondrite (ALH 85017,13) with an initial mass (M(sub 0)) of 464.1 g was the target in a series of experimental impacts in which the largest remaining fragment (M(sub R)) after each shot was impacted by a 3.18-mm ceramic sphere at a nominal speed of 2 km/s. This continued until the mass of the largest remaining piece was less than half the mass of the target presented to that shot (M(sub S)). Two chunks of Bushveldt gabbro with similar initial masses were also impacted under the same conditions until M(sub R) was less than half M(sub 0). The two gabbro targets required a total of 1.51x10(exp 7) and 1.75x10(exp 7) erg/g to attain 0.27 and 0.33 M(sub R)/M(sub 0), respectively; the chondrite, however, was considerably tougher, reaching 0.40 and 0.21 M(sub R)/M(sub 0) only after receiving 2.37x10(exp 7) and 3.10x10(exp 7) erg g-1, respectively. The combined ejecta and spallation products from the gabbro impacts were coarser than those from the chondrite and in sufficient quantities that the new surface areas exceeded those from the meteorite until the fifth shot in the chondrite series, which was the number of impacts required to disrupt each gabbro target (i.e., MR/M0 = 0.5). Unlike the behavior shown in previous regolith-evolution series, neither gabbro target produced an enhancement in the size fraction reflecting the mean size of the crystals composing the rock (about 3 mm), an effect possibly related to the width of the shock pulse. The original chondrite was so fine-grained and fractured, and the variance in its grain-size distribution so large, that effects related to grain-size were relegated to the <63- m fraction. Impacts into ALH 85017 produced abundant, fine-grained debris, but otherwise the slopes of its size distributions were comparable to those from other experiments involving natural and fabricated terrestrial targets. The characteristic slopes of the chondrite's size distributions, however, were notably more constant over the entire nine-impact series than those from any of the terrestrial targets, a testament to the control over comminution apparently exerted by pre-existing fractures and other, microscopic damage in the meteorite. The enhancement in the finer fraction of debris from ALH 85017 indicates that ordinary chondrites in solar orbit would be very efficient contributors to the cosmic-dust complex. At the same time, the greater resistance to disruption displayed by ordinary chondrites relative to that exhibited by igneous rocks indicates that a selection effect could be operative between the annealed, ordinary-chondritic breccias and relatively weaker, differentiated meteorites. Preferential survival from their time in the regoliths of their parent bodies through their transit to Earth and passage through the atmosphere suggests that meteorite collections could be biased in favor of the ordinary chondrites.

Differentiated meteorites and the components of chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wasson, J. T.

1984-01-01

Findings are summarized from research conducted to develop a detailed classification of all kinds of meteorites in an effort to determine the conditions in the solar nebula, the processes that produced chemical fractionations in chondrites and formed chondrules, as well as ascertain the processes that occurred in the parent bodies of differentiated meteorites (which preserve a partial record of the chondritic materials from which they formed). Fractionation patterns within iron meteorite groups are analyzed.

The mineralogy of ordinary chondrites and implications for asteroid spectrophotometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcsween, Harry Y., Jr.; Bennett, Marvin E., III; Jarosewich, Eugene

1991-01-01

Published data from bulk chemical analyses of 94 ordinary chondrites are compiled in a table of normative mineralogy and discussed in detail. Significant variations in olivine, pyroxene, and metal abundance ratios are found within each chondrite class and attributed to redox processes superimposed on initial differences in metal/silicate ratios. The use of the diagrams constructed here to predict the mineralogic characteristics of asteroids on the basis of spectrophotometric observations is suggested.

Rhenium-osmium isotope systematics of ordinary chondrites and iron meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, R. J.; Morgan, J. W.; Horan, M. F.; Grossman, J. N.

1993-01-01

Using negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry, Re and Os abundances were determined by isotope dilution and Os-187/Os-186 measured in 11 ordinary chondrites, and also in 1 IIB and 3 IIIB irons. In addition, Os-186/Os-188 and Os-189/Os-188 ratios were precisely determined for 3 unspiked ordinary chondrites as a means of constraining the intensity of any neutron irradiation these meteorites may have experienced.

Al-rich objects in ordinary chondrites - Related origin of carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites and their constituents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bischoff, A.; Keil, K.

1984-01-01

A description is given of 169 Al-rich objects (arbitrarily defined as having 10 wt pct or more of Al2O3) from 24 ordinary chondrites of types 3 and 4, five regolith breccias containing unequilibrated material, the unique meteorite Kakangari, and a few ordinary chondrites of types 5 and 6. On the basis of shape and texture, the Al-rich objects are divided into chondrules (round, with igneous textures), irregularly shaped inclusions (similar to type F and spinel-rich complex Ca-Al-rich inclusions), and fragments (probably fragments of Al-rich chondrules and inclusions). For descriptive purposes, the Al-rich chondrules are further subdivided into compositional subgroups, although they are entirely transitional.

Noble-gas-rich separates from ordinary chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moniot, R. K.

1980-02-01

Acid-resistant residues were prepared by HCl-HF demineralization of three H-type ordinary chondrites: Brownfield 1937 (H3), Dimmitt (H3, 4), and Estacado (H6). These residues were found to contain a large proportion of the planetary-type trapped Ar, Kr, and Xe in the meteorites. The similarity of these acid residues to those from carbonaceous chondrites and LL-type ordinary chondrites suggests that the same phase carries the trapped noble gases in all these diverse meteorite types. Because the H group represents a large fraction of all meteorites, this result indicates that the gas-rich carrier phase is as universal as the trapped noble-gas component itself. When treated with an oxidizing etchant, the acid residues lost almost all their complement of noble gases.

Amino Acids and Chirality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, Jamie E.

2012-01-01

Amino acids are among the most heavily studied organic compound class in carbonaceous chondrites. The abundance, distributions, enantiomeric compositions, and stable isotopic ratios of amino acids have been determined in carbonaceous chondrites fi'om a range of classes and petrographic types, with interesting correlations observed between these properties and the class and typc of the chondritcs. In particular, isomeric distributions appear to correlate with parent bodies (chondrite class). In addition, certain chiral amino acids are found in enantiomeric excess in some chondrites. The delivery of these enantiomeric excesses to the early Earth may have contributed to the origin of the homochirality that is central to life on Earth today. This talk will explore the amino acids in carbonaceous chondritcs and their relevance to the origin of life.

Osmium isotope constraints on Earth's late accretionary history

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morgan, J.W.

1985-01-01

Osmium isotope measurements reported by Alle??gre and Luck 1,2 indicate that terrestrial osmiridiums evolved in a mantle source region in which the osmium/rhenium ratio falls strictly within the range found in chondrites. This suggests that the highly siderophile elements in the Earth's mantle were introduced by a late influx of chondritic material and are not a result of endogenous processes. I have now examined the available data in more detail and conclude that the inferred Os/Re ratio of the Earth's mantle matches the E group and C3 chondrites, but that C1 and probably C2 chondrites were not major components of the material accreted in the late stages of mantle formation. ?? 1985 Nature Publishing Group.

Chondrites, S asteroids, and space weathering: Thumping noises from the coffin?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fanale, F. P.; Clark, B. E.

1993-01-01

Most of the spectral characteristics of ordinary chondrites and S-asteroids in the visible and infrared can be reduced to three numerical values. These values represent the depth of the absorption band resulting from octahedrally coordinated Fe(sup 2+), the reflectance at 0.56 microns and the slope of the continuum (as measured according to convention). By plotting these three characteristics, it is possible to immediately compare the spectral characteristics of large numbers of ordinary chondrites and S-asteroids. Commonality of spectral characteristics between these populations can thus be evaluated on the basis of overlap in position on three two-coordinate systems: albedo vs. band depth, band depth vs. slope, and slope vs. albedo. In order to establish identity, members of the two populations must overlap on all three of these independent parameter spaces. In this coordinate system, spectra of 23 ordinary chondrites (representing all metamorphic grades), and 39 S-asteroids were compared. It was found that there was no overlap between the two populations in terms of the slope vs. band depth parameters, nor were most chondrites identical to the S-asteroids with respect to the other criteria. However, the controversial question remains: Where are the parent bodies of the chondrites? Perhaps an even more critical question is: Where are our samples of the S-asteroids? Considering the geography of the asteroid belt and the theory that early solar-system electromagnetic induction heating differentiated protoasteroids in the inner portion of the main belt, it was suggested that although S-asteroids and ordinary chondrites have very similar mineralogy, the S-asteroids are mixtures of metallic nickel iron and silicates which resulted from magmatism induced by electromagnetic heating whereas chondrites were only slightly metamorphosed nebular condensates. In this scenario chondrites would have been derived from a population of bodies with thermal lag times so short that they were not subjected to melting during the phase of the electromagnetic induction heating event but only to various degrees of pervasive metamorphism. Furthermore, these objects would then have been too small to be observed and systematically included in the library of asteroidal spectra. It was also suggested that the parametric distribution of S-asteroid spectra could be reproduced by mixing various proportions of NiFe meteorite and achondritic materials. This has also been demonstrated in the laboratory.

Magnesium isotopic composition of the Earth and chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teng, Fang-Zhen; Li, Wang-Ye; Ke, Shan; Marty, Bernard; Dauphas, Nicolas; Huang, Shichun; Wu, Fu-Yuan; Pourmand, Ali

2010-07-01

To constrain further the Mg isotopic composition of the Earth and chondrites, and investigate the behavior of Mg isotopes during planetary formation and magmatic processes, we report high-precision (±0.06‰ on δ 25Mg and ±0.07‰ on δ 26Mg, 2SD) analyses of Mg isotopes for (1) 47 mid-ocean ridge basalts covering global major ridge segments and spanning a broad range in latitudes, geochemical and radiogenic isotopic compositions; (2) 63 ocean island basalts from Hawaii (Kilauea, Koolau and Loihi) and French Polynesia (Society Island and Cook-Austral chain); (3) 29 peridotite xenoliths from Australia, China, France, Tanzania and USA; and (4) 38 carbonaceous, ordinary and enstatite chondrites including 9 chondrite groups (CI, CM, CO, CV, L, LL, H, EH and EL). Oceanic basalts and peridotite xenoliths have similar Mg isotopic compositions, with average values of δ 25Mg = -0.13 ± 0.05 (2SD) and δ 26Mg = -0.26 ± 0.07 (2SD) for global oceanic basalts ( n = 110) and δ 25Mg = -0.13 ± 0.03 (2SD) and δ 26Mg = -0.25 ± 0.04 (2SD) for global peridotite xenoliths ( n = 29). The identical Mg isotopic compositions in oceanic basalts and peridotites suggest that equilibrium Mg isotope fractionation during partial melting of peridotite mantle and magmatic differentiation of basaltic magma is negligible. Thirty-eight chondrites have indistinguishable Mg isotopic compositions, with δ 25Mg = -0.15 ± 0.04 (2SD) and δ 26Mg = -0.28 ± 0.06 (2SD). The constancy of Mg isotopic compositions in all major types of chondrites suggest that primary and secondary processes that affected the chemical and oxygen isotopic compositions of chondrites did not significantly fractionate Mg isotopes. Collectively, the Mg isotopic composition of the Earth's mantle, based on oceanic basalts and peridotites, is estimated to be -0.13 ± 0.04 for δ 25Mg and -0.25 ± 0.07 for δ 26Mg (2SD, n = 139). The Mg isotopic composition of the Earth, as represented by the mantle, is similar to chondrites. The chondritic composition of the Earth implies that Mg isotopes were well mixed during accretion of the inner solar system.

Alteration and formation of rims on the CM parent body

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Browning, Lauren B.; Mcsween, Harry Y., Jr.; Zolensky, Michael

1994-01-01

All types of coarse-grained components in CM chondrites are surrounded by fine-grained dust coatings, but the origin of these rims is not yet clear. Although a strictly nebular origin seems likely for rims in the relatively unaltered type 3 chondrites, the rims in CM chondrites are dominated by secondary alteration phases. It has been argued that either the coarse-grained cores accreted altered rim materials while still in the nebula or that alteration of primary rim phases occurred on the CM parent body. To constrain the origin of alteration phases in rim material, we have analyzed the textures and mineral associations from 10 CM chondritic falls by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Our results indicate that the secondary phases in CM chondritic rims were produced by parent body fluid-rock interactions which redefined some primary rim textures and may have produced, in some cases, both coarse-grained components and the rims that surround them. Textural features demonstrate the interactive exchange of alteration fluids between rims, matrix, and chondrules on the CM parent body. For example, most matrix-rim contacts are gradational, suggesting the synchronous alteration of both components. Several observations suggest the possibility of in situ rim production. For example, tochilinite and phyllosilicates commonly form rims around matrix carbonates, which are generally believed to have precipitated from alteration fluids on the CM parent body. This suggests that the rims surrounding matrix carbonates may also have been produced by alteration processes. Partially replaced chondrule olivines bear a striking resemblance to many rimmed olivines in the matrix which suggests, by analogy, that site-specific precipitation of S-bearing phases may also be responsible for the occurrence of many tochilinite-rich rims around isolated matrix olivines. Non-silicate rims precipitate around olivines of any composition, but the process is most effective for fayalitic olivines. Most of the remaining olivines in CM chondrites are relatively Mg-rich, which suggests that the precipitation of S-bearing rims on olivines may not have been an important process in the aqueous alteration of CM chondrites. We conclude that: (1) precursor rim materials in CM chondrites were subjected to pervasive aqueous alteration on the CM parent body; and (2) textures and mineral associations observed in CM chondrites also suggest the possibility of in situ rim production.

Reconstructing the thermal evolution of the CK chondrite parent body using Northwest Africa 5343, the least metamorphosed CK chondrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunn, T. L.; Gross, J.; O'Hara, E. J.

2017-12-01

Carbonaceous chondrites (CCs) represent some of the most pristine solar system material, providing constraints on the early formation of planetesimals. The CK chondrites are the only group of CCs to exhibit the full range of thermal metamorphism (petrologic type 3 to 6). Most unequilibrated CK chondrites (CK3s) have been metamorphosed to petrologic subtype 3.8 or higher. However, homogeneity of olivine suggests that CK3 chondrite Northwest Africa (NWA) 5343 is less metamorphosed than the other CK3s. The presence of unrecrystallized matrix indicates that it is less than petrologic type 3.7. To better assess the lower limits of metamorphism on the CK chondrite parent body, we performed a detailed analysis of matrix material in NWA 5343. Ascertaining the lower limit of metamorphism in the CK chondrites is critical when addressing the CK-CV parent body debate (e.g., one vs. two parent bodies), and will shed light onto the evolution of metamorphosed CC parent bodies. We recognize two texturally distinct regions in the matrix of NWA 5343. Both have similar mineralogies (mostly olivine with lesser pyroxene and plagioclase), but differ in grain size, shape, and porosity. The porous region of the sample is characterized by subhedral-rounded olivine grains, typically < 40 µms, surrounded by empty pore space ( 10-14% porosity). Some small patches of matrix within the porous region contain angular olivine grains that are < 10 µms, similar to "clastic matrix" typically observed in some low petrologic type CCs and ordinary chondrites (OCs). In the glassy matrix region of NWA 5343 (3-7% porosity), olivine grains are larger (20-40 µms) and more anhedral. Skeletal pyroxene is also common. Original pore space is filled with a Ca-rich glass that appears to originate from an unusual vein in this region. Most interestingly, the extent of metamorphism varies within NWA 5343. Larger, anhedral olivine in the glassy region suggest that this region is more metamorphosed than the porous region. Even within the porous region there is a range of metamorphism, with small patches of granoblastic olivine intermixed with the clastic matrix. This suggests that NWA 5343 may represent a metamorphic breccia, a common occurrence in OCs and CCs of lower petrologic types, and provides insight into the evolution of the only completely metamorphosed CC parent body.

Planetary Protection Considerations in EVA System Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eppler, Dean B.; Kosmo, Joseph J.

2011-01-01

To better constrain their origin, we have performed systematic studies of the siderophile element distribution in metal from Enstatite achondrites and iron-rich meteorites linked to Enstatite achondrites. Humayun (2010) reported 20 siderophile elements in the metal of Horse Creek, Mt. Egerton and Tucson, three iron meteorites known for their high Si content in their metal. The Horse Creek and Mt. Egerton irons have elemental patterns identical to metallic solids derived from partially molten enstatite chondrites. Tucson has an unusual siderophile element pattern that is reminiscent of IVA irons, except for the most volatile siderophiles with condensation temperatures below that of Cu (Sb, Ge, Sn) which are more depleted. The origin of Tucson metal is likely linked to an impact involving a reduced chondritic body that provided the silicates, and IVA iron. In a related study, van Acken et al. (2010) reported siderophile element abundances in metal and sulfides from aubrites, chondritic inclusions in aubrites, and other enstatite achondrites (including a separate section of Mt. Egerton). They found that aubrite metal was linked to metal in enstatite chondrites by low degree partial melting forming sulfur-rich metallic liquids. A restite origin of aubrites is not consistent with these metal compositions. The link between the metal compositions and cumulate silicates is not simple. The metal must have been incorporated from enstatite chondritic material that was assimilated by the aubrite magma. A manuscript is in preparation (van Acken et al., 2010). In a related study, van Acken et al. (2010, submitted) reported new precise Os isotope ratios and highly siderophile element abundances in Enstatite chondrites, Enstatite achondrites, Rumurutite chondrites to explore the range of nucleosynthetic variation in s-process Os. They observed nucleosynthetic anomalies, deficiencies of s-process Os, in most primitive enstatite chondrites, but showed the Rumurutite chondrites have very little expression of these anomalies. hardware from the human-occupied area may limit (although not likely eliminate) external materials in the human habitat. Definition of design-to requirements is critical to understanding technical feasibility and costs. The definition of Planetary Protection needs in relation to EVA mission and system element development cost impacts should be considered and interpreted in terms of Plausible Protection criteria. Since EVA operations will have the most direct physical interaction with the Martian surface, PP needs should be considered in the terms of mitigating hardware and operations impacts and costs.

Partial melting of the St. Severin (LL) and Lost City (H) ordinary chondrites: One step backwards and two steps forward

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jurewicz, A. J. G.; Jones, J. H.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.

1994-01-01

This study looks at partial melting in H and LL chondrites at nearly one atmosphere of total pressure as part of a continuing study of the origins of basaltic achondrites. Previously, melting experiments on anhydrous CM and CV chondrites showed that, near its solidus, the CM chondrite produced melts having major element chemistries similar to the Sioux County eucrite; but, the pyroxenes in the residuum were too iron-rich to form diogenites. Our preliminary results from melting experiments on ordinary (H, LL) chondrites suggested that, although the melts did not look like any known eucrites, pyroxenes from these charges bracketed the compositional range of pyroxenes found in diogenites. We had used the Fe/Mg exchange coefficients calculated for olivine, pyroxene, and melt in these charges to evaluate the approach to equilibrium, which appeared to be excellent. Unfortunately, mass balance calculations later indicated to us that, unlike our CM and CV charges, the LL and H experimental charges had lost significant amounts of iron to their (Pt or PtRh) supports. Apparently, pyroxene stability in chondritic systems is quite sensitive to the amount of FeO, and it was this unrecognized change in the bulk iron content which had stabilized the high temperature, highly magnesian pyroxenes. Accordingly, this work reinvestigates the phase equilibria of ordinary chondrites, eliminating iron and nickel loss, and reports significant differences. It also looks closely at how the iron and sodium in the bulk charge affect the stability of pyroxene, and it comments on how these new results apply to the problems of diogenite and eucrite petrogenesis.

A history of violence: Insights into post-accretionary heating in carbonaceous chondrites from volatile element abundances, Zn isotopes and water contents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahan, Brandon; Moynier, Frédéric; Beck, Pierre; Pringle, Emily A.; Siebert, Julien

2018-01-01

Carbonaceous chondrites (CCs) may have been the carriers of water, volatile and moderately volatile elements to Earth. Investigating the abundances of these elements, their relative volatility, and isotopes of state-change tracer elements such as Zn, and linking these observations to water contents, provide vital information on the processes that govern the abundances and isotopic signatures of these species in CCs and other planetary bodies. Here we report Zn isotopic data for 28 CCs (20 CM, 6 CR, 1 C2-ung, and 1 CV3), as well as trace element data for Zn, In, Sn, Tl, Pb, and Bi in 16 samples (8 CM, 6 CR, 1 C2-ung, and 1 CV3), that display a range of elemental abundances from case-normative to intensely depleted. We use these data, water content data from literature and Zn isotopes to investigate volatile depletions and to discern between closed and open system heating. Trace element data have been used to construct relative volatility scales among the elements for the CM and CR chondrites. From least volatile to most, the scale in CM chondrites is Pb-Sn-Bi-In-Zn-Tl, and for CR chondrites it is Tl-Zn-Sn-Pb-Bi-In. These observations suggest that heated CM and CR chondrites underwent volatile loss under different conditions to one another and to that of the solar nebula, e.g. differing oxygen fugacities. Furthermore, the most water and volatile depleted samples are highly enriched in the heavy isotopes of Zn. Taken together, these lines of evidence strongly indicate that heated CM and CR chondrites incurred open system heating, stripping them of water and volatiles concomitantly, during post-accretionary shock impact(s).

146Sm-142Nd systematics measured in enstatite chondrites reveals a heterogeneous distribution of 142Nd in the solar nebula.

PubMed

Gannoun, Abdelmouhcine; Boyet, Maud; Rizo, Hanika; El Goresy, Ahmed

2011-05-10

The short-lived (146)Sm-(142)Nd chronometer (T(1/2) = 103 Ma) is used to constrain the early silicate evolution of planetary bodies. The composition of bulk terrestrial planets is then considered to be similar to that of primitive chondrites that represent the building blocks of rocky planets. However for many elements chondrites preserve small isotope differences. In this case it is not always clear to what extent these variations reflect the isotope heterogeneity of the protosolar nebula rather than being produced by the decay of parent isotopes. Here we present Sm-Nd isotopes data measured in a comprehensive suite of enstatite chondrites (EC). The EC preserve (142)Nd/(144)Nd ratios that range from those of ordinary chondrites to values similar to terrestrial samples. The EC having terrestrial (142)Nd/(144)Nd ratios are also characterized by small (144)Sm excesses, which is a pure p-process nuclide. The correlation between (144)Sm and (142)Nd for chondrites may indicate a heterogeneous distribution in the solar nebula of p-process matter synthesized in supernovae. However to explain the difference in (142)Nd/(144)Nd ratios, 20% of the p-process contribution to (142)Nd is required, at odds with the value of 4% currently proposed in stellar models. This study highlights the necessity of obtaining high-precision (144)Sm measurements to interpret properly measured (142)Nd signatures. Another explanation could be that the chondrites sample material formed in different pulses of the lifetime of asymptotic giant branch stars. Then the isotope signature measured in SiC presolar would not represent the unique s-process signature of the material present in the solar nebula during accretion.

Thermally metamorphosed carbonaceous chondrites from data for thermally mobile trace elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ming-Sheng; Lipschutz, Michael E.

1998-11-01

We report RNAA data for U, Co, Au, Sb, Ga, Rb, Cs, Se, Ag, Te, Zn, In, Bi, Tl and Cd (ordered by increasing ease of vaporization and loss from Murchison CM2 chondrite during open-system heating) in 9 Antarctic C2 and C3 chondrites. These meteorites exhibit properties (obtained by reflectance spectroscopy, oxygen isotope mass spectrometry and/or mineralogy-petrology) suggesting thermal metamorphism in their parent bodies. Five of these (Asuka 881655, Yamato (Y) 793495, Y-790992, PCA 91008 and Y-86789, paired with Y-86720) exhibit significant depletion of the most thermally-mobile 1-5 trace elements consistent with open-system loss during extended parent body heating under conditions duplicated by week-long heating of Murchison C2 chondrite heated at 500-700 deg C in a low pressure (initially 10-5 atm) H atmosphere. From earlier data, three other C3 chondrites - Allan Hills (ALH) 81003, ALH 85003 and Lewis Cliffs 85332 - show significant Cd depletion. Nine additional C2 and C3 chondrites show no evidence of mobile trace element depletion - including Y-793321, which by all other criteria was mildly metamorphosed thermally. Either metamorphism of these nine occurred under closed conditions and/or alteration took place under such mild conditions that even Cd could not be lost. The RNAA data suggest that 10 of the 46 Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites (including 4 of 37 from Victoria Land and 6 of 9 from Queen Maud Land) exhibit open-system loss of at least some thermally mobile trace elements by heating in their parent bodies while none of the 25 non-Antarctic falls experienced this. These results are consistent with the idea that the Antarctic sampling of near-Earth material differs from that being sampled today.

Chemical zoning and homogenization of olivines in ordinary chondrites and implications for thermal histories of chondrules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyamoto, Masamichi; Mckay, David S.; Mckay, Gordon A.; Duke, Michael B.

1986-01-01

The extent and degree of homogenization of chemical zoning of olivines in type 3 ordinary chondrites is studied in order to obtain some constraints on cooling histories of chondrites. Based on Mg-Fe and CaO zoning, olivines in type 3 chondrites are classified into four types. A single chondrule usually contains olivines with the same type of zoning. Microporphyritic olivines show all four zoning types. Barred olivines usually show almost homogenized chemical zoning. The cooling rates or burial depths needed to homogenize the chemical zoning are calculated by solving the diffusion equation, using the zoning profiles as an initial condition. Mg-Fe zoning of olivine may be altered during initial cooling, whereas CaO zoning is hardly changed. Barred olivines may be homogenized during initial cooling because their size is relatively small. To simulated microporphyritic olivine chondrules, cooling from just below the liquidus at moderately high rates is preferable to cooling from above the liquidus at low rates. For postaccumulation metamorphism of type 3 chondrites to keep Mg-Fe zoning unaltered, the maximum metamorphic temperature must be less than about 400 C if cooling rates based on Fe-Ni data are assumed. Calculated cooling rates for both Fa and CaO homogenization are consistent with those by Fe-Ni data for type 4 chondrites. A hot ejecta blanket several tens of meters thick on the surface of a parent body is sufficient to homogenize Mg-Fe zoning if the temperature of the blanket is 600-700 C. Burial depths for petrologic types of ordinary chondrites in a parent body heated by Al-26 are broadly consistent with those previously proposed.

The Gao-Guenie impact melt breccia—Sampling a rapidly cooled impact melt dike on an H chondrite asteroid?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmieder, Martin; Kring, David A.; Swindle, Timothy D.; Bond, Jade C.; Moore, Carleton B.

2016-06-01

The Gao-Guenie H5 chondrite that fell on Burkina Faso (March 1960) has portions that were impact-melted on an H chondrite asteroid at ~300 Ma and, through later impact events in space, sent into an Earth-crossing orbit. This article presents a petrographic and electron microprobe analysis of a representative sample of the Gao-Guenie impact melt breccia consisting of a chondritic clast domain, quenched melt in contact with chondritic clasts, and an igneous-textured impact melt domain. Olivine is predominantly Fo80-82. The clast domain contains low-Ca pyroxene. Impact melt-grown pyroxene is commonly zoned from low-Ca pyroxene in cores to pigeonite and augite in rims. Metal-troilite orbs in the impact melt domain measure up to ~2 mm across. The cores of metal orbs in the impact melt domain contain ~7.9 wt% of Ni and are typically surrounded by taenite and Ni-rich troilite. The metallography of metal-troilite droplets suggest a stage I cooling rate of order 10 °C s-1 for the superheated impact melt. The subsolidus stage II cooling rate for the impact melt breccia could not be determined directly, but was presumably fast. An analogy between the Ni rim gradients in metal of the Gao-Guenie impact melt breccia and the impact-melted H6 chondrite Orvinio suggests similar cooling rates, probably on the order of ~5000-40,000 °C yr-1. A simple model of conductive heat transfer shows that the Gao-Guenie impact melt breccia may have formed in a melt injection dike ~0.5-5 m in width, generated during a sizeable impact event on the H chondrite parent asteroid.

146Sm–142Nd systematics measured in enstatite chondrites reveals a heterogeneous distribution of 142Nd in the solar nebula

PubMed Central

Gannoun, Abdelmouhcine; Boyet, Maud; Rizo, Hanika; El Goresy, Ahmed

2011-01-01

The short-lived 146Sm–142Nd chronometer (T1/2 = 103 Ma) is used to constrain the early silicate evolution of planetary bodies. The composition of bulk terrestrial planets is then considered to be similar to that of primitive chondrites that represent the building blocks of rocky planets. However for many elements chondrites preserve small isotope differences. In this case it is not always clear to what extent these variations reflect the isotope heterogeneity of the protosolar nebula rather than being produced by the decay of parent isotopes. Here we present Sm–Nd isotopes data measured in a comprehensive suite of enstatite chondrites (EC). The EC preserve 142Nd/144Nd ratios that range from those of ordinary chondrites to values similar to terrestrial samples. The EC having terrestrial 142Nd/144Nd ratios are also characterized by small 144Sm excesses, which is a pure p-process nuclide. The correlation between 144Sm and 142Nd for chondrites may indicate a heterogeneous distribution in the solar nebula of p-process matter synthesized in supernovae. However to explain the difference in 142Nd/144Nd ratios, 20% of the p-process contribution to 142Nd is required, at odds with the value of 4% currently proposed in stellar models. This study highlights the necessity of obtaining high-precision 144Sm measurements to interpret properly measured 142Nd signatures. Another explanation could be that the chondrites sample material formed in different pulses of the lifetime of asymptotic giant branch stars. Then the isotope signature measured in SiC presolar would not represent the unique s-process signature of the material present in the solar nebula during accretion. PMID:21515828

The Osmium Isotopic Composition of Tagish Lake and Other Chondrites, Implications for Late Terrestrial Planetary Accretion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandon, A. D.

2003-01-01

The goals of this investigation are twofold. First, obtain high-precision Os isotope measurements of Tagish Lake and other chondrites by TIMS. Second, measure Re, Os, Pt, and other HSE concentrations by isotope dilution using TIMS and ICPMS. These measurements will determine whether this meteorite does in fact represent C-chondrite material with timeintegrated elevated Re/Os and Pt/Os with the implications to late accretion material characteristics.

Chemical compositions and classifica tion of five thermally altered carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noronha, Bianca A.; Friedrich, Jon M.

2014-08-01

To establish the chemical group provenance of the five thermally altered carbonaceous chondrites Asuka (A-) 881551, Asuka-882113, Elephant Moraine (EET) 96026, Mulga (west), and Northwest Africa (NWA) 3133, we quantified 44 trace elements in each of them. We also analyzed Larkman Nunatak (LAR) 04318 (CK4), Miller Range (MIL) 090001 (CR2), Roberts Massif (RBT) 03522 (CK5) as reference samples as their chemical group affinity is already recognized. We conclude that Asuka-881551, Asuka-882113, and Mulga (west) are thermally metamorphosed CK chondrites. Compositionally, Elephant Moraine 96026 most resembles the CV chondrites. NWA 3133 is the most significantly thermally altered carbonaceous chondrite in our suite of samples. It is completely recrystallized (no chondrules or matrix remain), but its bulk composition is consistent with a CV-CK clan provenance. The thermally labile element (e.g., Se, Te, Zn, and Bi) depletion in NWA 3133 indicates a chemically open system during the heating episode. It remains unclear if the heat necessary for its thermal alteration of NWA 3133 was due to the decay of 26Al or was impact related. Finally, we infer that MIL 090001, Mulga (west), and NWA 3133 show occasional compositional signatures indicative of terrestrial alteration. The alteration is especially evident within the elements Sr, Ba, La, Ce, Th, U, and possibly Sb. Despite the alteration, we can still confidently place each of the altered chondrites within an established chemical group or clan.

Compositional Homogeneity of CM Parent Bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vernazza, P.; Marsset, M.; Beck, P.; Binzel, R. P.; Birlan, M.; Cloutis, E. A.; DeMeo, F. E.; Dumas, C.; Hiroi, T.

2016-09-01

CM chondrites are the most common type of hydrated meteorites, making up ˜1.5% of all falls. Whereas most CM chondrites experienced only low-temperature (˜0°C-120°C) aqueous alteration, the existence of a small fraction of CM chondrites that suffered both hydration and heating complicates our understanding of the early thermal evolution of the CM parent body(ies). Here, we provide new constraints on the collisional and thermal history of CM-like bodies from a comparison between newly acquired spectral measurements of main-belt Ch/Cgh-type asteroids (70 objects) and existing laboratory spectral measurements of CM chondrites. It first appears that the spectral variation observed among CM-like bodies is essentially due to variations in the average regolith grain size. Second, the spectral properties of the vast majority (unheated) of CM chondrites resemble both the surfaces and the interiors of CM-like bodies, implying a “low” temperature (<300°C) thermal evolution of the CM parent body(ies). It follows that an impact origin is the likely explanation for the existence of heated CM chondrites. Finally, similarly to S-type asteroids and (2) Pallas, the surfaces of large (D > 100 km)—supposedly primordial—Ch/Cgh-type main-belt asteroids likely expose the interiors of the primordial CM parent bodies, a possible consequence of impacts by small asteroids (D < 10 km) in the early solar system.

Evidence for Extended Aqueous Alteration in CR Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trigo-Rodriquez, J. M.; Moyano-Cambero, C. E.; Mestres, N.; Fraxedas, J.; Zolensky, M.; Nakamura, T.; Martins, Z.

2013-01-01

We are currently studying the chemical interrelationships between the main rockforming components of carbonaceous chondrites (hereafter CC), e.g. silicate chondrules, refractory inclusions and metal grains, and the surrounding meteorite matrices. It is thought that the fine-grained materials that form CC matrices are representing samples of relatively unprocessed protoplanetary disk materials [1-3]. In fact, modern non-destructive analytical techniques have shown that CC matrices host a large diversity of stellar grains from many distinguishable stellar sources [4]. Aqueous alteration has played a role in homogeneizing the isotopic content that allows the identification of presolar grains [5]. On the other hand, detailed analytical techniques have found that the aqueously-altered CR, CM and CI chondrite groups contain matrices in which the organic matter has experienced significant processing concomitant to the formation of clays and other minerals. In this sense, clays have been found to be directly associated with complex organics [6, 7]. CR chondrites are particularly relevant in this context as this chondrite group contains abundant metal grains in the interstitial matrix, and inside glassy silicate chondrules. It is important because CR are known for exhibiting a large complexity of organic compounds [8-10], and only metallic Fe is considered essential in Fischer-Tropsch catalysis of organics [11-13]. Therefore, CR chondrites can be considered primitive materials capable to provide clues on the role played by aqueous alteration in the chemical evolution of their parent asteroids.

Heavily-hydrated lithic clasts in CH chondrites and the related, metal-rich chondrites Queen Alexandra Range 94411 and Hammadah al Hamra 237

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greshake, A.; Krot, A. N.; Meibom, A.; Weisberg, M. K.; Zolensky, M. E.; Keil, K.

2002-02-01

Fine-grained, heavily-hydrated lithic clasts in the metal-rich (CB) chondrites Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 94411 and Hammadah al Hamra 237 and CH chondrites, such as Patuxent Range (PAT) 91546 and Allan Hills (ALH) 85085, are mineralogically similar suggesting genetic relationship between these meteorites. These clasts contain no anhydrous silicates and consist of framboidal and platelet magnetite, prismatic sulfides (pentlandite and pyrrhotite), and Fe-Mn-Mg-bearing Ca-carbonates set in a phyllosilicate-rich matrix. Two types of phyllosilicates were identified: serpentine, with basal spacing of ?0.73 nm, and saponite, with basal spacings of about 1.1-1.2 nm. Chondrules and FeNi-metal grains in CB and CH chondrites are believed to have formed at high temperature (>1300 K) by condensation in a solar nebula region that experienced complete vaporization. The absence of aqueous alteration of chondrules and metal grains in CB and CH chondrites indicates that the clasts experienced hydration in an asteroidal setting prior to incorporation into the CH and CB parent bodies. The hydrated clasts were either incorporated during regolith gardening or accreted together with chondrules and FeNi-metal grains after these high-temperature components had been transported from their hot formation region to a much colder region of the solar nebula.

Evidence for differences in the thermal histories of Antarctic and non-Antarctic H chondrites with cosmic-ray exposure ages less than 20 Ma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sears, Derek W. G.; Benoit, Paul; Batchelor, J. David

1991-01-01

Antarctic H chondrites show a different range of induced thermoluminescence properties compared with those of H chondrites that have fallen elsewhere in the world. Recent noble gas data of Schultz et al. (1991) show that this difference is displayed most dramatically by meteorites with cosmic-ray exposure ages less than 20 Ma, and they confirm that the differences cannot be attributed to weathering or to the presence of a great many fragments of an unusual Antarctic meteorite. Annealing experiments on an H5 chondrite, and other measurements on a variety of ordinary chondrites, have shown that induced TL properties are sensitive to the thermal histories of the meteorities. It is concluded that the events(s) that released the less than 20 Ma samples, which are predominantly those with exposure ages of 8 + or - 2 Ma, produced two groups with different thermal histories, one that came to earth several 100,000 years ago and that are currently only found in Antarctica, and one that is currently falling on the earth.

Origin and history of chondrite regolith, fragmental and impact-melt breccias from Spain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casanova, I.; Keil, K.; Wieler, R.; San Miguel, A.; King, E. A.

1990-01-01

Six ordinary chondrite breccias from the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid (Spain), are described and classified as follows: the solar gas-rich regolith breccia Oviedo (H5); the premetamorphic fragmental breccias Cabezo de Mayo (type 6, L-LL), and Sevilla (LL4); the fragmental breccias Canellas (H4) and Gerona (H5); and the impact melt breccia, Madrid (L6). It is confirmed that chondrites with typical light-dark structures and petrographic properties typical of regolith breccias may (Oviedo) or may not (Canellas) be solar gas-rich. Cabezo de Mayo and Sevilla show convincing evidence that they were assembled prior to peak metamorphism and were equilibrated during subsequent reheating. Compositions of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene in host chondrite and breccia clasts in Cabezo de Mayo are transitional between groups L and LL. It is suggested, based on mineralogic and oxygen isotopic compositions of host and clasts, that the rock formed on the L parent body by mixing, prior to peak metamorphism. This was followed by partial equilibrium of two different materials: the indigenous L chondrite host and exotic LL melt rock clasts.

Origin and history of chondrite regolith, fragmental and impact-melt breccias from Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casanova, I.; Keil, K.; Wieler, R.; San Miguel, A.; King, E. A.

1990-06-01

Six ordinary chondrite breccias from the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid (Spain), are described and classified as follows: the solar gas-rich regolith breccia Oviedo (H5); the premetamorphic fragmental breccias Cabezo de Mayo (type 6, L-LL), and Sevilla (LL4); the fragmental breccias Canellas (H4) and Gerona (H5); and the impact melt breccia, Madrid (L6). It is confirmed that chondrites with typical light-dark structures and petrographic properties typical of regolith breccias may (Oviedo) or may not (Canellas) be solar gas-rich. Cabezo de Mayo and Sevilla show convincing evidence that they were assembled prior to peak metamorphism and were equilibrated during subsequent reheating. Compositions of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene in host chondrite and breccia clasts in Cabezo de Mayo are transitional between groups L and LL. It is suggested, based on mineralogic and oxygen isotopic compositions of host and clasts, that the rock formed on the L parent body by mixing, prior to peak metamorphism. This was followed by partial equilibrium of two different materials: the indigenous L chondrite host and exotic LL melt rock clasts.

CM Carbonaceous Chondrite Lithologies and Their Space Exposure Ages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael; Gregory, Timothy; Takenouchi, Atsushi; Nishiizumi, Kunihiko; Trieman, Alan; Berger, Eve; Le, Loan; Fagan, Amy; Velbel, Michael; Imae, Naoya;

Lanthanide and actinide chemistry at high C/O ratios in the solar nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lodders, Katharina; Fegley, Bruce, Jr.

1993-01-01

Chemical equilibrium calculations were performed to study the condensation chemistry of the REE and actinides under the highly reducing conditions which are necessary for the formation of the enstatite chondrites. Our calculations confirm that the REE and actinides condensed into oldhamite (CaS), the major REE and actinide host phase in enstatite chondrites, at a carbon-oxygen (C/O) ratio not less than 1 in an otherwise solar gas. Five basic types of REE abundance patterns, several of which are analogous to REE abundance patterns observed in the Ca, Al-rich inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites, are predicted to occur in meteoritic oldhamites. All of the reported REE patterns in oldhamites in enstatite chondrites can be interpreted in terms of our condensation calculations. The observed patterns fall into three of the five predicted categories. The reported Th and U enrichments and ratios in meteoritic oldhamites are also consistent with predictions of the condensation calculations. Pure REE sulfides are predicted to condense in the 10 exp -6 to 10 exp -9 bar range and may be found in enstatite chondrites if they formed in this pressure range.

Mineralogy, petrology and geochemistry of carbonaceous chondritic clasts in the LEW 85300 polymict eucrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, M. E.; Hewins, R. H.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Lindstrom, M. M.; Xiao, X.; Lipschutz, M. E.

1992-01-01

We have performed a detailed petrologic and mineralogic study of two chondritic clasts from the polymict eucrite Lewis Cliff (LEW) 85300, and performed chemical analyses by INAA and RNAA on one of these. Petrologically, the clasts are identified and are composed of dispersed aggregates, chondrules, and chondrule fragments supported by matrix. The aggregates and chondrules are composed of olivine, orthopyroxene, plus some diopside. The matrix consists of fine-grained olivine, and lesser orthopyroxene and augite. Fine-grained saponite is common in the matrix. The bulk major composition of the clast studied by INAA and RNAA shows unusual abundance patterns for lithophile, siderophile and chalcophile elements but is basically chondritic. The INAA/RNAA data preclude assignment of the LEW 85300,15 clast to any commonly accepted group of carbonaceous chondrite.

The breakup of a meteorite parent body and the delivery of meteorites to earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benoit, Paul H.; Sears, D. W. G.

1992-01-01

Whether many of the 10,000 meteorites collected in the Antarctic are unlike those falling elsewhere is contentious. The Antarctic H chondrites, one of the major classes of stony meteorites, include a number of individuals with higher induced thermoluminescence peak temperatures than observed among non-Antarctic H chondrites. The proportion of such individuals decreases with the mean terrestrial age of the meteorites at the various ice fields. These H chondrites have cosmic-ray exposure ages of about 8 million years, experienced little cosmic-ray shielding, and suffered rapid postmetamorphic cooling. Breakup of the H chondrite parent body, 8 million years ago, may have produced two types of material with different size distributions and thermal histories. The smaller objects reached earth more rapidly through more rapid orbital evolution.

A Weathering Index for CK and R Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, Alan E.; Huber, Heinz

2006-01-01

We present a new weathering index (wi) for the metallic-Fe-Ni-poor chondrite groups (CK and R) based mainly on transmitted light observations of the modal abundance of crystalline material that is stained brown in thin sections: wi-0, <5 vol%; wi-1, 5-25 vol%; wi-2,25-50 vol%; wi-3,50- 75 vol%; wi-4, 75-95 vol%; wi-5, >95 vol%, wi-6, significant replacement of mafic silicates by phyllosilicates. Brown staining reflects mobilization of oxidized iron derived mainly from terrestrial weathering of Ni-bearing sulfide. With increasing degrees of terrestrial weathering of CK and R chondrites, the sulfide modal abundance decreases, and S, Se, and Ni become increasingly depleted. In addition, bulk Cl increases in Antarctic CK chondrites, probably due to contamination from airborne sea mist.

The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 100, 2014 June

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruzicka, Alex; Grossman, Jeffrey N.; Garvie, Laurence

2014-08-01

Meteoritical Bulletin 100 contains 1943 meteorites including 8 falls (Boumdeid [2011], Huaxi, Košice, Silistra, Sołtmany, Sutter's Mill, Thika, Tissint), with 1575 ordinary chondrites, 139 carbonaceous chondrites, 96 HED achondrites, 25 ureilites, 18 primitive achondrites, 17 iron meteorites, 15 enstatite chondrites, 11 lunar meteorites, 10 mesosiderites, 10 ungrouped achondrites, 8 pallasites, 8 Martian meteorites, 6 Rumuruti chondrites, 3 enstatite achondrites, and 2 angrites, and with 937 from Antarctica, 592 from Africa, 230 from Asia, 95 from South America, 44 from North America, 36 from Oceania, 6 from Europe, and 1 from an unknown location. This will be the last Bulletin published in the current format. Information about approved meteorites can be obtained from the Meteoritical Bulletin Database (MBD) available online at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/

Unshocked Equilibrated H Chondrites: A Common Low-Temperature Record from Fe-Mg Ordering in Orthopyroxene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Folco, L.; Mellini, M.; Pillinger, C. T.

1995-09-01

The study of the thermal metamorphism of ordinary chondrites through geothermometers can provide significant constraints on the parent body thermal models which remain controversial. We report here results from Fe-Mg ordering closure temperatures (Tc) of orthopyroxenes from eight unshocked equilibrated H-chondrites obtained by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction. The method is based on the fact that cation partitioning in orthopyroxene is sensitive to temperature [1], and makes use of the experimental calibration by Molin et al. [2]. The goal of the investigation is to check how petrographic types relate to cation ordering thermal records. Results: The orthopyroxenes show a very similar degree of Fe-Mg ordering (see Table 1.). The Tc's cluster within the 384+/-48 to 480+/-28 degrees C interval, and show no correlation with petrographic type. The lack of a correlation does not mean that the distribution is random, rather, it appears to be controlled in individual samples by the degree of equilibration. In fact, the higher the petrographic type, the more coherent the results of the grains from individual chondrites. The spread of Tc's in the least equilibrated chondrites could be either a memory of heterogeneous pre-metamorphic records related to individual chondrule histories, or an artefact due to crystal defects. Therefore (1) the thermal records, inferred from the Fe-Mg ordering, are nearly the same for all the equilibrated H-chondrites; (2) the most equilibrated chondrites record distinct Tc values within the larger common Tc range; (3) the spread of Tc in H4's maybe indicative of disequilibrium and merits further study. The closure temperature conveys information on the cooling rate close to its value, regardless of the temperature regimes when the ordering process started. Extrapolation to high temperatures can be made only if the cooling path is constrained. Since we have no data to establish the temperature when ordering began and to decide whether the cooling was linear, we have not attempted quantitative estimates of cooling rates. However we can say that as equilibrated H-chondrites carry similar Tc records, they cooled at similar rates through 380-480 degrees C. However, the k(sub)D's (i.e., the intracrystalline Fe-Mg distribution coefficient) range 0.029 to 0.054, suggesting that H-chondrites cooled in petrogenetic environments intermediate between those of volcanic [3] and granulitic rocks [3,4]. Conclusion: Our results provide the following constraints: (1) Equilibrated H-chondrites, regardless the petrographic type, were located in petrogenetic environments characterized by similar temperature-time conditions when cooling through 380-480 degrees C, and, in terms of terrestrial environments, intermediate between those of volcanic and granulitic facies. (2) Different petrographic types reflect distinct metamorphic thermal regimes. Thus, to account for constraint (1), petrographic type was determined at temperatures above the 380-480 degrees C interval. This implies that equilibrated H-chondrites were placed in different geological environments characterized by distinct temperature-time regimes when still above this temperature range. In the case of the least equilibrated chondrites, for which the two events could coincide. Acknowledgments: We thank EUROMET for providing us with the Frontier Mt. samples, and PNRA for supporting this study. References: [1] Saxena S. K. and Dal Negro A. (1983) Bull. Min ral., 106, 443-449. [2] Molin G. M. et al. (1991) EPSL, 105, 260-265. [3] Bertolo S. and Nimis P. (1993) EJM, 5, 707-719. [4] Tribaudino M. and Talarico F. (1992) EJM, 4, 453-463.

What's Hot and What's Not: Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Ten Labile Trace Elements in H-Chondrite Population Pairs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, S. F.; Lipschutz, M. E.

1993-07-01

Dodd et al. [1] found that, from their circumstances of fall, 17 H chondrites ("H Cluster 1") which fell in May, from 1855 to 1895, are distinguishable from other H chondrite falls and apparently derive from a co-orbital stream of meteoroids. From data for 10 moderately to highly labile trace elements (Rb, Ag, Se, Cs, Te, Zn, Cd, Bi, Tl, In), they used two multivariate statistical techniques--linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression--to demonstrate that 1. 13 H Cluster 1 chondrites are compositionally distinguishable from 45 other H chondrite falls, probably because of differences in thermal histories of the meteorites' parent materials; 2. The reality of the compositional differences between the populations of falls are beyond any reasonable statistical doubt. 3. The compositional differences are inconsistent with the notion that the results reflect analytical bias. We have used these techniques to assess analogous data for various H chondrite populations [2-4] with results that are listed in Table 1. These data indicate that 1. There is no statistical reason to believe that random populations from Victoria Land, Antarctica, differ compositionally from each other. 2. There is significant statistical reason to believe that the H chondrite population recovered from Victoria Land, Antarctica, differs compositionally from that from Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, and from falls. 3. There is no reason to believe that the H chondrite population recovered from Queen Maud Land, Antarctica, differs compositionally from falls. 4. These observations can be made either by data obtained by one analyst or several. These results, coupled with earlier ones [5], demonstrate that trivial explanations cannot explain compositional differences involving labile trace elements in pairs of H chondrite populations. These differences must then reflect differences of preterrestrial thermal histories of the meteorites' parent materials. Acceptance of these differences as preterrestrial has led to predictions subsequently verified by others (meteoroid and asteroid stream discoveries, differencesin thermoluminescence or TL). We predict that a TL difference will be seen between the populations of falls defined by Dodd et al. [1]. References: [1] Dodd R. T. et al. (1993) JGR, submitted. [2] Lingner D. W. et al. (1987) GCA, 51, 727-739. [3] Dennison J. E. and Lipschutz M. E. (1987) GCA, 51, 741-754. [4] Wolf S. F. and Lipschutz M. E. (1993) in Advances in Analytical Geochemistry (M. Hyman and M. Rowe, eds.), in press. [5] Wang M.-S. et al. (1992) Meteoritics, 27, 303. [6] Lipschutz M. E. and Samuels S. M. (1991) GCA, 55, 19-47. Table 1, which appears in the hard copy, shows a multivariate statistical analysis of H chondrite population pairs using 10 labile trace elements (number of meteorites in population in parentheses).

Studies of Brazilian meteorites. XIV - Mineralogy, petrology, and chemistry of the Conquista, Minas Gerais, chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keil, K.; Kirchner, E.; Gomes, C. B.; Jarosewich, E.; Murta, R. L. L.

1978-01-01

The Conquista chondrite is described and classified as an H4. The mineral composition is reported. H-group classification is based on described microscopic, electron microprobe, and bulk chemical studies. The evidence for petrologic type 4 classification includes the pronounced well-developed chondritic texture; the slight compositional variations in constituent phases; the high Ca contents of pyroxene and the presence of pigeonite; glassy to microcrystalline interstitial material rich in alkalis and SiO2; and twinned low-Ca clinopyroxene.

Groups of meteorite-producing meteoroids containing carbonaceous chondrite meteorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konovalova, N. A.; A.. Ibrohimov, A.; Kalashnikova, T. M.

2017-09-01

Proposed probable links of meteorite and meteorite-producing fireballs were been considered. Group associations between meteorite-producing meteoroids and meteorites were been determined for four carbonaceous chondrites Murchison, Maribo, Shutters Mill and Tagish Lake and potentially meteorite-producing bolides on the basis of links of their orbits. In result the several meteorite-producing sporadic slowly fireballs were found as the possible members of groups of four studied carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. One can presume that at present the identified groups may still contain large meteorite-dropping bodies.

Textural evidence bearing on the origin of isolated olivine crystals in C2 carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, S. M.; Mcsween, H. Y., Jr.

1978-01-01

In some cases the mechanical competence of chondrules in carbonaceous chondrites has been reduced by alteration of their mesostasis glass to friable phyllosilicate, providing a mechanism by which euhedral olivines can be separated from chondrules. Morphological features of isolate olivine grains found in carbonaceous chondrites are similar to those of olivine phenocrysts in chondrules. These observations suggest that the isolated olivine grains formed in chondrules, by crystallization from a liquid, rather than by condensation from a vapor.

Formation of sinoite in EL chondrites by impact melting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubin, Alan E.

1997-03-01

Approximately 10-200-micron-sized sunhedral and euhedral grains of twinned, optically zoned sinoite associated with euhedral enstatite and graphite within impact-melted portions of QUE94368, the first EL4 chondrite, suggest that sinoite formed by crystallization from a melt, not by thermal metamorphism. The occurrence of olivine and enstatite with undulose extinction in QUE94368 indicates that the rock is shock stage S2, corresponding to an equilibration shock pressure of about 5 GPa, as in EL5 and EL6 chondrites.

Identification of Highly Fractionated (18)O-Rich Silicate Grains in the Queen Alexandra Range 99177 CR3 Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, A. N.; Keller, L. P.; Messenger, S.; Rahman, Z.

2015-01-01

Carbonaceous chondrites contain a mixture of solar system condensates, presolar grains, and primitive organic matter. The CR3 chondrite QUE 99177 has undergone minimal al-teration [1], exemplified by abundant presolar silicates [2, 3] and anomalous organic matter [4]. Oxygen isotopic imaging studies of this meteorite have focused on finding submicrometer anomalous grains in fine-grained regions of thin sections. Here we present re-sults of an O isotopic survey of larger matrix grains.

Origin of magnetite and pyrrhotite in carbonaceous chondrites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herndon, J.M.; Rowe, M.W.; Larson, E.E.; Watson, D.E.

1975-01-01

CARBONACEOUS chondrites, although comprising only about 2% of known meteorites, are extremely interesting for scientific investigation. Their mineral constitution, and the correspondence between their bulk chemical composition and the solar abundance of condensable elements, indicate that minimum chemical fractionation and thermal alteration have occurred. The mineral phases observed in these primitive chondrites are sufficiently unique, with respect to other meteorite classes, to have elicited considerable speculation about the physical environment in which they formed1-7. ?? 1975 Nature Publishing Group.

The Iodine-Xenon System in Outer and Inner Portions of Chondrules from the Unnamed Antarctic LL3 Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meshik, A. P.; Pravdivtseva, O. V.; Hohenberg, C. M.; Amelin, Y.

2004-01-01

Alteration processes may affect I-Xe system in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites. It was shown that at the edges, where a contribution is made by matrix material around the rim, *Xe-129/Xe-128 values are generally lower (later apparent ages) than in the main chondrule mass. In this work we attempted to investigate whether thermal metamorphism can affect the I-Xe system in LL3 chondrites which did not experienced aqueous alteration.

The origin of volatile element depletion in early solar system material: Clues from Zn isotopes in chondrules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pringle, Emily A.; Moynier, Frédéric; Beck, Pierre; Paniello, Randal; Hezel, Dominik C.

2017-06-01

Volatile lithophile elements are depleted in the different planetary materials to various degrees, but the origin of these depletions is still debated. Stable isotopes of moderately volatile elements such as Zn can be used to understand the origin of volatile element depletions. Samples with significant volatile element depletions, including the Moon and terrestrial tektites, display heavy Zn isotope compositions (i.e. enrichment of 66Zn vs. 64Zn), consistent with kinetic Zn isotope fractionation during evaporation. However, Luck et al. (2005) found a negative correlation between δ66Zn and 1/[Zn] between CI, CM, CO, and CV chondrites, opposite to what would be expected if evaporation caused the Zn abundance variations among chondrite groups. We have analyzed the Zn isotope composition of multiple samples of the major carbonaceous chondrite classes: CI (1), CM (4), CV (2), CO (4), CB (2), CH (2), CK (4), and CK/CR (1). The bulk chondrites define a negative correlation in a plot of δ66Zn vs 1/[Zn], confirming earlier results that Zn abundance variations among carbonaceous chondrites cannot be explained by evaporation. Exceptions are CB and CH chondrites, which display Zn systematics consistent with a collisional formation mechanism that created enrichment in heavy Zn isotopes relative to the trend defined by CI-CK. We further report Zn isotope analyses of chondrite components, including chondrules from Allende (CV3) and Mokoia (CV3), as well as an aliquot of Allende matrix. All chondrules are enriched in light Zn isotopes (∼500 ppm on 66Zn/64Zn) relative to the bulk, contrary to what would be expected if Zn were depleted during evaporation, on the other hand the matrix has a complementary heavy isotope composition. We report sequential leaching experiments in un-equilibrated ordinary chondrites, which show sulfides are isotopically heavy compared to silicates and the bulk meteorite by ca. +0.65 per mil on 66Zn/64Zn. We suggest isotopically heavy sulfides were removed from either chondrules or their precursors, thereby producing the light Zn isotope enrichments in chondrules.

Fractionation of highly siderophile and chalcogen elements in components of EH3 chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadlag, Yogita; Becker, Harry

2015-07-01

Abundances of highly siderophile elements (HSE: Re, platinum group elements and Au), chalcogens (Te, Se and S), 187Os/188Os and the major and minor elements Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni and Co were determined in the components of Sahara 97072 (EH3, find) and Kota Kota (EH3, find) in order to understand the element fractionation processes. In a 187Re-187Os isochron diagram, most magnetic components lie close to the 4.56 Ga IIIA iron meteorite isochron, whereas most other components show deviations from the isochron caused by late redistribution of Re, presumably during terrestrial weathering. Metal- and sulfide rich magnetic fractions and metal-sulfide nodules are responsible for the higher 187Os/188Os in bulk rocks of EH chondrites compared to CI chondrites. The HSE and chalcogens are enriched in magnetic fractions relative to slightly magnetic and nonmagnetic fractions and bulk compositions, indicating that Fe-Ni metal is the main host phase of the HSE in enstatite chondrites. HSE abundance patterns indicate mixing of two components, a CI chondrite like end member and an Au-enriched end member. Because of the decoupled variations of Au from those of Pd or the chalcogens, the enrichment of Au in EH metal cannot be due to metal-sulfide-silicate partitioning processes. Metal and sulfide rich nodules may have formed by melting and reaction of pre-existing refractory element rich material with volatile rich gas. A complex condensation and evaporation history is required to account for the depletion of elements having very different volatility than Au in EH chondrites. The depletions of Te relative to HSE, Se and S in bulk EH chondrites are mainly caused by the depletion of Te in metal. S/Se and S/Mn are lower than in CI chondrites in almost all components and predominantly reflect volatility-controlled loss of sulfur. The latter most likely occurred during thermal processing of dust in the solar nebula (e.g., during chondrule formation), followed by the non-systematic loss of S during terrestrial weathering.

Petrology of enstatite chondrites and anomalous enstatite achondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Niekerk, Deon

2012-01-01

Chondrites are meteorites that represent unmelted portions of asteroids. The enstatite chondrites are one class of chondrites. They consist of reduced mineral assemblages that formed under low oxygen fugacity in the solar nebula, prior to accretion into asteroids. There are two groups of enstatite chondrites---EH and EL. I studied EL3 meteorites, which are understood to be unmetamorphosed and thus to only preserve primitive nebular products. I show in a petrographic study that the EL3s are in fact melt--breccias in which impact-melting produced new mineral assemblages and textures in portions of the host chondrites, after accretion. I document meta- land sulfide assemblages that are intergrown with silicate minerals (which are often euhedral), and occur outside chondrules; these assemblages probably represent impact-melting products, and are different from those in EH3 chondrites that probably represent nebular products. In situ siderophile trace element compositions of the metal in EL3s, obtained by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, are consistent with an impact-melting hypothesis. The trace element concentrations show no clear volatility trend, and are thus probably not the result of volatile-driven petrogenetic processes that operated in the solar nebula. Trace element modeling suggests that the character of the trace element patterns together with deviations from the mean bulk EL metal pattern is consistent with metal that crystallized in a coexisting liquid-solid metal system in which dissolved carbon influenced element partitioning. I also conducted a petrographic and mineral-chemistry study of several anomalous enstatite meteorites. These have igneous textures, but unfractionated mineralogy similar to unmelted chondrites. I show that with the exception of one, the meteorites are related to each other, and probably formed by crystallization from an impact melt instead of metamorphism through the decay of short lived radionuclides. The broad importance of these studies lies in documenting the petrology of extraterrestrial materials that reveal the geological history of the young solar system prior to the existence of planets. Furthermore, they serve to identify which mineral assemblages record nebular processes and which record processes on asteroids, so that future studies may select the correct material to address particular questions.

Organic matter in primitive meteorites: a study of the hydrogen isotopic distribution in CM-type carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piani, L.; Yurimoto, H.; Remusat, L.; Gonzales, A.; Marty, B.

2017-12-01

Chondrite meteorites are fragments of rocks coming from small bodies of the asteroid belt and constitute witnesses of the volatile-rich reservoirs present in the inner protoplanetary disk. Among these meteorites, carbonaceous chondrites contain the largest quantity of water and organic matter and are one of the most probable candidates for the delivery of water and molecular origin of life to Earth. Organic matter in carbonaceous chondrites is intimately mixed with hydrated minerals challenging its in situ characterization and the determination of its H-isotope composition (Le Guillou et al., GCA 131, 2014). Organic matter occurs as soluble components (in water or organic solvents) and an insoluble macromolecule. The insoluble organic matter (IOM) is efficiently isolated after acid leaching of the chondrite minerals. IOM has thus been investigated by a large set of analytical techniques allowing its structural organization, chemical composition and isotopic composition to be determined at several scales (e.g. Derenne and Robert, MAPS 45, 2010). In the soluble counterpart (SOM), targeted studies have shown large ranges of D/H ratios in the different classes of soluble organic compounds (i.e. carboxylic acids, ketones and aldehydes, amino-acids etc.) (Remusat, Planetary Mineralogy 15, 2015 and references therein). This D/H distribution indicates a complex and probably multiple-stage synthesis of this organic compounds occurring at different stages of the disk evolution. Nevertheless, inventories of the known C-bearing species in carbonaceous chondrites (carbonates, SOM and IOM) show that about 40-50 % of the carbon is hidden within the matrix (Alexander et al., MAPS 50, 2015). In this study, we perform in situ hydrogen isotope analyses at the micrometer scale by secondary ion mass spectrometry to investigate the distribution of organic matter in primitive chondrites without the use of any chemical treatment. Correlated analyses of the D/H and C/H ratios allow us to decipher the H contribution of water-bearing minerals and to estimate the hydrogen isotopic composition of water in chondrites (Piani et al., submitted). Comparison of spot analyses and isotope images obtained in situ and on isolated IOM gives clues on the nature of the organic components of carbonaceous asteroid rocks.

Search for Nucleosynthetic Cadmium Isotope Variations in Bulk Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toth, E. R.; Schönbächler, M.; Friebel, M.; Fehr, M. A.

2016-08-01

New high-precision Cd isotope data will be presented for bulk carbonaceous chondrites, such as Allende and Murchison. Volatile element isotope anomalies and their potential nucleosynthetic sources will be discussed.

Hydrogen Abundances in Metal Grains from the Hammadah Al Hamra (HaH) 237 Metal-rich Chondrite: A Test of the Nebular-Formation Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lauretta, D. S.; Guan, Y.; Leshin, L. A.

2005-01-01

The Bencubbin-like (CB) chondrites are metal-rich, primitive meteorites [1,2]. Some of these chondrites (HaH 237, QUE 94411) contain compositionally zoned metal grains with near-chondritic bulk compositions. Thermodynamic modeling of the zoning patterns in these grains suggests that they were formed by condensation in a region of the solar nebula with enhanced dust/gas ratios and a total pressure of 10(exp -4) bars at temperatures between 1400 - 1500 K [3]. If these predictions are correct than the metal grains would have been exposed to abundant H2 gas, which comprises the bulk of nebular systems. Since Fe-based alloys can absorb significant quantities of H, metal grains formed in the solar nebula should contain measurable abundances of H.

Are C1 chondrites chemically fractionated - A trace element study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ebihara, M.; Wolf, R.; Anders, E.

1982-01-01

Six C1 chondrite samples and a C2 xenolith from the Plainview H5 chondrite were analyzed by radiochemical neutron activation for a large variety of elements, including rare earths. The sample processing is described, including the irradiation, chemical procedure, rare earths separation, counting techniques, radiochemical purity check, and chemical yields. The results of consistency checks on a number of elements are discussed. Abundances for siderophiles, volatiles, and rare earths are presented and discussed. Tests are presented for fractionation of rare earths and other refractories, compositional uniformity of C1's, and interelement correlations. There is no conclusive evidence for nebular fractionation affecting C1's. Three fractionation-prone rare earths have essentially the same relative abundances in C1's and all other chondrite classes, and hence are apparently not fractionated in C1's.

Comparison of comet 81P/Wild 2 dust with interplanetary dust from comets.

PubMed

Ishii, Hope A; Bradley, John P; Dai, Zu Rong; Chi, Miaofang; Kearsley, Anton T; Burchell, Mark J; Browning, Nigel D; Molster, Frank

2008-01-25

The Stardust mission returned the first sample of a known outer solar system body, comet 81P/Wild 2, to Earth. The sample was expected to resemble chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles because many, and possibly all, such particles are derived from comets. Here, we report that the most abundant and most recognizable silicate materials in chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles appear to be absent from the returned sample, indicating that indigenous outer nebula material is probably rare in 81P/Wild 2. Instead, the sample resembles chondritic meteorites from the asteroid belt, composed mostly of inner solar nebula materials. This surprising finding emphasizes the petrogenetic continuum between comets and asteroids and elevates the astrophysical importance of stratospheric chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles as a precious source of the most cosmically primitive astromaterials.

Matrix mineralogy of the Lance CO3 carbonaceous chondrite - A transmission electron microscope study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, Lindsay P.; Buseck, Peter R.

1990-01-01

Results are presented on electron microprobe analyses of three CO chondrites, all of which are falls: Lance, Kainsaz, and Warrenton. The TEM mineralogy results of Lance chondrite show that Fe-rich matrix olivines have been altered to Fe-bearing serpentine and Fe(3+) oxide; matrix metal was also altered to produce Fe(3+) oxides, leaving the residual metal enriched in Ni. Olivine grains in Lance's matrix contain channels along their 100-line and 001-line directions; the formation and convergence of such channels resulted in a grain-size reduction of the olivine. A study of Kainsaz and Warrenton showed that these meteorites do not contain phyllosilicates in their matrices, although both contain Fe(3+) oxide between olivine grains. It is suggested that, prior to its alteration, Lance probably resembled Kainsaz, an unaltered CO3 chondrite.

A refractory inclusion in the Kaba CV3 chondrite - Some implications for the origin of spinel-rich objects in chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fegley, B., Jr.; Post, J. E.

1985-01-01

The first detailed petrographic and mineralogical study of a Ca, Al-rich inclusion (CAI) from the Kaba CV3 chondrite is reported. This 'fine-grained' CAI contains abundant small, rounded, rimmed, spinel-rich objects which have important features in common with the spinel-rich objects in other carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites. These nodules are interpreted as fractionated distillation residues of primitive dust. However, the available data do not unambiguously rule out a condensation origin for at least some of these objects. Finally, the preservation of distinct diopside-hedenbergite rims on the spinel-rich bodies and the small grain size of many minerals in the CAI matrix material both suggest that the CAI accreted cool and had a relatively cool thermal history in the Kaba parent body.

The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 103

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruzicka, Alex; Grossman, Jeffrey; Bouvier, Audrey; Agee, Carl B.

2017-05-01

Meteoritical Bulletin 103 contains 2582 meteorites including 10 falls (Ardón, Demsa, Jinju, Križevci, Kuresoi, Novato, Tinajdad, Tirhert, Vicência, Wolcott), with 2174 ordinary chondrites, 130 HED achondrites, 113 carbonaceous chondrites, 41 ureilites, 27 lunar meteorites, 24 enstatite chondrites, 21 iron meteorites, 15 primitive achondrites, 11 mesosiderites, 10 Martian meteorites, 6 Rumuruti chondrites, 5 ungrouped achondrites, 2 enstatite achondrites, 1 relict meteorite, 1 pallasite, and 1 angrite, and with 1511 from Antarctica, 588 from Africa, 361 from Asia, 86 from South America, 28 from North America, and 6 from Europe. Note: 1 meteorite from Russia was counted as European. The complete contents of this bulletin (244 pages) are available on line. Information about approved meteorites can be obtained from the Meteoritical Bulletin Database (MBD) available on line at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/.

Metal-silicate fractionation in the surface dust layers of accreting planetesimals: Implications for the formation of ordinary chondrites and the nature of asteroid surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Shaoxiong; Akridge, Glen; Sears, Derek W. G.

Some of the most primitive solar system materials available for study in the laboratory are the ordinary chondrites, the largest meteorite class. The size and distribution of the chondrules (silicate beads) and metal, which leads to the definition of the H, L, and LL classes, suggest sorting before or during aggregation. We suggest that meteorite parent bodies (probably asteroids) had thick dusty surfaces during their early evolution that were easily mobilized by gases evolving from their interiors. Density and size sorting would have occurred in the surface layers as the upward drag forces of the gases (mainly water) acted against the downward force of gravity. The process is analogous to the industrially important process of fluidization and sorting in pyroclastic volcanics. We calculate that gas flow velocities and gas fluxes for the regolith of an asteroid-sized object heated by the impact of accreting objects or by 26Al would have been sufficient for fluidization. It can also explain, quantitatively in some cases, the observed metal-silicate sorting of ordinary chondrites, which has long been ascribed to processes occurring in the primordial solar nebula. Formation of the chondrites in the thick dynamic regolith is consistent with the major properties of chondritic meteorites (i.e., redox state, petrologic type, cooling rate, matrix abundance). These ideas have implications for the nature of asteroid surfaces and the virtual lack of asteroids with ordinary chondrite-like surfaces.

A Large Ordinary Chondrite Shower in the Dominion Range

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Satterwhite, C. E.; Righter, K.; Harrington, R.; McBride, K. M.; Funk, R.

2017-01-01

The US Antarctic Meteorite Program has visited the Dominion Range in the Transantarctic Mountains during several different seasons, including the 1985, 2003, 2008, 2010, and 2014 seasons. Total recovered meteorites from this region is over 2000. The 2008 and 2010 seasons have been fully classified and, respectively) revealing the presence of a large meteorite shower that comprises approximately 60% of all samples recovered in those two seasons. The oil immersion classification suggests that this shower is LL chondrite material, whereas published magnetic susceptibility (MS; log chi) measurements yield L chondrite values. However, usually random sampling of a large collection like this would uncover EOC material for which we have prepared thin sections. In this case, no LL chondrite materials have been found in thin section, suggesting that the shower might instead be an L chondrite. L and LL chondrites are notoriously difficult to distinguish using oil immersion techniques. To better characterize this large group of samples, we have decided to examine some of the large members of this group, using EMPA analysis of the olivines to verify the classifications. With a compositional link between this subset of samples, and the MS measurements, we can more confidently classify the samples making up this pairing group. Subsequently, more accurate and meaningful comparisons may be drawn between this pairing group and some other Antarctic pairing groups such as from the Queen Alexandra Range (QUE), and Lewis Cliffs Ice Tongue (LEW). electron microprobe analysis

A nondestructive analytical method for stone meteorites and a controversial discrepancy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fredriksson, K.; Brenner, P. R.; Fredriksson, B. J.; Olsen, E.

1997-01-01

A method is described for whole rock analyses of major elements in stone meteorites using the electron microprobe and requiring only powdering of the sample, most of which can be retrieved after analysis for additional analytical studies, such as INAA, RNAA and oxygen isotope analysis. Whole individual chondrules of _ 1 milligram can be analyzed. The method is especially attractive for meteorites in short supply, or of great rarity. A total of 398 meteorites were analyzed by this method. The results compare favorably with wet chemical analyses. A study was made of seventeen ordinary chondrites to compare their whole rock (metal free) compositions with the averaged compositions of eleven to thirty-eight of their respective individual chondrules (a total of 374 chondrules). The oxide ratio Al2O3/CaO is generally lower in chondrules than in their respective chondrites, the disparity being larger for petrographic grade 5 than for grade 3. Ordinary chondrites are not simply the sum of their respective chondrules. Furthermore, correlations between CaO, Al2O3 and TiO2 are strong for chondrules in unequilibrated chondrites and nonexistent in equilibrated chondrites. Also H, L and LL chondrite groups have similar bulk compositions within their respective groups, in spite of the different proportions of chondrules, kinds of chondrules, chondrule debris and matrix. All this brings into question the metamorphic classification in which high petrographic grades are the metamorphosed equivalents of low petrographic grades.

High Precision Oxygen Three Isotope Analysis of Wild-2 Particles and Anhydrous Chondritic Interplanetary Dust Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakashima, D.; Ushikubo, T.; Zolensky, Michael E.; Weisberg, M. K.; Joswiak, D. J.; Brownlee, D. E.; Matrajt, G.; Kita, N. T.

2011-01-01

One of the most important discoveries from comet Wild-2 samples was observation of crystalline silicate particles that resemble chondrules and CAIs in carbonaceous chondrites. Previous oxygen isotope analyses of crystalline silicate terminal particles showed heterogeneous oxygen isotope ratios with delta(sup 18)O to approx. delta(sup 17)O down to -50% in the CAI-like particle Inti, a relict olivine grain in Gozen-sama, and an olivine particle. However, many Wild-2 particles as well as ferromagnesian silicates in anhydrous interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) showed Delta(sup 17)O values that cluster around -2%. In carbonaceous chondrites, chondrules seem to show two major isotope reservoirs with Delta(sup 17)O values at -5% and -2%. It was suggested that the Delta(sup 17)O = -2% is the common oxygen isotope reservoir for carbonaceous chondrite chondrules and cometary dust, from the outer asteroid belt to the Kuiper belt region. However, a larger dataset with high precision isotope analyses (+/-1-2%) is still needed to resolve the similarities or distinctions among Wild-2 particles, IDPs and chondrules in meteorites. We have made signifi-cant efforts to establish routine analyses of small particles (< or =10micronsm) at 1-2% precision using IMS-1280 at WiscSIMS laboratory. Here we report new results of high precision oxygen isotope analyses of Wild-2 particles and anhydrous chondritic IDPs, and discuss the relationship between the cometary dust and carbonaceous chondrite chondrules.

Chemical studies of H chondrites. 4: New data and comparison of Antarctic suites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, Stephen F.; Lipschutz, Michael E.

1995-02-01

We report data for the trace elements Au, Co, Sb, Ga, Rb, Ag, Se, Cs, Te, Zn, Cd, Bi, Ti, and In (ordered by putative volatility during nebular condensation and accretion) determined by neutron activation analysis in 13 H5 chondrites from Victoria Land and 20 H4-6 chondrites from Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. These and earlier results provide Antarctic sample suites of 34 chondrites from Victoria Land and 25 from Queen Maud Land. Treatment of data for the most volatile 10 elements (Rb to In) in these studies by multivariate statistical techniques more robust, as well as more conservative, than conventional linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression demonstrates that compositions differ at marginally significant levels. This difference cannot be explained by trivial (terrestrial) causes and becomes more significant, despite the smaller size of the database, when comparisons are limited to data from a single analyst and when all upper limits are eliminated from consideration. The Victoria Land and Queen Maud Land suites have different mean terrestrial ages (approximately 300 kyr and approximately 100 kyr, respectively) and age distributions, suggesting that a time-dependent variation of chondritic sources with different thermal histories is responsible. As a result, these two Antarctic suites are, on average, chemically distinguishable from each other. Since H chondrites serve as a paradigm for other meteorite classes, these results indicate that the near-Earth populations of planetary materials varied with time on the 105-year timescale.

Chemical studies of H chondrites. 4: New data and comparison of Antarctic suites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, Stephen F.; Lipschutz, Michael E.

1995-01-01

We report data for the trace elements Au, Co, Sb, Ga, Rb, Ag, Se, Cs, Te, Zn, Cd, Bi, Ti, and In (ordered by putative volatility during nebular condensation and accretion) determined by neutron activation analysis in 13 H5 chondrites from Victoria Land and 20 H4-6 chondrites from Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. These and earlier results provide Antarctic sample suites of 34 chondrites from Victoria Land and 25 from Queen Maud Land. Treatment of data for the most volatile 10 elements (Rb to In) in these studies by multivariate statistical techniques more robust, as well as more conservative, than conventional linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression demonstrates that compositions differ at marginally significant levels. This difference cannot be explained by trivial (terrestrial) causes and becomes more significant, despite the smaller size of the database, when comparisons are limited to data from a single analyst and when all upper limits are eliminated from consideration. The Victoria Land and Queen Maud Land suites have different mean terrestrial ages (approximately 300 kyr and approximately 100 kyr, respectively) and age distributions, suggesting that a time-dependent variation of chondritic sources with different thermal histories is responsible. As a result, these two Antarctic suites are, on average, chemically distinguishable from each other. Since H chondrites serve as a paradigm for other meteorite classes, these results indicate that the near-Earth populations of planetary materials varied with time on the 10(exp 5)-year timescale.

Timing of Formation of a Wassonite-bearing Chondrule

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Needham, A. W.; Nakamura-Messenger, K.; Rubin, A. E.; Choi, B.-G.; Messenger, S.

2014-01-01

Wassonite, ideally stoichiometric TiS, is a titanium monosulfide recently discovered in the Yamato 691 EH3 enstatite chondrite. Wassonite grains were located within the mesostasis of a single barred olivine chondrule. Such chondrules likely formed in the solar nebula by melting of fine grained precursor dust. The reduced nature of enstatite chondrites, and the wassonite-bearing chondrule in particular, may suggest precursor materials included Ti-bearing troilite, metallic Fe-Ni, and possibly graphite. Under the reducing conditions present in enstatite chondrites S can partition more readily into silicate melt, leading to raised Ti content of the residual Fe-FeS melt. By the time sulfide crystallized from the melt, the Ti concentration was high enough to form small grains of pure TiS - wassonite. As a mineral not previously observed in nature wassonite and its host chondrule may provide additional constraints on physical and chemical conditions in the solar nebula at a specific time and location relevant to planetary formation. Enstatite chondrites and Earth share similar isotopic compositions of Cr, Ni, Ti, O and N. Understanding the formation conditions of enstatite chondrite chondrules may therefore have wider relevance for terrestrial planet accretion and other early inner solar system processes. Here we present preliminary results of an investigation of the Al-Mg systematics of the only known wassonite-bearing chondrule. The goal of this study is to determine whether this chondrule's formation was contemporaneous with other enstatite chondrite chondrules and to establish its place in the broader timeline of solar system events.

Microstructure and thermal history of metal particles in CH chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldstein, J. I.; Jones, R. H.; Kotula, P. G.; Michael, J. R.

2007-06-01

We have studied metal microstructures in four CH chondrites, Patuxent Range (PAT) 91546, Allan Hills (ALH) 85085, Acfer 214, and Northwest Africa (NWA) 739, to examine details of the thermal histories of individual particles. Four types of metal particles are common in all of these chondrites. Zoned and unzoned particles probably formed as condensates from a gas of chondritic composition in a monotonic cooling regime, as has been shown previously. We have demonstrated that these particles were cooled rapidly to temperatures below 500 K after they formed, and that condensation effectively closed around 700 K. Zoned and unzoned particles with exsolution precipitates, predominantly high-Ni taenite, have considerably more complex thermal histories. Precipitates grew in reheating episodes, but the details of the heating events vary among individual grains. Reheating temperatures are typically in the range 800-1000 K. Reheating could have been the result of impact events on the CH parent body. Some particles with precipitates may have been incorporated into chondrules, with further brief heating episodes taking place during chondrule formation. In addition to the four dominant types of metal particles, rare Ni-rich metal particles and Si-rich metal particles indicate that the metal assemblage in CH chondrites was a mixture of material that formed at different redox conditions. Metal in CH chondrites consists of a mechanical mixture of particles that underwent a variety of thermal histories prior to being assembled into the existing brecciated meteorites.

Impact-induced frictional melting in ordinary chondrites: A mechanism for deformation, darkening, and vein formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Bogert, C. H.; Schultz, P. H.; Spray, J. G.

2003-10-01

High speed friction experiments have been performed on the ordinary chondrites El Hammami (H5, S2) and Sahara 97001 (L6, S3) using an axial friction-welding apparatus. Each sample was subjected to a strain rate of 103 to 104 s-1, which generated 250 to 500 μm-deep darkened zones on each sample cube. Thin section analyses reveal that the darkened areas are composed of silicate glass and mineral fragments intermingled with dispersed submicron-size FeNi and FeS blebs. Fracturing of mineral grains and the formation of tiny metallic veins define the extent of deformation beyond the darkened shear zone. These features are not present in the original meteorites. The shear zones and tiny veins are quite similar to certain vein systems seen in naturally deformed ordinary chondrites. The experiments show that shock deformation is not required for the formation of melt veins and darkening in ordinary chondrites. Therefore, the presence of melt veins and darkening does not imply that an ordinary chondrite has undergone severe shock deformation. In fact, high strain rate deformation and frictional melting are especially important for the formation of veins at low shock pressures.

Chondritic Asteroids--When Did Aqueous Alteration Happen?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doyle, P. M.

2015-06-01

Using a synthesized fayalite (Fe2SiO4) standard for improved 53Mn-53Cr radiometric age dating, Patricia Doyle (previously at the University of Hawaii and now at the University of Cape Town, South Africa) and coauthors from Hawaii, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, University of Chicago, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, analyzed aqueously formed fayalite in the ordinary chondrite Elephant Moraine 90161 (L3.05) and in the carbonaceous chondrites Asuka 881317 (CV3) and MacAlpine Hills 88107 (CO3-like) from Antarctica. The data obtained indicate that liquid water existed - and aqueous alteration started - on the chondritic parent bodies about three million years earlier than previously determined. This discovery has implications for understanding when and where the asteroids accreted. The 53Mn-53Cr chronology of chondrite aqueous alteration, combined with thermodynamic calculations and physical modeling, signifies that hydrated asteroids, at least those sampled by meteorites, accreted in the inner Solar System (2-4 AU) near the main asteroid belt 2-4 million years after the beginning of the Solar System, rather than migrating inward after forming in the Solar System's colder, outer regions beyond Jupiter's present orbit (5-15 AU).

The distribution of evaporitic weathering products on Antarctic meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Velbel, Michael A.

1987-01-01

White evaporite deposits of terrestrial origin occur on some 5 percent of Antarctic meteorites. The few previous studies, and new mineralogical analyses, indicate that the deposits are predominately carbonates and/or sulfates of magnesium. The distribution of white evaporitic salt deposits differs among different meteorite compositional groups and weathering categories. Salts occur with unusual frequency on carbonaceous chondrites, and are especially common in carbonaceous chondrites of weathering categories A and B. Among achondrites, weathering categories A and A/B show the most examples of salt weathering. Unlike carbonaceous chondrites and achrondites, most salt-bearing ordinary (H and L) chondrites are from rustier meteorites of weathering categories B, and to a lesser degree, B/C and C. The LL chondrites are conspicuous by their complete lack or any salt-weathering product. Almost two-thirds of all evaporite-bearing meteorites belong to weathering categories, A, A/B, and B. Where chemical and/or mineralogical data are available, there is a persistent suggestion that evaporite formation is accompanied by elemental redistribution from meteorite interiors. Meteorites of weathering categories B, A/B, and even A may have experienced significant element redistribution and/or contamination as a result of terrestrial exposure.

Noble Gases in the LEW 88663 L7 Chondrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miura, Y. N.; Sugiura, N.; Nagao, K.

1995-09-01

LEW88663 and some meteorites (e.g. Shaw) are the most highly metamorphosed meteorites among L group chondrites. Although the abundances of lithophile elements and oxygen isotopic compositions of the L7 chondrite LEW88663 (total recovered mass: 14.5g) are close to those of the range for L chondrites [1,2], metallic iron is absent and concentrations of siderophile elements are about half of typical values for L chondrites [3,4]. Petrographical and geochemical observation suggested that this meteorite has experienced partial melting [5]. As a part of our study on differentiated meteorites, we also investigated noble gases in this meteorite. We present here noble gas compositions of LEW88663 and discuss history of this meteorite. In addition, we will consider whether there is any evidence for bridging between chondrites and achondrites. Noble gases were extracted from a whole rock sample weighing 66.31 mg by total fusion, and all stable noble gas isotopes as well as cosmogenic radioactive 81Kr were analyzed using a mass spectrometer at ISEI, Okayama University. The results are summarized in the table. The concentrations of cosmogenic ^3He, ^21Ne, and ^38Ar are 7.3, 1.6 and 3.1x10^-8 cm^3STP/g, respectively. The cosmic-ray exposure ages based on them are calculated to be 4.7, 6.9 and 8.8 m.y., respectively, using the production rates proposed by [6, 7] and mean chemical compositions of L chondrites. The shorter cosmic-ray exposure ages T(sub)3 and T(sub)21 than T(sub)38 would be due to diffusive loss of lighter noble gases from the meteorite. The concentrations of trapped Kr and Xe in LEW88663 are lower than those for L6 chondrites [8], supporting thermal metamorphism for the meteorite higher than that for L6 chondrites. The Kr and Xe are isotopically close to those of the terrestrial atmospheric Kr and Xe, and elemental abundance ratios for Ar, Kr and Xe suggest adsorbed noble gas patterns of the terrestrial atmosphere. The terrestrial atmospheric Ar, Kr and Xe (most likely terrestrial contamination in origin) rather than chondritic ones seem to be dominant in LEW88663. A K-Ar age of 4.3 +/- 0.2 b.y. is obtained assuming K content of 660 ppm by [9], implying radiogenic ^40Ar is almost retained. Because of low abundance of trapped Xe in the meteorite compared with the abundances in other chondrites, ^244Pu-derived fission Xe could be evaluated more precisely. According to the measured Xe data (for this, three isotope plots such as ^134Xe/^130Xe versus ^136Xe/^130Xe are useful), we conclude that Xe in LEW88663 is the mixture of ^244Pu-derived fission Xe and the terrestrial atmospheric Xe with possibility that a small amount of chondritic Xe is contained. Using the same procedure described in [10], we obtained excess ^136Xe concentration, 1.4 x 10^-12 cm^3STP/g with about 20% uncertainty, of which about 3% is from contribution of ^238U-derived ^136Xe if average U content for L chondrite (14 ppb) is assumed. The calculated Pu abundance of 0.21 ppb is slightly higher than those reported for L chondrites Barwell (0.11 +/- 0.05 ppb [11]) and Marion (0.10+/-0.40 ppb [11]). Acknowledgments: We thank Meteorite Working Group for providing the sample. We are also grateful to Dr. D. Mittlefehldt for showing us his chemical composition data. This work is supported by Research Fellowships of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for Young Scientists. References: [1] Mason B. et al. (1992) Antarc. Meteorite Newsletter, 15(2), 30. [2] Mason B. and Marlow R. (1992) Antarc. Meteorite Newsletter, 15(1), 16. [3] Davis A. M. et al. (1993) LPS XXIV, 375-376. [4] Mittlefehldt D. W. (1993) Meteoritics, 28, 401-402. [5] Hervey R. P. (1993) Meteoritics, 28, 360. [6] Eugster O. (1988) GCA, 52, 1649-1662. [7] Marti K. and Graf T.(1992) Annu. Rev. Earth Planet Sci., 20, 221-243. [8] E.g. Marti K. (1967) EPSL, 2, 193-196. [9] Mittlefehldt D. W., personal communication. [10] Miura Y. et al. (1993) GCA, 57, 1857-1866. [11] Hagee B. et al. (1990) GCA, 54, 2847-2858. Table 1 shows noble gases in L7 chondrite LEW88663 (66.31 mg).

Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter. Volume 20

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindstrom, Marilyn M.; Satterwhite, Cecilia E.

1997-01-01

The availability of 116 new meteorites from the 1994-1996 collections is announced. There are 4 special chondrites, 2 carbonaceous chondrites, and 1 achondrite among the new meteorites. Also included is a redescription of Lodranite GRA95209.

Tellurium Stable Isotope Fractionation in Chondritic Meteorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fehr, M. A.; Hammond, S. J.; Parkinson, I. J.

2014-09-01

New Te double spike procedures were set up to obtain high-precision accurate Te stable isotope data. Tellurium stable isotope data for 16 chondrite falls are presented, providing evidence for significant Te stable isotope fractionation.

Nucleosynthetic and Mass-Dependent Titanium Isotope Variations in Individual Chondrules of Ordinary Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schönbächler, M.; Bauer, K. K.; Fehr, M. A.; Chaumard, N.; Zanda, B.

2017-02-01

We present evidence for nucleosynthetic Ti isotope heterogeneity between individual chondrules of ordinary chondrites difficult to reconcile with chondrule formation from molten planetesimals. Metamorphism resulted in stable Ti isotope fractionation.

Ca-Al-rich chondrules and inclusions in ordinary chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bischoff, A.; Keil, K.

1983-01-01

Ca-Al-rich objects, hitherto mostly found in carbonaceous chondrites, are shown to be widespread, albeit rare, constituents of type 3 ordinary chondrites. Widespread occurrence and textural similarities of Ca-Al-rich chondrules to common, Mg-Fe-rich chondrules suggest that they formed by related processes. It is suggested in this article that Ca-Al-rich chondrules were formed by total melting and crystallization of heterogeneous, submillimeter- to submillimeter-sized dustballs made up of mixtures of high-temperature, Ca-Al-rich and lower-temperature, Na-K-rich components.

Petrology of Two Itokawa Particles: Comparison with Equilibrated LL Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komatsu, M.; Mikouchi, T.; Arai, T.; Fagan, T. J.; Zolensky, M.; Hagiya, K.; Ohsumi, K.; Karouji, Y.

2015-01-01

A strong link between Itokawa particles and LL chondrites was confirmed by preliminary examinations of Hayabusa particles [e.g., 1, 2]. Both poorly equilibrated and highly equilibrated particles have been found among the grains returned from Itokawa [1], and it is suggested that they correspond to LL4 and LL5-6, respectively. Here we report the petrography of two Itokawa particles and TEM study of one, and compare them to Antarctic LL chondrites with variable petrologic types (LL4-LL7) in order to understand the metamorphic history of asteroid Itokawa.

Carbynes - Carriers of primordial noble gases in meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whittaker, A. G.; Watts, E. J.; Lewis, R. S.; Anders, E.

1980-01-01

Five carbynes (triply bonded allotropes of carbon) have been found by electron diffraction in the Allende and Murchison carbonaceous chondrites: carbon VI, VIII, X, XI, and (tentatively) XII. From the isotopic composition of the associated noble-gas components, it appears that the carbynes in Allende (C3V chondrite) are local condensates from the solar nebula, whereas at least two carbynes in Murchison (C2 chondrite) are of exotic, presolar origin. They may be dust grains that condensed in stellar envelopes and trapped isotropically anomalous matter from stellar nucleosynthesis.

Siderophile-element Anomalies in CK Carbonaceous Chondrites: Implications for Parent-body Aqueous Alteration and Terrestrial Weathering of Sulfides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huber, Heinz; Rubin, Alan E.; Kallemeyn, Gregory W.; Wasson, John T.

2006-01-01

CK chondrites constitute the most oxidized anhydrous carbonaceous chondrite group; most of the Fe occurs in magnetite and in FeO-rich mafic silicates. The two observed CK falls (Karoonda and Kobe), along with thirteen relatively unweathered CK finds, have unfractionated siderophile-element abundance patterns. In contrast, a sizable fraction of CK finds (9 of 24 investigated) shows fractionated siderophile abundance patterns including low abundances of Ni, Co, Se and Au; the most extreme depletions are in Ni (0.24 of normal CK) and Au (0.14 of normal CK). This depletion pattern has not been found in other chondrite groups. Out of the 74 CK chondrites listed in the Meteoritical Bulletin Database (2006; excluded considerably paired specimens; see http://tin.er.usgs.gov/meteor/ metbull.php) we analyzed 24 and subclassified the CK chondrites in terms of their chemical composition and sulfide mineralogy: sL (siderophiles low; six samples) for large depletions in Ni, Co, Se and Au (>50% of sulfides lost); sM (siderophiles medium; two CKs) for moderately low Ni and Co abundances (sulfides are highly altered or partly lost); sH (siderophiles high; one specimen) for enrichments in Ni, Co, Se and Au; 'normal' for unfractionated samples (13 samples). The sole sH sample may have obtained additional sulfide from impact redistribution in the parent asteroid. We infer that these elements became incorporated into sulfides after asteroidal aqueous processes oxidized nebular metal; thermal metamorphism probably also played a role in their mineral siting. The siderophile losses in the SL and sM samples are mainly the result of oxidation of pentlandite, pyrite and violarite by terrestrial alteration followed by leaching of the resulting phases. Some Antarctic CK chondrites have lost most of their sulfides but retained Ni, Co, Se and Au, presumably as insoluble weathering products.

Aqueous Alteration of Carbonaceous Chondrites: New Insights from Comparative Studies of Two Unbrecciated CM2 Chondrites, Y 791198 and ALH 81002

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chizmadia, L. J.; Brearley, A. J.

2004-01-01

Carbonaceous chondrites are an important resource for understanding the physical and chemical conditions in the early solar system. In particular, a long-standing question concerns the role of water in the cosmochemical evolution of carbonaceous chondrites. It is well established that extensive hydration of primary nebular phases occurred in the CM and CI chondrites, but the location where this alteration occurred remains controversial. In the CM2 chondrites, hydration formed secondary phases such as serpentine, tochilinite, pentlandite, carbonate and PCP. There are several textural observations which suggest that alteration occurred before the accretion of the final CM parent asteroid, i.e. preaccretionary alteration. Conversely, there is a significant body of evidence that supports parent-body alteration. In order to test these two competing hypotheses further, we studied two CM chondrites, Y-791198 and ALH81002, two meteorites that exhibit widely differing degrees of aqueous alteration. In addition, both meteorites have primary accretionary textures, i.e. experienced minimal asteroidal brecciation. Brecciation significantly complicates the task of unraveling alteration histories, mixing components that have been altered to different degrees from different locations on the same asteroidal parent body. Alteration in Y-791198 is mostly confined to chondrule mesostases, FeNi metal and fine-grained matrix and rims. In comparison, the primary chondrule silicates in ALH81002 have undergone extensive replacement by secondary hydrous phases. This study focuses on compositional and textural relationships between chondrule mesostasis and the associated rim materials. Our hypothesis is: both these components are highly susceptible to aqueous alteration and should be sensitive recorders of the alteration process. For parent body alteration, we expect systematic coupled mineralogical and compositional changes in rims and altered mesostasis, as elemental exchange between these components occurs. Conversely, for preaccretionary alteration, there should be no clear relationships between the rims and mesostases.

Silica-rich orthopyroxenite in the Bovedy chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruzicka, Alex; Kring, David A.; Hill, Dolores H.; Boynton, William V.; Clayton, Robert N.; Mayeda, Toshiko K.

1995-01-01

A large (greater than 4.5 x 7 x 4 mm), igneous-textured clast in the Bovedy (L3) chondrite is notable for its high bulk SiO2 content (is approximately equal to 57.5 wt%). The clast consists of normally zoned orthopyroxene (83.8 vol%), tridymite (6.2%), an intergrowth of feldspar (5.8%) and sodic glass (3.1%), pigeonite (1.0%), and small amounts of chromite (0.2%), augite, and Fe,Ni-metal; it is best described as a silica-rich orthopyroxenite. The oxygen-isotopic composition of the clast is similar, but not identical, to Bovedy and other ordinary chondrites. The clast has a superchondritic Si/Mg ratio, but has Mg/(Mg + Fe) and Fe/Mn ratios that are similar to ordinary chondrite silicate. The closest chemical analogues to the clast are radial-pyroxene chondrules, diogenites, pyroxene-silica objects in ordinary chondrites, and silicates in the IIE iron meteorite Weekeroo Station. The clast crystallized from a siliceous melt that cooled fast enough to prevent complete attainment of equilibrium but slow enough to allow nearly complete crystallization. The texture, form, size and composition of the clast suggestion that it is an igneous differentiate from an asteroid or planetesimal that formed in the vicinity of ordinary chondrites. The melt probably cooled in the near-surface region of the parent object. It appears that in the source region of the clast, metallic and silicate partial melt were largely-to-completely lost during a relatively low degree of melting, and that during a higher degree of melting, olivine and low-Ca pyroxene separated from the remaining liquid, which ultimately solidified to form the clast. While these fractionation steps could not have all occurred at the same temperature, they could have been accomplished in a single melting episode, possibly as a result of heating by radionuclides or by electromagnetic induction. Fractionated magmas can also account for other Si-rich objects in chondrites.

Were chondrites magnetized by the early solar wind?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oran, Rona; Weiss, Benjamin P.; Cohen, Ofer

2018-06-01

Chondritic meteorites have been traditionally thought to be samples of undifferentiated bodies that never experienced large-scale melting. This view has been challenged by the existence of post-accretional, unidirectional natural remanent magnetization (NRM) in CV carbonaceous chondrites. The relatively young inferred NRM age [∼10 million years (My) after solar system formation] and long duration of NRM acquisition (1-106 y) have been interpreted as evidence that the magnetizing field was that of a core dynamo within the CV parent body. This would imply that CV chondrites represent the primitive crust of a partially differentiated body. However, an alternative hypothesis is that the NRM was imparted by the early solar wind. Here we demonstrate that the solar wind scenario is unlikely due to three main factors: 1) the magnitude of the early solar wind magnetic field is estimated to be <0.1 μT in the terrestrial planet-forming region, 2) the resistivity of chondritic bodies limits field amplification due to pile-up of the solar wind to less than a factor of 3.5 times that of the instantaneous solar wind field, and 3) the solar wind field likely changed over timescales orders of magnitude shorter than the timescale of NRM acquisition. Using analytical arguments, numerical simulations and astronomical observations of the present-day solar wind and magnetic fields of young stars, we show that the maximum mean field the ancient solar wind could have imparted on an undifferentiated CV parent body is <3.5 nT, which is 3-4 and 3 orders of magnitude weaker than the paleointensities recorded by the CV chondrites Allende and Kaba, respectively. Therefore, the solar wind is highly unlikely to be the source of the NRM in CV chondrites. Nevertheless, future high sensitivity paleomagnetic studies of rapidly-cooled meteorites with high magnetic recording fidelity could potentially trace the evolution of the solar wind field in time.

Distribution of Aliphatic Amines in CO, CV, and CK Carbonaceous Chondrites and Relation to Mineralogy and Processing History

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aponte, Jose C.; Abreu, Neyda M.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Elsila, Jamie E.

2017-01-01

The analysis of water-soluble organic compounds in meteorites provides valuable insights into the prebiotic synthesis of organic matter and the processes that occurred during the formation of the solar system. We investigated the concentration of aliphatic monoamines present in hot acid water extracts of the unaltered Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites, Dominion Range (DOM) 08006 (CO3) and Miller Range (MIL) 05013 (CO3), and the thermally altered meteorites, Allende (CV3), LAP 02206 (CV3), GRA 06101 (CV3), Allan Hills (ALH) 85002 (CK4), and EET 92002 (CK5). We have also reviewed and assessed the petrologic characteristics of the meteorites studied here to evaluate the effects of asteroidal processing on the abundance and molecular distributions of monoamines. The CO3, CV3, CK4, and CK5 meteorites studied here contain total concentrations of amines ranging from 1.2 to 4.0 nmol/g of meteorite; these amounts are 1-3 orders of magnitude below those observed in carbonaceous chondrites from the CI, CM, and CR groups. The low-amine abundances for CV and CK chondrites may be related to their extensive degree of thermal metamorphism and/or to their low original amine content. Although the CO3 meteorites, DOM 08006 and MIL 05013, do not show signs of thermal and aqueous alteration, their monoamine contents are comparable to those observed in moderately/extensively thermally altered CV3, CK4, and CK5 carbonaceous chondrites. The low content of monoamines in pristine CO carbonaceous chondrites suggests that the initial amounts, and not asteroidal processes, play a dominant role in the content of monoamines in carbonaceous chondrites. The primary monoamines, methylamine, ethylamine, and n-propylamine constitute the most abundant amines in the CO3, CV3, CK4, and CK5 meteorites studied here. Contrary to the predominance of n-x-amino acid isomers in CO3 and thermally altered meteorites, there appears to be no preference for the larger n-amines.

Deformation and thermal histories of ordinary chondrites: Evidence for post-deformation annealing and syn-metamorphic shock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruzicka, Alex; Hugo, Richard; Hutson, Melinda

2015-08-01

We show that olivine microstructures in seven metamorphosed ordinary chondrites of different groups studied with optical and transmission electron microscopy can be used to evaluate the post-deformation cooling setting of the meteorites, and to discriminate between collisions affecting cold and warm parent bodies. The L6 chondrites Park (shock stage S1), Bruderheim (S4), Leedey (S4), and Morrow County (S5) were affected by variable shock deformation followed by relatively rapid cooling, and probably cooled as fragments liberated by impact in near-surface settings. In contrast, Kernouvé (H6 S1), Portales Valley (H6/7 S1), and MIL 99301 (LL6 S1) appear to have cooled slowly after shock, probably by deep burial in warm materials. In these chondrites, post-deformation annealing lowered apparent optical strain levels in olivine. Additionally, Kernouvé, Morrow County, Park, MIL 99301, and possibly Portales Valley, show evidence for having been deformed at an elevated temperature (⩾800-1000 °C). The high temperatures for Morrow County can be explained by dynamic heating during intense shock, but Kernouvé, Park, and MIL 99301 were probably shocked while the H, L and LL parent bodies were warm, during early, endogenically-driven thermal metamorphism. Thus, whereas the S4 and S5 chondrites experienced purely shock-induced heating and cooling, all the S1 chondrites examined show evidence for static heating consistent with either syn-metamorphic shock (Kernouvé, MIL 99301, Park), post-deformation burial in warm materials (Kernouvé, MIL 99301, Portales Valley), or both. The results show the pitfalls in relying on optical shock classification alone to infer an absence of shock and to construct cooling stratigraphy models for parent bodies. Moreover, they provide support for the idea that "secondary" metamorphic and "tertiary" shock processes overlapped in time shortly after the accretion of chondritic planetesimals, and that impacts into warm asteroidal bodies were common.

Petrology and mineralogy of the Ningqiang carbonaceous chondrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Hsu, W.

2009-07-01

We report detailed chemical, petrological, and mineralogical studies on the Ningqiang carbonaceous chondrite. Ningqiang is a unique ungrouped type 3 carbonaceous chondrite. Its bulk composition is similar to that of CV and CK chondrites, but refractory lithophile elements (1.01 × CI) are distinctly depleted relative to CV (1.29 × CI) and CK (1.20 × CI) chondrites. Ningqiang consists of 47.5 vol% chondrules, 2.0 vol% Ca,Al-rich inclusions (CAIs), 4.5 vol% amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs), and 46.0 vol% matrix. Most chondrules (95%) in Ningqiang are Mgrich. The abundances of Fe-rich and Al-rich chondrules are very low. Al-rich chondrules (ARCs) in Ningqiang are composed mainly of olivine, plagioclase, spinel, and pyroxenes. In ARCs, spinel and plagioclase are enriched in moderately volatile elements (Cr, Mn, and Na), and low-Ca pyroxenes are enriched in refractory elements (Al and Ti). The petrology and mineralogy of ARCs in Ningqiang indicate that they were formed from hybrid precursors of ferromagnesian chondrules mixed with refractory materials during chondrule formation processes. We found 294 CAIs (55.0% type A, 39.5% spinel-pyroxene-rich, 4.4% hibonite-rich, and several type C and anorthite-spinelrich inclusions) and 73 AOAs in 15 Ningqiang sections (equivalent to 20 cm2 surface area). This is the first report of hibonite-rich inclusions in Ningqiang. They are texturally similar to those in CM, CH, and CB chondrites, and exhibit three textural forms: aggregates of euhedral hibonite single crystals, fine-grained aggregates of subhedral hibonite with minor spinel, and hibonite ± Al,Ti-diopside ± spinel spherules. Evidence of secondary alteration is ubiquitous in Ningqiang. Opaque assemblages, formed by secondary alteration of pre-existing alloys on the parent body, are widespread in chondrules and matrix. On the other hand, nepheline and sodalite, existing in all chondritic components, formed by alkali-halogen metasomatism in the solar nebula.

Assessing the Formation of Ungrouped Achondrite Northwest Africa 8186: Residue, Crystallization Product, or Recrystallized Chondrite?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinivasan, P.; McCubbin, F. M.; Agee, C. B.

2016-01-01

The recent discoveries of primitive achondrites, metachondrites, and type 7 chondrites challenge the long held idea that all chondrites and achondrites form on separate parent bodies. These meteorites have experienced metamorphic temperatures above petrologic type 6 and have partially melted to various degrees. However, because of their isotopic and compositional similarities to both undifferentiated and differentiated groups, the provenance of these 'type 6+' meteorites remains largely unknown. CK and CV chondrites have recently been linked to a few achondrites due to their strong compositional, mineralogical, and isotopic similarities], suggesting a common origin between these meteorites. Although CVs have generally undergone low degrees of alteration near petrologic type 3, CKs have experienced a wide range of thermal alteration from petrologic type 3 to 6. Thermal evolution models on early accreting bodies predict that an early forming body can partially differentiate due to radiogenic heating, and, as a result, form radial layers of material increasing in thermal grade (types 3 to 6+) from the unmelted chondritic surface towards the differentiated core.Northwest Africa (NWA) 8186 is an ungrouped achondrite that provides compelling evidence for higher degrees of thermal processing and/or melting and differentiation on some CK/CV parent bodies. NWA 8186 plots on the CCAM line on a 3-oxygen isotope diagram directly with CK and CV chondrites and also plots with the CKs in regards to Cr isotopes. This meteorite is dominated by Nickel(II)Oxygen-rich olivine (less than 80%), lacks iron metal, and contains four oxide phases, indicating a high fOxygen (above FMQ) similar to the CKs. Additionally, NWA 8186 does not contain chondrules. We have further investigated the origins of NWA 8186 by examining and comparing the bulk composition of this CK-like achondrite with CK and CV chondrites, allowing us to assess the various scenarios in which NWA 8186 may have formed from CK/CV precursor material.

Petrologic and oxygen isotopic study of ALH 85085-like chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prinz, M.; Weisberg, M. K.; Clayton, R. N.; Mayeda, T. K.; Ebihara, M.

1994-07-01

Four meteorites (PAT 91546, PCA 91328, PCA 91452, PCA 91467) petrologically similar to ALH 85085 chondrite have now been found. Previous studies of ALH 85085 showed it be a new kind of CR-related microchondrule-bearing chondrite, although one called it a sub-chondrite. The purpose of this study is to learn more about ALH 85085-like meteorites and their relationship to CR and CR-related (LEW 85332, Acfer 182, Bencubbin) chondrites. The methods used included petrology, INA bulk chemical analysis (PAT 91546, PCA 91467), and O isotopic analyses of the whole rocks and separated chondrules and dark inclusions (DIs) from PAT 91546. Since microchondrules and fragments are approximately 20 microns it was necessary to analyze composite samples for O; one was of approximately 100 chondrules, and another was of 5 DIs. Petrologically, the four meteorites are similar to ALH 85085, and there is no basis for determining if all of them, or any combinations, are paired. Mineralogically, olivine and pyroxene are highly magnesian FeNi metal generally has 3-10% Ni, and has a positive Ni-Co correlation similar to that in CR and CR-related chondrites. Refractory inclusions are similar in size to the chondrules and have the following assemblages: (1) hibonite-perovskite, (2) melilite-fassaite-forsterite, (3) grossite (Ca-dialuminate)-melilite-perovskite, (4) spinel-melilite, and (5) spinel-pyroxene aggregates. Chemically, INA analyses indicate that PAT 91546 and PCA 91467 are generally similar to ALH 85085. Oxygen isotopic analyses of the four whole-rock compositions fall along the CR mixing line as does ALH 85085; they are also close to LEW 85332, Acfer 182, and Bencubbin. This supports the concept that these are all CR-related chondrites. Even stronger support is found in the compositions of the chondrules and DIs in PAT 91546, which also plot on or near the CR line.

Matrices of carbonaceous chondrite meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buseck, Peter R.; Hua, Xin

1993-01-01

The morphology, classification, and chemistry of the matrices of carbonaceous chondrite (CC) meteorites is reviewed based on recent research results. The various kinds of CCs are examined in terms of their matrix mineralogy. Alteration processes in CCs are discussed.

Understanding the Organo-Carbonate Associations in Carbonaceous Chondrites with the Use of Micro-Raman Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, Q. H. S.; Zolensky, M. E.

2015-01-01

Carbonates can potentially provide sites for organic materials to accrue and develop into complex macromolecules. This study examines the organics associated with carbonates in carbonaceous chondrites using micron-Raman imaging.

Understanding the Organo-Carbonate Associations in Carbonaceous Chondrites with the Use of Micro-Raman Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, Q. H. S.; Zolensky, M. E.

2015-01-01

Carbonates can potentially provide sites for organic materials to accrue and develop into complex macromolecules. This study examines the organics associated with carbonates in carbonaceous chondrites using µ-Raman imaging.

The Butterflies of Principal Components: A Case of Ultrafine-Grained Polyphase Units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rietmeijer, F. J. M.

1996-03-01

Dusts in the accretion regions of chondritic interplanetary dust particles [IDPs] consisted of three principal components: carbonaceous units [CUs], carbon-bearing chondritic units [GUs] and carbon-free silicate units [PUs]. Among others, differences among chondritic IDP morphologies and variable bulk C/Si ratios reflect variable mixtures of principal components. The spherical shapes of the initially amorphous principal components remain visible in many chondritic porous IDPs but fusion was documented for CUs, GUs and PUs. The PUs occur as coarse- and ultrafine-grained units that include so called GEMS. Spherical principal components preserved in an IDP as recognisable textural units have unique proporties with important implications for their petrological evolution from pre-accretion processing to protoplanet alteration and dynamic pyrometamorphism. Throughout their lifetime the units behaved as closed-systems without chemical exchange with other units. This behaviour is reflected in their mineralogies while the bulk compositions of principal components define the environments wherein they were formed.

Xe-129 - Xe-128 and Ar-40 - Ar-39 chronology of two Antarctic enstatite meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Honda, M.; Bernatowicz, T. J.; Podosek, F. A.

1983-01-01

Xe-129 - Xe-128 and Ar-40 - Ar-39 analyses has been performed on two Antarctic enstatite meteorites, the chondrite Y-691 and the aubrite (enstatite achondrite) ALH-78113. Both meteorites have complex Ar-40 - Ar-39 release patterns to which no unambiguous age assignment is possible. Both give apparently satisfactory Xe-129 - Xe-128 correlations corresponding to unusual ages. The I-Xe age of the chondrite Y-691 is 16 Ma after Bjurbole, not unusual for chondrites in general but 10 Ma later than previously known ages for enstatite chondrites. The I-Xe age of the aubrite ALH-78113 is 210 Ma after Bjurbole, the latest age (rather than a limit) so far observed by the I-Xe technique, but this age assignment must be considered tentative because of the possibility that it is significantly influenced by terrestrial I contamination.

Antarctic Meteorite Newsletter, Volume 31, No. 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Satterwhite, Cecilia (Editor); Righter, Kevin (Editor)

2008-01-01

This newsletter reports 418 new meteorites from the 2004 and 2006 ANSMET seasons from the Cumulus Hills (CMS), LaPaz Ice Field (LAP), Graves Nunataks (GRA), Grosvenor Mountains (GRO), Larkman Nunatak (LAR), MacAlpine Hills (MAC), Miller Range (MIL), Roberts Massif (RBT), and Scott Glacier (SCO). These new samples include one iron, 1 eucrite, 1 mesosiderite, 6 CK chondrites (2 with pairing), 2 CV3 chondrites, 1 CM1, 7 CM2 (4 with pairing), 3 CR2 (2 with pairing), and one each of a type 3 L and H chondrites. The CK6 chondrites (LAR 06869, 06872, 06873) are unusual in that they have no discernable chondrules, extremely fine-grained texture, and are full of veins. This newsletter represents a break from recent newsletters in which we have announced many unusual and popular samples, including new lunar and martian meteorites, an unusual achondrite (GRA 06128 and 06129 the topic of a special session at this years LPSC).

Origins and Distribution of Chondritic Olivine Inferred from Wild 2 and Chondrite Matrix

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, D. R.; Zolensky, M. E.

2014-01-01

To date, only 180 particle impact tracks from Wild 2 have been extracted from the Stardust aerogel collector and even fewer have been thoroughly characterized. In order to provide a cohesive compositional dataset that can be compared to the meteorite record, we have made both major and minor element analyses (TEM/EDXS) of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene for 39 particles harvested from 26 tracks. However, the dearth of equivalent analyses for these phases in chondrite matrix hinders their comparison to the Wild 2 samples. To properly permit comparison of chondritic olivine and pyroxene to the Wild 2 samples, we have also provided a large, comprehensive EPMA dataset (greater than10(exp 3) analyses) of analogous grains (5-30 micrometers) isolated in L/LL3.0-4, CI, CM, CR, CH, CO, CV, Acfer 094, EH3, EL6, and Kakangari matrix

Primitive ultrafine matrix in ordinary chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rambaldi, E. R.; Fredriksson, B. J.; Fredriksson, K.

1981-01-01

Ultrafine matrix material has been concentrated by sieving and filtering disaggregated samples of six ordinary chondrites of different classes. This component(s), 'Holy Smoke' (HS), is enriched in both volatile, e.g. Na, K, Zn, Sb, and Pb, as well as refractory elements, e.g. W and REE; however, the element ratios vary greatly among the different chondrites. SEM studies show that HS contains fragile crystals, differing in composition, and apparently in gross disequilibrium not only among themselves but also with the major mineral phases and consequently thermodynamic equilibration did not occur. Thus HS must have originated from impacting bodies and/or was inherent in the 'primitive' regolith. Subsequent impact brecciation and reheating appears to have altered, to varying degrees, the original composition of this ultrafine matrix material. Recent 'cosmic dust' studies may indicate that HS still exists in the solar system. Survival of such delicate material must be considered in all theories for the origin of chondrites.

Chondritic Meteorites: Nebular and Parent-Body Formation Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, Alan E.

1997-01-01

Chondritic meteorites are the products of condensation, agglomeration and accretion of material in the solar nebula; these objects are the best sources of information regarding processes occurring during the early history of the solar system. We obtain large amounts of high-quality chemical and petrographic data and use them to infer chemical fractionation processes that occurred in the solar nebula and on meteorite parent bodies during thermal metamorphism, shock metamorphism and aqueous alteration. We compare diverse groups of chondrites and model their different properties in terms of processes that differed at different nebular locations or on different parent-bodies. In order to expand our set of geochemically important elements (particularly Si, C, P and S) and to distinguish the different oxidation states of Fe, Greg Kallemeyn spent three months (1 Sept. - 30 Nov. 1995) at the Smithsonian Institution to learn Eugene Jarosewich's wet chemical techniques. Key specimens from the recently established CK, CR and R chondrite groups were analyzed.

Solubility of noble gases in serpentine - Implications for meteoritic noble gas abundances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaikowski, A.; Schaeffer, O. A.

1979-01-01

An investigation of the solubilities of the noble gases from synthesis and solubility studies of the sheet silicate mineral serpentine in carbonaceous chondrites is presented. Hydrothermal synthesis and exchange experiments were made at 340C and 1 kbar with noble gas partial pressures from 2 times 10 to the -8th power to 0.1 atm. The measured distribution coefficients for noble gases are not sufficiently high to account for the trapped noble gases in carbonaceous chondrites by exchange in solar nebula if meteoritic minerals have comparable distribution coefficients. Also, serpentine gains and loses noble gases to approach equilibrium values with the terrestrial atmosphere, indicating that this exposure may have influenced the noble gas abundances in phyllosilicate minerals of these chondrites. The dispersion of K-Ar ages of carbonaceous chondrites could be the result of phyllosilicates approaching equilibrium solubility of atmospheric Ar-40.

Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in Orgueil and Ivuna: Tracing the Parent Body of CI Type Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Michael (Technical Monitor); Ehrenfreund, Pascale; Glavin, Daniel P.; Bota, Oliver; Cooper, George; Bada, Jeffrey

2001-01-01

Amino acid analyses using HPLC of pristine interior pieces of the CI carbonaceous chondrites Orgueil and Ivuna have found that beta-alanine, glycine, and gamma-amino-n-butyric acid (ABA) are the most abundant amino acids in these two meteorites, with concentrations ranging from approx. 600 to 2,000 parts per billion (ppb). Other alpha-amino acids such as alanine, alpha-ABA, alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), and isovaline are present only in trace amounts (less than 200 ppb). Carbon isotopic measurements of beta-alanine and glycine and the presence of racemic (D/L 1) alanine and beta-ABA in Orgueil suggest that these amino acids are extraterrestrial in origin. In comparison to the CM carbonaceous chondrites Murchison and Murray, the amino acid composition of the CIs is strikingly distinct, suggesting that these meteorites came from a different type of parent body, possibly an extinct comet, than did the CM carbonaceous chondrites.

Actinide abundances in ordinary chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hagee, B.; Bernatowicz, T. J.; Podosek, F. A.; Johnson, M. L.; Burnett, D. S.

1990-01-01

Measurements of actinide and light REE (LREE) abundances and of phosphate abundances in equilibrated ordinary chondrites were obtained and were used to define the Pu abundance in the solar system and to determine the degree of variation of actinide and LREE abundances. The results were also used to compare directly the Pu/U ratio with the earlier obtained ratio determined indirectly, as (Pu/Nd)x(Nd/U), assuming that Pu behaves chemically as a LREE. The data, combined with high-accuracy isotope-dilution data from the literature, show that the degree of gram-scale variability of the Th, U, and LREE abundances for equilibrated ordinary chondrites is a factor of 2-3 for absolute abundances and up to 50 percent for relative abundances. The observed variations are interpreted as reflecting the differences in the compositions and/or proportions of solar nebula components accreted to ordinary chondrite parent bodies.

The provenances of asteroids, and their contributions to the volatile inventories of the terrestrial planets.

PubMed

Alexander, C M O'D; Bowden, R; Fogel, M L; Howard, K T; Herd, C D K; Nittler, L R

2012-08-10

Determining the source(s) of hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen accreted by Earth is important for understanding the origins of water and life and for constraining dynamical processes that operated during planet formation. Chondritic meteorites are asteroidal fragments that retain records of the first few million years of solar system history. The deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) values of water in carbonaceous chondrites are distinct from those in comets and Saturn's moon Enceladus, implying that they formed in a different region of the solar system, contrary to predictions of recent dynamical models. The D/H values of water in carbonaceous chondrites also argue against an influx of water ice from the outer solar system, which has been invoked to explain the nonsolar oxygen isotopic composition of the inner solar system. The bulk hydrogen and nitrogen isotopic compositions of CI chondrites suggest that they were the principal source of Earth's volatiles.

Trace elements in ocean ridge basalts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kay, R. W.; Hubbard, N. J.

1978-01-01

A study is made of the trace elements found in ocean ridge basalts. General assumptions regarding melting behavior, trace element fractionation, and alteration effects are presented. Data on the trace elements are grouped according to refractory lithophile elements, refractory siderophile elements, and volatile metals. Variations in ocean ridge basalt chemistry are noted both for regional and temporal characteristics. Ocean ridge basalts are compared to other terrestrial basalts, such as those having La/Yb ratios greater than those of chondrites, and those having La/Yb ratios less than those of chondrites. It is found that (1) as compared to solar or chondrite ratios, ocean ridge basalts have low ratios of large, highly-charged elements to smaller less highly-charged elements, (2) ocean ridge basalts exhibit low ratios of volatile to nonvolatile elements, and (3) the transition metals Cr through Zn in ocean ridge basalts are not fractionated more than a factor of 2 or 3 from the chondritic abundance ratios.

Super-chondritic Sm/Nd ratios in Mars, the Earth and the Moon.

PubMed

Caro, Guillaume; Bourdon, Bernard; Halliday, Alex N; Quitté, Ghylaine

2008-03-20

Small isotopic differences in the atomic abundance of neodymium-142 (142Nd) in silicate rocks represent the time-averaged effect of decay of formerly live samarium-146 (146Sm) and provide constraints on the timescales and mechanisms by which planetary mantles first differentiated. This chronology, however, assumes that the composition of the total planet is identical to that of primitive undifferentiated meteorites called chondrites. The difference in the 142Nd/144Nd ratio between chondrites and terrestrial samples may therefore indicate very early isolation (<30 Myr from the formation of the Solar System) of the upper mantle or a slightly non-chondritic bulk Earth composition. Here we present high-precision 142Nd data for 16 martian meteorites and show that Mars also has a non-chondritic composition. Meteorites belonging to the shergottite subgroup define a planetary isochron yielding an age of differentiation of 40 +/- 18 Myr for the martian mantle. This isochron does not pass through the chondritic reference value (100 x epsilon(142)Nd = -21 +/- 3; 147Sm/144Nd = 0.1966). The Earth, Moon and Mars all seem to have accreted in a portion of the inner Solar System with approximately 5 per cent higher Sm/Nd ratios than material accreted in the asteroid belt. Such chemical heterogeneities may have arisen from sorting of nebular solids or from impact erosion of crustal reservoirs in planetary precursors. The 143Nd composition of the primitive mantle so defined by 142Nd is strikingly similar to the putative endmember component 'FOZO' characterized by high 3He/4He ratios.

The Initial W-182/W-183 and Hf-182/Hf-180 of the Solar System and a Consistent Chronology with Pb-Pb Ages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yin, Qingzhu; Jacobsen, Stein B.

2003-01-01

The utility of the Hf-182 (bar-tau ==13 x 10(exp 6) yr) -W-182 chronometer for early solar system processes is now well established. At the 2002 LPSC meeting we first reported new Hf-W data for chondritic meteorites showing that some crucial data as well as interpretations of Lee and Halliday for chondrites were incorrect. Our results were confirmed by reports of two other groups. This new data imply a much-shorter timescale for the early Solar System evolution and the formation of the Earth s core more consistent with the original conclusions of Harper and Jacobsen. Thus, the chondritic Hf-W evolution is now well established as beginning with epsilon(sub W)(0) = -3.45 +/- 0.25 at the time of origin of the solar system and evolving to -2.2 by 20 Myr and -1.9 +/- 0.20 at present. However, there are a number of iron meteorite data that suggest the existence of initial W lower than those measured for chondrites. If the low epsilon(sub W)(0) of -4 to -5 are correct then we face an embarrassing dilemma of differentiated iron meteorites being older than the primitive chondrites, or we would have to conclude that there is an additional pre-history of 5-10 Myr in primitive chondritic meteorites prior to the closure of the Hf-182 - W-182 system. Such a prolonged early time does not seem reasonable to us. We have therefore initiated a study to resolve this issue.

The great 8 MA event and the structure of the H-chondrite parent body

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benoit, P. H.; Sears, D. W. G.

1993-01-01

The H-chondrites have been the subject of several recent controversies, including the question of whether Antarctic and non-Antarctic meteorites are or are not the same and whether there or is not evidence for stratigraphic layering in the original parent body. We have identified two distinct groups of H5 chondrites in the Antarctic collection. One group has induced thermoluminescence (TL) peak temperatures less than 190 C and metallographic cooling rates between S to 50 K/Myr, similar to modern falls. It also has a variety of cosmic ray exposure ages, many being greater than 107 years. The other group has TL peak temperatures greater than 190 C, metallographic cooling rates of 100 K/Myr and cosmic ray exposure ages of 8 Ma. The members of this group were generals smaller than those of the greater than 190 C group (including the mode falls) during cosmic ray exposure. Detailed study of the cosmogenic nuclide concentrations of these groups indicates that they are not solely the result of pairing of a few unusual meteorites. It is likely that the greater than 190 C group was an important part of the H-chondrite flux about 1 million years ago, but has since decreased in importance relative to the less than 190 C group. In a previous work, we discussed several possible origins for the greater than 190 C group, including multiple H-chondrite parent bodies, unusual parent body structure, and creation during the 8 Ma event. In this paper, we present new data for H4 chondrites in light of these ideas.

Oxygen, Magnesium, and Aluminum Isotopes in the Ivuna CAI: Re-Examining High-Temperature Fractionations in CI Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, D. R.; Huss, G. R.; Nagashima, K.; Zolensky, M. E.; Le, L.

2017-01-01

CI chondrites are thought to approximate the bulk solar system composition since they closely match the composition of the solar photosphere. Thus, chemical differences between a planetary object and the CI composition are interpreted to result from fractionations of a CI starting composition. This interpretation is often made despite the secondary mineralogy of CI chondrites, which resulted from low-T aqueous alteration on the parent asteroid(s). Prevalent alteration and the relatively large uncertainties in the photospheric abundances (approx. +/-5-10%) permit chemical fractionation of CI chondrites from the bulk solar system, if primary chondrules and/or CAIs have been altered beyond recognition. Isolated olivine and pyroxene grains that range from approx. 5 microns to several hundred microns have been reported in CI chondrites, and acid residues of Orgueil were found to contain refractory oxides with oxygen isotopic compositions matching CAIs. However, the only CAI found to be unambiguously preserved in a CI chondrite was identified in Ivuna. The Ivuna CAI's primary mineralogy, small size (approx.170 microns), and fine-grained igneous texture classify it as a compact type A. Aqueous alteration infiltrated large portions of the CAI, but other regions remain pristine. The major primary phases are melilite (Ak 14-36 ), grossmanite (up to 20.8 wt.% TiO 2 ), and spinel. Both melilite and grossmanite have igneous textures and zoning patterns. An accretionary rim consists primarily of olivine (Fa 2-17 ) and low-Ca pyroxene (Fs 2-10 ), which could be either surviving CI2 material or a third lithology.

Contribution of early impact events to metal-silicate separation, thermal annealing, and volatile redistribution: Evidence in the Pułtusk H chondrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krzesińska, Agata M.

2017-11-01

Three-dimensional X-ray tomographic reconstructions and petrologic studies reveal voluminous accumulations of metal in Pułtusk H chondrite. At the contact of these accumulations, the chondritic rock is enriched in troilite. The rock contains plagioclase-rich bands, with textures suggesting crystallization from melt. Unusually large phosphates are associated with the plagioclase and consist of assemblages of merrillite, and fluorapatite and chlorapatite. The metal accumulations were formed by impact melting, rapid segregation of metal-sulfide melt and the incorporation of this melt into the fractured crater basement. The impact most likely occurred in the early evolution of the H chondrite parent body, when post-impact heat overlapped with radiogenic heat. This enabled slow cooling and separation of the metallic melt into metal-rich and sulfide-rich fractions. This led to recrystallization of chondritic rock in contact with the metal accumulations and the crystallization of shock melts. Phosphorus was liberated from the metal and subsumed by the silicate shock melt, owing to oxidative conditions upon slow cooling. The melt was also a host for volatiles. Upon further cooling, phosphorus reacted with silicates leading to the formation of merrillite, while volatiles partitioned into the residual halogen-rich, dry fluid. In the late stages, the fluid altered merrillite to patchy Cl/F-apatite. The above sequence of alterations demonstrates that impact during the early evolution of chondritic parent bodies might have contributed to local metal segregation and silicate melting. In addition, postshock conditions supported secondary processes: compositional/textural equilibration, redistribution of volatiles, and fluid alterations.

Si Isotopes in Enstatite Chondrites: Implications to Accretion and Differentiation Event of the Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sikdar, J.; Rai, V. K.

2018-05-01

The abstract summarizes the recent results on high precision Si isotope analyses in various micro milled components of Enstatite chondrites with implications towards the accretion and primary differentiation event of the Earth.

Microstructure and Thermal History of Metal Particles in CH Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldstein, J. I.; Jones, R. H.; Kotula, P. G.; Michael, J. R.

2005-03-01

This paper provides detailed microstructural and microchemical information at the nm to µm scale (SEM, EPMA, TEM, EBSD) for a select suite of metal particles in four CH chondrites, ALH 85085, PAT 91546, Acfer 214, NWA 739.

Aqueous alteration and brecciation in Bells, an unusual, saponite-bearing, CM chondrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brearley, Adrian J.

1995-06-01

The petrological and mineralogical characteristics of the unusual CM2 chondrite, Bells, have been investigated in detail by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron microprobe analysis (EPMA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Bells is a highly brecciated chondrite which contains few intact chondrules, a very low abundance of refractory inclusions, and is notable in having an unusually high abundance of magnetite, which is disseminated throughout the fine-grained matrix. Fragmental olivines and pyroxenes are common and, based on compositional data, appear to have been derived from chondrules as a result of extensive brecciation. The fine-grained mineralogy of matrix in Bells differs considerably from other CM chondrites and has closer affinities to matrix in CI chondrites. The dominant phases are fine-grained saponite interlayered with serpentine, and phases such as tochilinite and cronstedtite, which are typical of CM chondrite matrices, are entirely absent. Pentlandite, pyrrhotite, magnetite, anhydrite, calcite, and rare Ti-oxides also occur as accessory phases. Based on its oxygen and noble gas isotopic compositions (Zadnik, 1985; Rowe et al., 1994), Bells can be considered to be a CM2 chondrite, although its bulk composition shows some departures from the typical range exhibited by this group. However, these variations in bulk chemistry are entirely consistent with the observed mineralogy of Bells. The unusual fine-grained mineralogy of Bells matrix can be reasonably attributed to the combined effects of aqueous alteration and advanced brecciation in a parent body environment. Extensive brecciation has assisted aqueous alteration by reducing chondrules and mineral grains into progressively smaller grains with high surface areas, which are more susceptible to dissolution reactions involving aqueous fluids. This has resulted in the preferential dissolution of Fe-rich chondrule olivines, which are now completely absent in Bells although present in other CM chondrites. The formation of saponite in Bells probably resulted from the dissolution of relatively silica-rich phases, such as pyroxene and olivine, that were derived from chondrules. The result of such dissolution reactions would be to increase the activity of silica in the fluid phase, at least on a localized scale, stabilizing saponite in preference to serpentine. An increase in aSiO 2 would also have destabilized preexisting cronstedtite which may have reacted to form magnetite and MgFe serpentine under conditions of constant ƒO 2 .

Chondrites and the Protoplanetary Disk, Part 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Contents include the following: Ca-, Al-Rich Inclusions and Ameoboid Olivine Aggregates: What We Know and Don t Know About Their Origin. Aluminium-26 and Oxygen Isotopic Distributions of Ca-Al-rich Inclusions from Acfer 214 CH Chondrite. The Trapping Efficiency of Helium in Fullerene and Its Implicatiion to the Planetary Science. Constraints on the Origin of Chondritic Components from Oxygen Isotopic Compositions. Role of Planetary Impacts in Thermal Processing of Chondrite Materials. Formation of the Melilite Mantle of the Type B1 CAIs: Flash Heating or Transport? The Iodine-Xenon System in Outer and Inner Portions of Chondrules from the Unnamed Antarctic LL3 Chondrite. Nucleosynthesis of Short-lived Radioactivities in Massive Stars. The Two-Fluid Analysis of the Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability in the Dust Layer of a Protoplanetary Disk: A Possible Path to the Planetesimal Formation Through the Gravitational Instability. Shock-Wave Heating Model for Chonodrule Formation: Heating Rate and Cooling Rate Constraints. Glycine Amide Hydrolysis with Water and OH Radical: A Comparative DFT Study. Micron-sized Sample Preparation for AFM and SEM. AFM, FE-SEM and Optical Imaging of a Shocked L/LL Chondrite: Implications for Martensite Formation and Wave Propagation. Infrared Spectroscopy of Chondrites and Their Components: A Link Between Meteoritics and Astronomy? Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of CAI and Their Mineral Components. The Origin of Iron Isotope Fractionation in Chondrules, CAIs and Matrix from Allende (CV3) and Chainpur (LL3) Chondrites. Protoplanetary Disk Evolution: Early Results from Spitzer. Kinetics of Evaporation-Condensation in a Melt-Solid System and Its Role on the Chemical Composition and Evolution of Chondrules. Oxygen Isotope Exchange Recorded Within Anorthite Single Crystal in Vigarano CAI: Evidence for Remelting by High Temperature Process in the Solar Nebula. Chondrule Forming Shock Waves in Solar Nebula by X-Ray Flares. Organic Globules with Anormalous Nitrogen Isotopic Compositions in the Tagish Lake Meteorite: Products of Primitive Organic Reactions. Yet Another Chondrule Formation Scenario. CAIs are Not Supernova Condensates. Microcrystals and Amorphous Material in Comets and Primitive Meteorites: Keys to Understanding Processes in the Early Solar System. A Nearby Supernova Injected Short-lived Radionuclides into Our Protoplanetary Disk. REE+Y Systematics in CC and UOC Chondrules. Meteoritic Constraints on Temperatures, Pressures, Cooling Rates, Chemical Compositions, and Modes of Condensation in the Solar Nebula. The I-Xe Record of Long Equilibration in Chondrules from the Unnamed Antarctic Meteorite L3/LL3. Early Stellar Evolution.

Thermal history of type 3 chondrites from the Antarctic meteorite collection determined by Raman spectroscopy of their polyaromatic carbonaceous matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonal, Lydie; Quirico, Eric; Flandinet, Laurène; Montagnac, Gilles

2016-09-01

This paper is focused on the characterization of the thermal history of 151 CV, CO and unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOCs) from the NASA Antarctic meteorite collection, using an approach based on the structure of the included polyaromatic carbonaceous matter determined by Raman spectroscopy. 114 out of these 151 chondrites provided Raman spectra of carbonaceous matter and allowing to assign a petrologic type, which mostly reflects the peak temperature experienced by the rock on the parent body. A thorough review of literature shows however that it is not possible to deduce a peak temperature because accurate calibration is not available. Twenty-three new weakly metamorphosed chondrites have been identified: MIL 07671 (CV3.1); DOM 08006 (CO3.0); DOM 03238, MIL 05024, MIL 05104, MIL 07193 (CO3.1); TIL 82408, LAR 06279 (LL3.05-3.1); EET 90628 (L3.0); GRO 06054, QUE 97008 (L3.05), ALHA 77176, EET 90066, LAR 04380, MET 96515, MIL 05050 (L3.1); ALHA 78133, EET 87735, EET 90909, LEW 87208, PRE 95401 (L3.05-3.1); MCY 05218 (H3.05-3.1) and MET 00506 (H3.1). This study confirms that the width of the D band (FWHMD) and the ratio of the peak intensity of the D and G bands (ID/IG) are the most adapted tracers of the extent of thermal metamorphism in type 3 chondrites. It also unambiguously shows, thanks to the large number of samples, that the width of the G band (FWHMG) does not correlate with the maturity of polyaromatic carbonaceous matter. This parameter is nevertheless very valuable because it shows that Raman spectra of CV chondrites preserve memory of either the metamorphic conditions (possibly oxidation controlled by aqueous alteration) or the nature of the organic precursor. Oxidation memory is our preferred interpretation, however an extensive petrologic characterization of this CV series is required to get firm conclusions. Pre-graphitic carbonaceous matter is reported in seven chondrites and is even the only carbonaceous material detected in the chondrites ALHA 78119 and DAV 92302. This pre-graphitic carbonaceous matter cannot be formed through radiogenic thermal metamorphism without metal catalysis. Shock metamorphism is another possible process for accounting its formation, but it appears less plausible.

New SSMS Techniques for the Determination of Rhodium and Other Platinum- Group Elements in Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jochum, K. P.; Seufert, H. M.

1995-09-01

We have developed new spark source mass spectrometric (SSMS) techniques for simultaneous analysis of platinum-group elements (PGE) together with other trace elements in stony meteorites. We have measured elemental abundances of Rh, Ru, Os, Ir, Pt, Au in carbonaceous chondrites of different types including the two CI chondrites Orgueil and Ivuna. These data are relevant for the determination of solar-system abundances. Whereas the solar-system abundances of most PGE are well known, this is not the case for Rh, and no literature data exist for carbonaceous chondrites, mainly because of analytical difficulties. The SSMS techniques include new calibration procedures and the use of a recently developed multi-ion counting (MIC) system [1]. The mono-isotopic element Rh and the other PGE were determined by using internal standard elements (e.g., Nd, U) that were measured by isotope dilution in the same sample electrode material. The data were calibrated with certified standard solutions of PGE which were doped on trace-element poor rock samples. Ion abundances were measured using both the conventional photoplate detection and the ion-counting techniques. The new MIC technique that uses up to 20 small channeltrons for ion counting measurements has the advantage of improved precision, detection limits and analysis time compared to photoplate detection. Tab. 1 shows the Rh analyses for the meteorites Orgueil, Ivuna, Murchison, Allende and Karoonda obtained by conventional photoplate detection. These are the first Rh results for carbonaceous chondrites. The data for the two CI chondrites Orgueil and Ivuna are identical and agree within 4 % with the CI estimate of Anders and Grevesse [2] which was derived indirectly from analyses for H-chondrites. The PGE Os, Ir, Pt, Au and W, Re, Th, U concentrations were determined by both detection systems. Data obtained with the MIC system are more precise (about 4% for concentrations in the ppb range) compared to the photoplate detection system (about 10 - 15 %). Both data sets agree within error limits. Rhodium correlates well with Pt and other PGE indicating no significant fractionation between the different types of carbonaceous chondrites (Tab. 1). References: [1] Jochum K. P. et al. (1994) Fresenius J. Anal. Chem., 350, 642-644. [2] Anders E. and Grevesse N. (1989) GCA, 53, 197-214.

Graphitic carbon in the Allende meteorite - A microstructural study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, P. P. K.; Buseck, P. R.

1981-01-01

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy shows that carbon in the Allende carbonaceous chondrite meteorite is predominantly a poorly crystalline graphite. Such material is of interest as an important carrier of the isotopically anomalous noble gases found in carbonaceous chondrites.

Titanium and Oxygen Isotope Compositions of Individual Chondrules from Ordinary Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, K. K.; Schönbächler, M.; Fehr, M. A.; Vennemann, T.; Chaumard, N.; Zanda, B.

2016-08-01

We measured Ti and triple-O isotope compositions of individual chondrules (characterized by CT scanning) from ordinary chondrites. We will discuss correlations between Ti and ∆17O and their implication for the origin of nucleosynthetic anomalies.

Highly Siderophile Elements in Shocked and Unshocked Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Horan, M. F.; Walker, R. J.; Rubin, A. E.

2001-01-01

High precision abundances of Re, Os, Pt, Ir, Ru, and Pd are combined with Re-Os isotopic data to demonstrate that HSE provide a distinctive fingerprint for each of the chondrite groups. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Mn-Cr isotopic systematics of Chainpur chondrules and bulk ordinary chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nyquist, L.; Lindstrom, D.; Wiesmann, H.; Bansal, B.; Shih, C.-Y.; Mittlefehldt, D.; Martinez, R.; Wentworth, S.

1994-01-01

We report on ongoing study of the Mn-Cr systematics of individual Chainpur (LL3.4) chondrules and compare the results to those for bulk ordinary chondrites. Twenty-eight chondrules were surveyed for abundances of Mn, Cr, Na, Fe, Sc, Hf, Ir, and Zn by INAA. Twelve were chosen for SEM/EDX and high-precision Cr-isotopic studies on the basis of LL-chondrite-normalized Mn(LL), Sc(LL), (Mn/Fe)(LL), and (Sc/Fe)(LL) as well as their Mn/Cr ratios. Classification into textural types follows from SEM/EDX examination of interior surfaces.

Refractory inclusions in the Ornans C30 chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, A. M.

1985-01-01

Several types of metedorites contain unusual objects 10 micrometers to 2 centimeters across that are enriched in refractory elements such as calcium, aluminum and titanium. These objects, commonly known as refractory inclusions, are most abundant in the meteorites known as carbonaceous chondrites. The refractory inclusions that have been found in the Ornans metedorite, a member of a little-studied group of carbonaceous chondrites are described. Some refractory inclusions in Ornans resemble those found in other meteorites, while others are unlike any seen before. The unusual inclusions in Ornans contain minerals with extraordinary enrichments in highly refractory elements.

The Aqueous Alteration of CR Chondrites: Experiments and Geochemical Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perronnet, M.; Berger, G.; Zolensky, M. E.; Toplis, M. J.; Kolb, V. M.; Bajagic, M.

2007-01-01

CR carbonaceous chondrites are of major interest since they contain some of the most primitive organic matter known. However, aqueous alteration has more or less overprinted their original features in a way that needs to be assessed. This study was initiated by comparing the mineralogy and modal abundances of the most altered CR1 chondrite, GRO 95577, to a less altered CR2. Calculated element distributions imply that GRO 95577 may result from aqueous alteration of Renazzo by an isochemical process on their parent asteroid, whose mineralogical composition was estimated ( Unaltered CR shown included table).

The Oxygen Isotopic Composition of MIL 090001: A CR2 Chondrite with Abundant Refractory Inclusions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keller, Lindsay P.; McKeegan, K. D.; Sharp, Z. D.

2012-01-01

MIL 090001 is a large (>6 kg) carbonaceous chondrite that was classified as a member of the CV reduced subgroup (CVred) that was recovered during the 2009-2010 ANSMET field season [1]. Based on the abundance of refractory inclusions and the extent of aqueous alteration, Keller [2] suggested a CV2 classification. Here we report additional mineralogical and petrographic data for MIL 090001, its whole-rock oxygen isotopic composition and ion microprobe analyses of individual phases. The whole rock oxygen isotopic analyses show that MIL 090001 should be classified as a CR chondrite.

Establishing a molecular relationship between chondritic and cometary organic solids

PubMed Central

Cody, George D.; Heying, Emily; Alexander, Conel M. O.; Nittler, Larry R.; Kilcoyne, A. L. David; Sandford, Scott A.

2011-01-01

Multidimensional solid-state NMR spectroscopy is used to refine the identification and abundance determination of functional groups in insoluble organic matter (IOM) isolated from a carbonaceous chondrite (Murchison, CM2). It is shown that IOM is composed primarily of highly substituted single ring aromatics, substituted furan/pyran moieties, highly branched oxygenated aliphatics, and carbonyl groups. A pathway for producing an IOM-like molecular structure through formaldehyde polymerization is proposed and tested experimentally. Solid-state 13C NMR analysis of aqueously altered formaldehyde polymer reveals considerable similarity with chondritic IOM. Carbon X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy of formaldehyde polymer reveals the presence of similar functional groups across certain Comet 81P/Wild 2 organic solids, interplanetary dust particles, and primitive IOM. Variation in functional group concentration amongst these extraterrestrial materials is understood to be a result of various degrees of processing in the parent bodies, in space, during atmospheric entry, etc. These results support the hypothesis that chondritic IOM and cometary refractory organic solids are related chemically and likely were derived from formaldehyde polymer. The fine-scale morphology of formaldehyde polymer produced in the experiment reveals abundant nanospherules that are similar in size and shape to organic nanoglobules that are ubiquitous in primitive chondrites. PMID:21464292

Murchison CM2 chondrite at nanoscale: evidence for hydrated minerals in the protoplanetary disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trigo-Rodriguez, J. M.; Vila-Ruaix, A.; Alonso-Azcárate, J.; Abad, M. M.

2017-03-01

The most pristine chondrites are undifferentiated meteorites with highly unequilibrated mineral grains that accreted from the protoplanetary disk about 4.6 Gyrs ago. Here we focus our attention in the study of Murchison, one of the most primitive carbonaceous chondrites belonging to the CM2 group. Despite of being aqueously altered, Murchison matrix is extraordinarily complex at nanoscale, and its study can hold clues to understand the origin of the water incorporated in the parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites. Murchison comes from an undifferentiated carbon-rich asteroid which formed from the accretion of solid particles formed in the outer protoplanetary disk. Their rock-forming materials felt into the plane of the system where they mixed with organics, and probably with hydrated minerals. Our UHRTEM (ultra-high resolution transmission electron microscopy) data demonstrate that Murchison fine-grained matrix consists of a complex mixture of many ingredients, including chondrule and CAI fragments, stellar grains, phyllosilicates and organic compounds. We describe here some mineral and textural features that exemplify how pristine, and diverse is Murchison matrix. Our results indicate that the study of carbonaceous chondrites at nanoscale can provide a significant progress in our understanding of the accretion of materials and the preservation of presolar grains in the outer regions of the protoplanetary disk.

Les minéraux accessoires des granitoïdes de la suite taourirt, Hoggar (Algérie): conséquences pétrogénétiques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azzouni-Sekkal, Abla; Bonin, Bernard

1998-01-01

The post-Pan-African 'taourirt' suite of Hoggar (Algeria) is made up by themagmatic suite: G I monzogranite, G IIa monzogranite+syenogranite, G IIb subsolvus alkali feldspar granite (alaskite), GIII hypersolvus alkali feldspar syenite + granite. Silicates (zircon, thorite, allanite, chevkinite, titanite), oxides (magnetite, ilmenite, fergusonite) and phosphates (apatite, monazite), often abundant, constitute various accessory mineral associations. Crystal morphology, place in the sequence of crystallisation and mineral chemistry change as a function of parageneses. The constant titanite + magnetite + ilmenite assemblage in G I and G II rocks illustrates more oxidising conditions than in G III group, where hedenbergite + magnetite + ilmenite coexist. Two groups of accessory minerals are distinguished: (1) LREE rich (3×10 4 to 3×10 5 × chondrites) and Y rich (50 to 10 4 × chondrites), such as allanite, chevkinite and monazite, (2) LREE poor (100 to 10 4 × chondrites) and Y rich (1000 to 10 5 × chondrites), such as zircon, thorite, titanite and fergusonite. Shapes of chondrite-normalised patterns and evolutionary trends of REE, as well as of other HFSE, such as Nb, Zr, U and Th, in bulk rocks are dependent on relative abundances of the different accessory minerals.

Developing space weathering on the asteroid 25143 Itokawa.

PubMed

Hiroi, Takahiro; Abe, Masanao; Kitazato, Kohei; Abe, Shinsuke; Clark, Beth E; Sasaki, Sho; Ishiguro, Masateru; Barnouin-Jha, Olivier S

2006-09-07

Puzzlingly, the parent bodies of ordinary chondrites (the most abundant type of meteorites) do not seem to be abundant among asteroids. One possible explanation is that surfaces of the parent bodies become optically altered, to become the S-type asteroids which are abundant in the main asteroid belt. The process is called 'space weathering'-it makes the visible and near-infrared reflectance spectrum of a body darker and redder. A recent survey of small, near-Earth asteroids suggests that the surfaces of small S asteroids may have developing stages of space weathering. Here we report that a dark region on a small (550-metre) asteroid-25143 Itokawa-is significantly more space-weathered than a nearby bright region. Spectra of both regions are consistent with those of LL5-6 chondrites after continuum removal. A simple calculation suggests that the dark area has a shorter mean optical path length and about 0.04 per cent by volume more nanophase metallic iron particles than the bright area. This clearly shows that space-weathered materials accumulate on small asteroids, which are likely to be the parent bodies of LL chondrites. We conclude that, because LL meteorites are the least abundant of ordinary (H, L, and LL) chondrites, there must be many asteroids with ordinary-chondrite compositions in near-Earth orbits.

Young chondrules in CB chondrites from a giant impact in the early Solar System.

PubMed

Krot, Alexander N; Amelin, Yuri; Cassen, Patrick; Meibom, Anders

2005-08-18

Chondrules, which are the major constituent of chondritic meteorites, are believed to have formed during brief, localized, repetitive melting of dust (probably caused by shock waves) in the protoplanetary disk around the early Sun. The ages of primitive chondrules in chondritic meteorites indicate that their formation started shortly after that of the calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions (4,567.2 +/- 0.7 Myr ago) and lasted for about 3 Myr, which is consistent with the dissipation timescale for protoplanetary disks around young solar-mass stars. Here we report the 207Pb-206Pb ages of chondrules in the metal-rich CB (Bencubbin-like) carbonaceous chondrites Gujba (4,562.7 +/- 0.5 Myr) and Hammadah al Hamra 237 (4,562.8 +/- 0.9 Myr), which formed during a single-stage, highly energetic event. Both the relatively young ages and the single-stage formation of the CB chondrules are inconsistent with formation during a nebular shock wave. We conclude that chondrules and metal grains in the CB chondrites formed from a vapour-melt plume produced by a giant impact between planetary embryos after dust in the protoplanetary disk had largely dissipated. These findings therefore provide evidence for planet-sized objects in the earliest asteroid belt, as required by current numerical simulations of planet formation in the inner Solar System.

The Orbits of Meteorites from Natural Thermoluminescence. Attachment 5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benoit, P. H.; Sears, D. W. G.

1997-01-01

The natural thermoluminescence (TL) of meteorites reflects their irradiation and thermal histories. Virtually all ordinary chondrites have been irradiated long enough to reach saturation natural TL levels, and thus natural TL levels in these meteorites are determined largely by thermal history. The primary heat source for most meteorites is the Sun, and thus natural TL levels are determined primarily by the closest approach to the Sun, i.e., perihelion. By converting natural TL levels to perihelia, using an assumed albedo typical of meteoroid bodies, it is found that most ordinary chondrites had perihelia of 0.85 to 1.0 AU prior to reaching Earth. This range is similar to that calculated from meteor and fireball observations. All common classes of ordinary chondrites exhibit similar perihelia distributions; however, H and LL chondrites that fell in the local morning differ in their natural TL distribution from those that fell in the local afternoon or evening. This is consistent with earlier suggestions that time of fall reflects orbital distribution. The data also suggest that the orbits of some of the H chondrites cluster and may have come from a debris 'stream' of meteoroids. If meteorites can exist in "orbital groups," significant changes in the types and number of meteorites reaching Earth could occur on the less than 10(exp 5)-year time scale.

Simulation of possible regolith optical alteration effects on carbonaceous chondrite meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Beth E.; Fanale, Fraser P.; Robinson, Mark S.

1993-01-01

As the spectral reflectance search continues for links between meteorites and their parent body asteroids, the effects of optical surface alteration processes need to be considered. We present the results of an experimental simulation of the melting and recrystallization that occurs to a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite regolith powder upon heating. As done for the ordinary chondrite meteorites, we show the effects of possible parent-body regolith alteration processes on reflectance spectra of carbonaceous chondrites (CC's). For this study, six CC's of different mineralogical classes were obtained from the Antarctic Meteorite Collection: two CM meteorites, two CO meteorites, one CK, and one CV. Each sample was ground with a ceramic mortar and pestle to powders with maximum grain sizes of 180 and 90 microns. The reflectance spectra of these powders were measured at RELAB (Brown University) from 0.3 to 2.5 microns. Following comminution, the 90 micron grain size was melted in a nitrogen controlled-atmosphere fusion furnace at an approximate temperature of 1700 C. The fused sample was immediately held above a flow of nitrogen at 0 C for quenching. Following melting and recrystallization, the samples were reground to powders, and the reflectance spectra were remeasured. The effects on spectral reflectance for a sample of the CM carbonaceous chondrite called Murchison are shown.

Deducing Wild 2 Components with a Statistical Dataset of Olivine in Chondrite Matrix

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, D. R.; Zolensky, M. E.; Le, L.

2012-01-01

Introduction: A preliminary exam of the Wild 2 olivine yielded a major element distribution that is strikingly similar to those for aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites (CI, CM, and CR) [1], in which FeO-rich olivine is preferentially altered. With evidence lacking for large-scale alteration in Wild 2, the mechanism for this apparent selectivity is poorly understood. We use a statistical approach to explain this distribution in terms of relative contributions from different chondrite forming regions. Samples and Analyses: We have made a particular effort to obtain the best possible analyses of both major and minor elements in Wild 2 olivine and the 5-30 micrometer population in chondrite matrix. Previous studies of chondrite matrix either include larger isolated grains (not found in the Wild 2 collection) or lack minor element abundances. To overcome this gap in the existing data, we have now compiled greater than 10(exp 3) EPMA analyses of matrix olivine in CI, CM, CR, CH, Kakangari, C2-ungrouped, and the least equilibrated CO, CV, LL, and EH chondrites. Also, we are acquiring TEM/EDXS analyses of the Wild 2 olivine with 500s count times, to reduce relative errors of minor elements with respect to those otherwise available. Results: Using our Wild 2 analyses and those from [2], the revised major element distribution is more similar to anhydrous IDPs than previous results, which were based on more limited statistics (see figure below). However, a large frequency peak at Fa(sub 0-1) still persists. All but one of these grains has no detectable Cr, which is dissimilar to the Fa(sub 0-1) found in the CI and CM matrices. In fact, Fa(sub 0-1) with strongly depleted Cr content is a composition that appears to be unique to Kakangari and enstatite (highly reduced) chondrites. We also note the paucity of Fa(sub greater than 58), which would typically indicate crystallization in a more oxidizing environment [3]. We conclude that, relative to the bulk of anhydrous IDPs, Wild 2 may have received a larger contribution from the Kakangari and/or enstatite chondrite forming regions. Alternatively, Wild 2 may have undergone accretion in an anomalously reducing region, marked by nebular condensation of this atypical forsterite. In [4], a similar conclusion was reached with an Fe-XANES study. We will also use similar lines of reasoning, and our previous conclusions in [5], to constrain the relative contributions of silicates that appear to have been radially transported from different ordinary and carbonaceous chondrite forming regions to the Kuiper Belt. In addition, the widespread depletion of Cr in these FeO-rich (Fa(sub greater than 20)) fragments is consistent with mild thermal metamorphism in Wild 2.

Enstatite chondrites EL3 as building blocks for the Earth: The debate over the 146Sm-142Nd systematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyet, M.; Bouvier, A.; Frossard, P.; Hammouda, T.; Garçon, M.; Gannoun, A.

2018-04-01

The 146Sm-142Nd extinct decay scheme (146Sm half-life of 103 My) is a powerful tool to trace early Earth silicate differentiation. Differences in 142Nd abundance measured between different chondrite meteorite groups and the modern Earth challenges the interpretation of the 142Nd isotopic variations found in terrestrial samples because the origin of the Earth and the nature of its building blocks is still an ongoing debate. As bulk meteorites, the enstatite chondrites (EC) have isotope signatures that are the closest to the Earth value with an average small deficit of ∼10 ppm in 142Nd relative to modern terrestrial samples. Here we review all the Nd isotope data measured on EC so far, and present the first measurements on an observed meteorite fall Almahata Sitta containing pristine fragments of an unmetamorphosed enstatite chondrite belonging to the EL3 subgroup. Once 142Nd/144Nd ratios are normalized to a common chondritic evolution, samples from the EC group (both EL and EH) have a deficit in 142Nd but the dispersion is important (μ142 Nd = - 10 ± 12 (2SD) ppm). This scatter reflects their unique mineralogy associated to their formation in reduced conditions (low fO2 or high C/O). Rare-earth elements are mainly carried by the sulfide phase oldhamite (CaS) that is more easily altered than silicates by weathering since most of the EC meteorites are desert finds. The EL6 have fractionated rare-earth element patterns with depletion in the most incompatible elements. Deviations in Nd mass independent stable isotope ratios in enstatite chondrites relative to terrestrial standard are not resolved with the level of analytical precision achieved by modern mass spectrometry techniques. Here we show that enstatite chondrites from the EL3 and EL6 subgroups may come from different parent bodies. Samples from the EL3 subgroup have Nd (μ142 Nd = - 0.8 ± 7.0, 2SD) and Ru isotope ratios undistinguishable from that of the Bulk Silicate Earth. EL3 samples have never been analyzed for Mo isotopes. Because these enstatite chondrites are relatively small in size and number, they are usually not available for destructive isotopic measurements. Average values based on the measurement of EL6 samples should not be considered as representative of the whole EL group because of melting and thermal metamorphism events affecting the Sm/Nd ratios and prolonged open-system history. The EL3 chondrites are the best candidates as the Earth's building blocks. These new results remove the need to change the composition of refractory incompatible elements early in Earth's history.

Cadmium Isotope Variations in Bulk Chondrites: The Effect of Thermal Neutron Capture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toth, E. R.; Schönbächler, M.; Friebel, M.; Fehr, M. A.

2017-07-01

Cadmium isotope data will be presented for bulk carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites, and acid leachates of Jbilet Winselwan (CM). Results of bulk samples show Cd isotope variations that are in good agreement with models of thermal neutron capture.

The Carbonaceous - Non-Carbonaceous Chondrite Reservoir Dichotomy and the Challenge of Ureilites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodrich, C. A.

2017-08-01

Solar system materials are strongly divided into CC (carbonaceous chondrite) and NCC (non-CC) groups in terms of nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies. Ureilites are in the NCC group but seem to have had volatile-rich precursors. How could this be?

Coordinated Petrography and Oxygen Isotopic Compositions of Al-Rich Chondrules from CV3 Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, M. M.; Lin, Y. T.; Tang, G. Q.; Li, X. H.

2017-07-01

In this study, we coordinated the petrology, bulk compositions and oxygen isotope compositions of 12 ARCs from Allende and Leoville and Ningqiang chondrites in order to elucidate any potential genetic relationships between ARCs, CAIs and FMCs.

An Amoeboid Olivine Aggregate in LEW 85300

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komatsu, M. D.; Yamaguchi, A.; Fagan, T. J.; Zolensky, M. E.; Shiran, N.; Mikouchi, T.

2016-01-01

Amoeboid Olivine aggregates (AOAs) are irregularly shaped objects commonly observed in carbonaceous chondrites. Because they are composed of fine-grained olivine and Ca-Al-rich minerals, they are sensitive indicators for nebular process and parent body alteration of their parent bodies. Recently an AOA was found in a carbonaceous clast in polymict eucrite LEW 85300. The bulk major element composition of the clast matrix in LEW 85300 suggests a relation to CM, CO and CV chondrites, whereas bulk clast trace and major element compositions do not match any carbonaceous chondrite, suggesting they have a unique origin. Here we characterize the mineralogy of AOA in LEW 85300 and discuss the origin of the carbonaceous clasts. Results and Discussion: The AOA is located in an impact melt vein. Half of the aggregate shows recrystallization textures (euhedral pyroxene and molten metal/FeS) due to impact melting, but the remaining part preserves the original texture. The AOA is composed of olivine, FeS and Mg,Al-phyllosilicate. Individual olivine grains measure 1-8 microns, with Fe-rich rims, probably due to impact heating. Olivines in the AOA are highly forsteritic (Fo95-99), indicating that the AOA escaped thermal metamorphism [4]. Although no LIME (Low-Fe, Mn-Enriched) olivine is observed, forsterite composition and the coexistence of Mg,Al-phyllosilicate suggest that the AOA is similar to those in the Bali-type oxidized CV (CVoxB) and CR chondrites. However, it should be noted that fayalitic olivine, which commonly occurs in CVoxB AOA, is not observed in this AOA. Also, the smaller grain size (<8 microns) of olivine suggests they may be related to CM or CO chondrites. Therefore, we cannot exclude the possibility that the AOA originated from a unique carbonaceous chondrite.

Chondrule formation, metamorphism, brecciation, an important new primary chondrule group, and the classification of chondrules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sears, Derek W. G.; Shaoxiong, Huang; Benoit, Paul H.

1995-01-01

The recently proposed compositional classification scheme for meteoritic chondrules divides the chondrules into groups depending on the composition of their two major phases, olivine (or pyroxene) and the mesostasis, both of which are genetically important. The scheme is here applied to discussions of three topics: the petrographic classification of Roosevelt County 075 (the least-metamorphosed H chondrite known), brecciation (an extremely important and ubiquitous process probably experienced by greater than 40% of all unequilibrated ordinary chondrites), and the group A5 chondrules in the least metamorphosed ordinary chondrites which have many similarities to chondrules in the highly metamorphosed 'equilibrated' chondrites. Since composition provides insights into both primary formation properties of the chondruies and the effects of metamorphism on the entire assemblage it is possible to determine the petrographic type of RC075 as 3.1 with unique certainty. Similarly, the near scheme can be applied to individual chondrules without knowledge of the petrographic type of the host chondrite, which makes it especially suitable for studying breccias. Finally, the new scheme has revealed the existence of chondrules not identified by previous techniques and which appear to be extremely important. Like group A1 and A2 chondrules (but unlike group B1 chondrules) the primitive group A5 chondruies did not supercool during formation, but unlike group A1 and A2 chondrules (and like group B1 chondrules) they did not suffer volatile loss and reduction during formation. It is concluded that the compositional classification scheme provides important new insights into the formation and history of chondrules and chondrites which would be overlooked by previous schemes.

K-Ca Dating of Alkali-Rich Fragments in the Y-74442 and Bhola LL-Chondritic Breccias

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yokoyama, T; Misawa, K.; Okano, O; Shih, C. -Y.; Nyquist, L. E.; Simon, J. I.; Tappa, M. J.; Yoneda, S.

2013-01-01

Alkali-rich igneous fragments in the brecciated LL-chondrites, Krahenberg (LL5) [1], Bhola (LL3-6) [2], Siena (LL5) [3] and Yamato (Y)-74442 (LL4) [4-6], show characteristic fractionation patterns of alkali and alkaline elements [7]. The alkali-rich fragments in Krahenberg, Bhola and Y-74442 are very similar in mineralogy and petrography, suggesting that they could have come from related precursor materials [6]. Recently we reported Rb-Sr isotopic systematics of alkali-rich igneous rock fragments in Y-74442: nine fragments from Y-74442 yield the Rb-Sr age of 4429 plus or minus 54 Ma (2 sigma) for lambda(Rb-87) = 0.01402 Ga(exp -1) [8] with the initial ratio of Sr-87/Sr-86 = 0.7144 plus or minus 0.0094 (2 sigma) [9]. The Rb-Sr age of the alkali-rich fragments of Y-74442 is younger than the primary Rb-Sr age of 4541 plus or minus 14 Ma for LL-chondrite whole-rock samples [10], implying that they formed after accumulation of LL-chondrite parental bodies, although enrichment may have happened earlier. Marshall and DePaolo [11,12] demonstrated that the K-40 - Ca-40 decay system could be an important chronometer as well as a useful radiogenic tracer for studies of terrestrial rocks. Shih et al. [13,14] and more recently Simon et al. [15] determined K-Ca ages of lunar granitic rocks, and showed the application of the K-Ca chronometer for K-rich planetary materials. Since alkali-rich fragments in the LL-chondritic breccias are highly enriched in K, we can expect enhancements of radiogenic Ca-40. Here, we report preliminary results of K-Ca isotopic systematics of alkali-rich fragments in the LL-chondritic breccias, Y-74442 and Bhola.

Chondritic models of 4 Vesta: Implications for geochemical and geophysical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toplis, M. J.; Mizzon, H.; Monnereau, M.; Forni, O.; McSween, H. Y.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.; McCoy, T. J.; Prettyman, T. H.; De Sanctis, M. C.; Raymond, C. A.; Russell, C. T.

2013-11-01

Simple mass-balance and thermodynamic constraints are used to illustrate the potential geochemical and geophysical diversity of a fully differentiated Vesta-sized parent body with a eucrite crust (e.g., core size and density, crustal thickness). The results of this analysis are then combined with data from the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites and the Dawn mission to constrain Vesta's bulk composition. Twelve chondritic compositions are considered, comprising seven carbonaceous, three ordinary, and two enstatite chondrite groups. Our analysis excludes CI and LL compositions as plausible Vesta analogs, as these are predicted to have a negative metal fraction. Second, the MELTS thermodynamic calculator is used to show that the enstatite chondrites, the CV, CK and L-groups cannot produce Juvinas-like liquids, and that even for the other groups, depletion in sodium is necessary to produce liquids of appropriate silica content. This conclusion is consistent with the documented volatile-poor nature of eucrites. Furthermore, carbonaceous chondrites are predicted to have a mantle too rich in olivine to produce typical howardites and to have Fe/Mn ratios generally well in excess of those of the HEDs. On the other hand, an Na-depleted H-chondrite bulk composition is capable of producing Juvinas-like liquids, has a mantle rich enough in pyroxene to produce abundant howardite/diogenite, and has a Fe/Mn ratio compatible with eucrites. In addition, its predicted bulk-silicate density is within 100 kg m-3 of solutions constrained by data of the Dawn mission. However, oxidation state and oxygen isotopes are not perfectly reproduced and it is deduced that bulk Vesta may contain approximately 25% of a CM-like component. Values for the bulk-silicate composition of Vesta and a preliminary phase diagram are proposed.

High abundances of presolar grains and 15N-rich organic matter in CO3.0 chondrite Dominion Range 08006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nittler, Larry R.; Alexander, Conel M. O'D.; Davidson, Jemma; Riebe, My E. I.; Stroud, Rhonda M.; Wang, Jianhua

2018-04-01

NanoSIMS C-, N-, and O-isotopic mapping of matrix in CO3.0 chondrite Dominion Range (DOM) 08006 revealed it to have in its matrix the highest abundance of presolar O-rich grains (257 +76/-96 ppm, 2σ) of any meteorite. It also has a matrix abundance of presolar SiC of 35 (+25/-17, 2σ) ppm, similar to that seen across primitive chondrite classes. This provides additional support to bulk isotopic and petrologic evidence that DOM 08006 is the most primitive known CO meteorite. Transmission electron microscopy of five presolar silicate grains revealed one to have a composite mineralogy similar to larger amoeboid olivine aggregates and consistent with equilibrium condensation, two non-stoichiometric amorphous grains, and two olivine grains, though one is identified as such solely based on its composition. We also found insoluble organic matter (IOM) to be present primarily as sub-micron inclusions with ranges of C- and N-isotopic anomalies similar to those seen in primitive CR chondrites and interplanetary dust particles. In contrast to other primitive extraterrestrial materials, H isotopic imaging showed normal and homogeneous D/H. Most likely, DOM 08006 and other CO chondrites accreted a similar complement of primitive and isotopically anomalous organic matter to that found in other chondrite classes and IDPs, but the very limited amount of thermal metamorphism experienced by DOM 08006 has caused loss of D-rich organic moieties, while not substantially affecting either the molecular carriers of C and N anomalies or most inorganic phases in the meteorite. One C-rich grain that was highly depleted in 13C and 15N was identified; we propose it originated in the Sun's parental molecular cloud.

Genealogy of Iron and Pallasite Meteorites as Revealed by Cr Isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanborn, M.; Yin, Q. Z.; Ziegler, K. G.

2017-12-01

The parent bodies and/or chemical reservoirs from which iron and stony-iron meteorites originated are not very well understood. It is unclear if particular groups of iron or stony-iron meteorites originated from melting of already known chondritic parent bodies or are representating new chemical reservoirs. Potential connections between iron meteorites and pallasites and known parent bodies have been suggested based on oxygen isotopes. Proposed genetic relationships include the IVA irons with ordinary chondrites1 and the anomalous pallasite Eagle Station with the CV chondrites2. Here, we use the power of Cr isotopes to further resolve potential connections between IVA irons and pallasites and specific parent bodies. Our new measurements of Cr isotopic composition of silicate inclusions from two IVA irons, Steinbach and São João Nepomuceno, are shown to be indistinguishable from that of the ordinary chondrites. Coupling Cr with oxygen indicates the IVA irons likely originated from the same source as LL chondrites. In contrast with Eagle Station, the new Cr isotope measurements combined with oxygen indicates the MGP Brenham and Krasnojarsk sampled a source material similar to that of the anomalous HEDs. As with Eagle Station, the Milton pallasite exhibits a carbonaceous chondrite (CC) Cr isotope composition, indicating that Eagle Station was not the lone case of a pallasite originating from a CC reservoir. By establishing these genetic relationships using Cr isotopes, it is now evident that the differentiation activity sampled by IVA irons and pallasites represents processes occurring on a diverse set of parent bodies in the early Solar System. [1] Ruzicka and Hutson (2006) MAPS, 41, 1959. [2] Shukolyukov and Lugmair (2006) EPSL, 250, 200.

Relative amino acid concentrations as a signature for parent body processes of carbonaceous chondrites.

PubMed

Botta, Oliver; Glavin, Daniel P; Kminek, Gerhard; Bada, Jeffrey L

2002-04-01

Most meteorites are thought to have originated from objects in the asteroid belt. Carbonaceous chondrites, which contain significant amounts of organic carbon including complex organic compounds, have also been suggested to be derived from comets. The current model for the synthesis of organic compounds found in carbonaceous chondrites includes the survival of interstellar organic compounds and the processing of some of these compounds on the meteoritic parent body. The amino acid composition of five CM carbonaceous chondrites, two CIs, one CR, and one CV3 have been measured using hot water extraction-vapor hydrolysis, OPA/NAC derivatization and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Total amino acid abundances in the bulk meteorites as well as the amino acid concentrations relative to glycine = 1.0 for beta-alanine, alpha-aminoisobutyric acid and D-alanine were determined. Additional data for three Antarctic CM meteorites were obtained from the literature. All CM meteorites analyzed in this study show a complex distribution of amino acids and a high variability in total concentration ranging from approximately 15,300 to approximately 5800 parts per billion (ppb), while the CIs show a total amino acid abundance of approximately 4300 ppb. The relatively (compared to glycine) high AIB content found in all the CMs is a strong indicator that Strecker-cyanohydrin synthesis is the dominant pathway for the formation of amino acids found in these meteorites. The data from the Antarctic CM carbonaceous chondrites are inconsistent with the results from the other CMs, perhaps due to influences from the Antarctic ice that were effective during their residence time. In contrast to CMs, the data from the CI carbonaceous chondrites indicate that the Strecker synthesis was not active on their parent bodies.

Late Chondritic Additions and Planet and Planetesimal Growth: Evaluation of Physical and Chemical Mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Righter, Kevin

2013-01-01

Studies of terrestrial peridotite and martian and achondritic meteorites have led to the conclusion that addition of chondritic material to growing planets or planetesimals, after core formation, occurred on Earth, Mars, asteroid 4 Vesta, and the parent body of the angritic meteorites [1-4]. One study even proposed that this was a common process in the final stages of growth [5]. These conclusions are based almost entirely on the highly siderophile elements (HSE; Re, Au, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir, Os). The HSE are a group of eight elements that have been used to argue for late accretion of chondritic material to the Earth after core formation was complete (e.g., [6]). This idea was originally proposed because the D(metal/silicate) values for the HSE are so high, yet their concentration in the mantle is too high to be consistent with such high Ds. The HSE also are present in chondritic relative abundances and hence require similar Ds if this is the result of core-mantle equilibration. Since the work of [6] there has been a realization that core formation at high PT conditions can explain the abundances of many siderophile elements in the mantle (e.g., [7]), but such detailed high PT partitioning data are lacking for many of the HSE to evaluate whether such ideas are viable for all four bodies. Consideration of other chemical parameters reveals larger problems that are difficult to overcome, but must be addressed in any scenario which calls on the addition of chondritic material to a reduced mantle. Yet these problems are rarely discussed or emphasized, making the late chondritic (or late veneer) addition hypothesis suspect.

Geochemical and oxygen isotope perspective of a new R chondrite Dhofar 1671: Affinity with ordinary chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Arshad; Nasir, Sobhi J.; Jabeen, Iffat; Al Rawas, Ahmed; Banerjee, Neil R.; Osinski, Gordon R.

2017-09-01

Dhofar 1671 is a relatively new meteorite that previous studies suggest belongs to the Rumuruti chondrite class. Major and REE compositions are generally in agreement with average values of the R chondrites (RCs). Moderately volatile elements such as Se and Zn abundances are lower than the R chondrite values that are similar to those in ordinary chondrites (OCs). Porphyritic olivine pyroxene (POP), radial pyroxene (RP), and barred olivine (BO) chondrules are embedded in a proportionately equal volume of matrix, one of the characteristic features of RCs. Microprobe analyses demonstrate compositional zoning in chondrule and matrix olivines showing Fa-poor interior and Fa-rich outer zones. Precise oxygen isotope data for chondrules and matrix obtained by laser-assisted fluorination show a genetic isotopic relationship between OCs and RCs. On the basis of our data, we propose a strong affinity between these groups and suggest that OC chondrule precursors could have interacted with a 17O-rich matrix to form RC chondrules (i.e., ∆17O shifts from 1‰ to 3‰). These interactions could have occurred at the same time as "exotic" clasts in brecciated samples formed such as NWA 10214 (LL3-6), Parnallee (LL3), PCA91241 (R3.8-6), and Dhofar 1671 (R3.6). We also infer that the source of the oxidation and 17O enrichment is the matrix, which may have been enriched in 17O-rich water. The abundance of matrix in RCs relative to OCs, ensured that these rocks would be apparently more oxidized and appreciably 17O-enriched. In situ analysis of Dhofar 1671 is recommended to further strengthen the link between OCs and RCs.

Relative Amino Acid Concentrations as a Signature for Parent Body Processes of Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Botta, Oliver; Glavin, Daniel P.; Kminek, Gerhard; Bada, Jeffrey L.

2002-01-01

Most meteorites are thought to have originated from objects in the asteroid belt. Carbonaceous chondrites, which contain significant amounts of organic carbon including complex organic compounds, have also been suggested to be derived from comets. The current model for the synthesis of organic compounds found in carbonaceous chondrites includes the survival of interstellar organic compounds and the processing of some of these compounds on the meteoritic parent body. The amino acid composition of five CM carbonaceous chondrites, two CIs, one CR, and one CV3 have been measured using hot water extraction-vapor hydrolysis, OPA/NAC derivatization and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Total amino acid abundances in the bulk meteorites as well as the amino acid concentrations relative to glycine = 1.0 for beta-alanine, alpha-aminoisobutyric acid and D-alanine were determined. Additional data for three Antarctic CM meteorites were obtained from the literature. All CM meteorites analyzed in this study show a complex distribution of amino acids and a high variability in total concentration ranging from approx. 15,300 to approx. 5800 parts per billion (ppb), while the CIs show a total amino acid abundance of approx. 4300 ppb. The relatively (compared to glycine) high AIB content found in all the CMs is a strong indicator that Strecker-cyanohydrin synthesis is the dominant pathway for the formation of amino acids found in these meteorites. The data from the Antarctic CM carbonaceous chondrites are inconsistent with the results from the other CMs, perhaps due to influences from the Antarctic ice that were effective during their residence time. In contrast to CMs, the data from the CI carbonaceous chondrites indicate that the Strecker synthesis was not active on their parent bodies.

Relative abundances of chondrule primary textural types in ordinary chondrites and their bearing on conditions of chondrule formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gooding, J. L.; Keil, K.

1981-03-01

A petrographic survey of > 1600 chondrules in thin-sections of 12 different mildly to highly unequilibrated H-, L-, and Li-chondrites, as well as morphological and textural study of 141 whole chondrules separated from 11 of the same chondrites, was used to determine the relative abundances of definable chondrule primary textural types. Percentage abundances of various chondrule types are remarkably similar in all chondrites studied and are ˜47-52 porphyritic olivine-pyroxene (POP), 15-27 porphyritic olivine (P 0), 9-11 porphyritic pyroxene (PP), 34 barred olivine (BO), 7-9 radial pyroxene (RP), 2-5 granular olivine-pyroxene (GOP), 3-5 cryptocrystalline (C), and ≥ 1 metallic (M). Neither chondrule size nor shape is strongly correlated with textural type. Compound and cratered chondrules, which are interpreted as products of collisions between plastic chondrules, comprise ˜2-28% of non-porphyritic (RP, GOP, C) but only ˜2-9% of porphyritic (POP, PO, PP, BO) chondrules, leading to a model-dependent implication that non-porphyritic chondrules evolved at number densities (chondrules per unit volume of space) which were 102 to 104 times greater than those which prevailed during porphyritic chondrule formation (total range of ˜1 to ˜106 m-3. Distinctive "rims" of fine-grained sulfides and/or silicates occur on both porphyritic and non-porphyritic types and appear to post-date chondrule formation. Apparently, either the same process(es) contributed chondrules to all unequilibrated ordinary chondrites or, if genetically different, the various chondrule types were well mixed before incorporation into chondrites. Melting of pre-existing materials is the mechanism favored for chondrule formation.

Effect of Tube-Based X-Ray Microtomography Imaging on the Amino Acid and Amine Content of the Murchison CM2 Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glavin, D. P.; Friedrich, J. M.; Aponte, J. C.; Dworkin, J. P.; Ebel, D. S.; Elsila, J. E.; Hill, M.; McLain, H. L.; Towbin, W. H.

2017-01-01

X-ray and synchrotron X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) are increasingly being used for three dimensional reconnaissance imaging of chondrites and returned extraterrestrial material prior to detailed chemical and mineralogical analyses. Although micro-CT imaging is generally considered to be a non-destructive technique since silicate and metallic minerals in chondrites are not affected by X-ray exposures at the intensities and wavelengths typically used, there are concerns that the use of micro-CT could be detrimental to the organics in carbonaceous chondrites. We recently conducted a synchrotron micro-CT experiment on a powdered sample of the Murchison CM2 carbonaceous chondrite exposed to a monochromatic high energy (approximately 48 kiloelectronvolts) total X-ray radiation dose of approximately 1 kilogray (kGy) using the Advanced Photon Source beamline 13-BMD (13-Bending Magnet-D Beamline) at Argonne National Laboratory and found that there were no detectable changes in the amino acid abundances or enantiomeric compositions in the chondrite after exposure relative to a Murchison control sample that was not exposed. However, lower energy bremsstrahlung X-rays could interact more with amino acids and other lower molecular weight amines in meteorites. To test for this possibility, three separate micro-CT imaging experiments of the Murchison meteorite using the GE Phoenix v/tome/x s 240 kilovolt microfocus high resolution tungsten target X-ray tube instrument at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) were conducted and the amino acid abundances and enantiomeric compositions were determined. We also investigated the abundances of the C1-C5 amines in Murchison which were not analyzed in the first study.

Non-destructive elemental analysis of a carbonaceous chondrite with direct current Muon beam at MuSIC.

PubMed

Terada, K; Sato, A; Ninomiya, K; Kawashima, Y; Shimomura, K; Yoshida, G; Kawai, Y; Osawa, T; Tachibana, S

2017-11-13

Electron- or X-ray-induced characteristic X-ray analysis has been widely used to determine chemical compositions of materials in vast research fields. In recent years, analysis of characteristic X-rays from muonic atoms, in which a muon is captured, has attracted attention because both a muon beam and a muon-induced characteristic X-ray have high transmission abilities. Here we report the first non-destructive elemental analysis of a carbonaceous chondrite using one of the world-leading intense direct current muon beam source (MuSIC; MUon Science Innovative Channel). We successfully detected characteristic muonic X-rays of Mg, Si, Fe, O, S and C from Jbilet Winselwan CM chondrite, of which carbon content is about 2 wt%, and the obtained elemental abundance pattern was consistent with that of CM chondrites. Because of its high sensitivity to carbon, non-destructive elemental analysis with a muon beam can be a novel powerful tool to characterize future retuned samples from carbonaceous asteroids.

Using the Fe/Mn Ratio of FeO-Rich Olivine In WILD 2, Chondrite Matrix, and Type IIA Chondrules to Disentangle Their Histories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, David R.; Le, L.; Zolensky, M. E.

2012-01-01

The Stardust Mission returned a large abundance of impactors from Comet 81P/Wild2 in the 5-30 m range. The preliminary examination of just a limited number of these particles showed that the collection captured abundant crystalline grains with a diverse mineralogy [1,2]. Many of these grains resemble those found in chondrite matrix and even contain fragments of chondrules and CAIs [1-3]. In particular, the olivine found in Wild 2 exhibits a wide compositional range (Fa0-97) with minor element abundances similar to the matrix olivine found in many carbonaceous chondrites (CCs) and unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOCs). Despite the wide distribution of Fa content, the olivine found in the matrices of CCs, UOCs, and Wild 2 can be roughly lumped into two types based solely on fayalite content. In fact, in some cases, a distinct bi-modal distribution is observed.

Unique View of C Asteriod Regolith from the Jbilet Winselwan CM Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael; Mikouchi, Takashi; Hagiya, Kenji; Ohsumi, Kazumasa; Komatsu, Mutsumi; Chan, Queenie H. S.; Le, Loan; Kring, David; Cato, Michael; Fagan, Amy L.;

A new type of solar-system material recovered from Ordovician marine limestone

PubMed Central

Schmitz, B.; Yin, Q. -Z.; Sanborn, M. E.; Tassinari, M.; Caplan, C. E.; Huss, G. R.

2016-01-01

From mid-Ordovician ∼470 Myr-old limestone >100 fossil L-chondritic meteorites have been recovered, representing the markedly enhanced flux of meteorites to Earth following the breakup of the L-chondrite parent body. Recently one anomalous meteorite, Österplana 065 (Öst 65), was found in the same beds that yield L chondrites. The cosmic-ray exposure age of Öst 65 shows that it may be a fragment of the impactor that broke up the L-chondrite parent body. Here we show that in a chromium versus oxygen-isotope plot Öst 65 falls outside all fields encompassing the known meteorite types. This may be the first documented example of an ‘extinct' meteorite, that is, a meteorite type that does not fall on Earth today because its parent body has been consumed by collisions. The meteorites found on Earth today apparently do not give a full representation of the kind of bodies in the asteroid belt ∼500 Myr ago. PMID:27299793

SXRF determination of trace elements in chondrule rims in the unequilibrated CO3 chondrite, ALH A77307

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brearley, Adrian J.; Bajt, Sasa; Sutton, Steve R.; Papike, J. J.

1993-01-01

The concentrations of Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, and Se in five chondrule rims in the CO3 chondrite ALH A77307 (3.0) using the synchrotron x-ray fluorescence (SXRF) microprobe at Brookhaven National Laboratory were determined. The data show that the trace element chemistry of rims on different chondrules is remarkably similar, consistent with data obtained for the major elements by electron microprobe. These results support the idea that rims are not genetically related to individual chondrules, but all sampled the same reservoir of homogeneously mixed dust. Of the trace elements analyzed Zn and Ga show depletions relative to CI chondrite values, but in comparison with bulk CO chondrites all the elements are enriched by approximately 1.5 to 3.5 x CO. The high concentrations of the highly volatile elements Se and Ga and moderately volatile Zn (1.5 to 2 x CO) in rims show that matrix is the major reservoir of volatile elements in ALH A77307.

A new type of solar-system material recovered from Ordovician marine limestone.

PubMed

Schmitz, B; Yin, Q-Z; Sanborn, M E; Tassinari, M; Caplan, C E; Huss, G R

2016-06-14

From mid-Ordovician ∼470 Myr-old limestone >100 fossil L-chondritic meteorites have been recovered, representing the markedly enhanced flux of meteorites to Earth following the breakup of the L-chondrite parent body. Recently one anomalous meteorite, Österplana 065 (Öst 65), was found in the same beds that yield L chondrites. The cosmic-ray exposure age of Öst 65 shows that it may be a fragment of the impactor that broke up the L-chondrite parent body. Here we show that in a chromium versus oxygen-isotope plot Öst 65 falls outside all fields encompassing the known meteorite types. This may be the first documented example of an 'extinct' meteorite, that is, a meteorite type that does not fall on Earth today because its parent body has been consumed by collisions. The meteorites found on Earth today apparently do not give a full representation of the kind of bodies in the asteroid belt ∼500 Myr ago.

One-pot synthesis of amino acid precursors with insoluble organic matter in planetesimals with aqueous activity.

PubMed

Kebukawa, Yoko; Chan, Queenie H S; Tachibana, Shogo; Kobayashi, Kensei; Zolensky, Michael E

2017-03-01

The exogenous delivery of organic molecules could have played an important role in the emergence of life on the early Earth. Carbonaceous chondrites are known to contain indigenous amino acids as well as various organic compounds and complex macromolecular materials, such as the so-called insoluble organic matter (IOM), but the origins of the organic matter are still subject to debate. We report that the water-soluble amino acid precursors are synthesized from formaldehyde, glycolaldehyde, and ammonia with the presence of liquid water, simultaneously with macromolecular organic solids similar to the chondritic IOM. Amino acid products from hydrothermal experiments after acid hydrolysis include α-, β-, and γ-amino acids up to five carbons, for which relative abundances are similar to those extracted from carbonaceous chondrites. One-pot aqueous processing from simple ubiquitous molecules can thus produce a wide variety of meteoritic organic matter from amino acid precursors to macromolecular IOM in chondrite parent bodies.

Extraterrestrial amino acids in Orgueil and Ivuna: Tracing the parent body of CI type carbonaceous chondrites

PubMed Central

Ehrenfreund, Pascale; Glavin, Daniel P.; Botta, Oliver; Cooper, George; Bada, Jeffrey L.

2001-01-01

Amino acid analyses using HPLC of pristine interior pieces of the CI carbonaceous chondrites Orgueil and Ivuna have found that β-alanine, glycine, and γ-amino-n-butyric acid (ABA) are the most abundant amino acids in these two meteorites, with concentrations ranging from ≈600 to 2,000 parts per billion (ppb). Other α-amino acids such as alanine, α-ABA, α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), and isovaline are present only in trace amounts (<200 ppb). Carbon isotopic measurements of β-alanine and glycine and the presence of racemic (D/L ≈ 1) alanine and β-ABA in Orgueil suggest that these amino acids are extraterrestrial in origin. In comparison to the CM carbonaceous chondrites Murchison and Murray, the amino acid composition of the CIs is strikingly distinct, suggesting that these meteorites came from a different type of parent body, possibly an extinct comet, than did the CM carbonaceous chondrites. PMID:11226205

Paleomagnetic Evidence for Partial Differentiation of the Silicate-Bearing IIE Iron Meteorite Parent Body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurel, C.; Bryson, J. F. J.; Weiss, B. P.; Scholl, A.

2016-12-01

The identification of dozens of petrologically diverse chondritic and achondritic meteoritic groups indicates that a diversity of planetesimals formed in the early solar system. It is commonly thought that planetesimals formed as either unmelted or else fully differentiated bodies, implying that chondrites and achondrites cannot have originated on a single body. However, it has been suggested that partially melted bodies with chondritic crusts and achondritic interiors may also have formed. This alternative proposal is supported by the recent identification of post-accretional remanent magnetization in CV, H chondrites, and also possibly in CM chondrites, which has been interpreted as possible evidence for a core dynamo on their parent bodies. Other piece of evidence suggesting the existence of partially differentiated bodies is the existence of the silicate-bearing IIE iron meteorites. The IIEs are composed of a Fe-Ni alloy matrix containing a mixture of chondritic, primitive achondritic, and chondritic silicate inclusions that likely formed on a single parent body. Therefore, IIEs may sample all three putative layers of a layered, partially differentiated body. On the other hand, the siderophile element compositions of the matrix metal demonstrate that it is not the product of fractional crystallization of a molten core. This suggests that the matrix metal is derived from isolated reservoirs of metal in the mantle and/or crust. It is unknown whether a large-scale metallic core, not represented by known meteorite samples, also formed on the same parent planetesimal. We can search for evidence of a molten, advecting core by assessing whether IIE irons contain remanent magnetization produced by a core dynamo. With this goal, we studied the paleomagnetism of a cloudy zone (CZ) interface in the Fe-Ni matrix of the IIE iron Colomera using X-ray photoelectron emission microscopy (XPEEM). Our initial results suggest that a steady, intense magnetic field was present during the gradual formation of the CZ. This may indicate the existence of an advecting core on the IIE parent body, which would support the hypothesis of a partially differentiated structure. We are continuing to test this conclusion with further XPEEM measurements on Colomera and other IIE irons.

A petrologic, thermodynamic and experimental study of brachinites: Partial melt residues of an R chondrite-like precursor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner-Vandy, Kathryn G.; Lauretta, Dante S.; McCoy, Timothy J.

2013-12-01

The primitive achondrites provide a window into the initial melting of asteroids in the early solar system. The brachinites are olivine-dominated meteorites with a recrystallized texture that we and others interpret as evidence of partial melting and melt removal on the brachinite parent body. We present a petrologic, thermodynamic and experimental study of the brachinites to evaluate the conditions under which they formed and test our hypothesis that the precursor material to the brachinites was FeO-rich compared to the precursors of other primitive achondrites. Petrologic analysis of six brachinites (Brachina, Allan Hills (ALH) 84025, Hughes 026, Elephant Moraine (EET) 99402, Northwest Africa (NWA) 3151, and NWA 4969) and one brachinite-like achondrite (NWA 5400) shows that they are meteorites with recrystallized texture that are enriched in olivine (⩾80 vol.%) and depleted in other minerals with respect to a chondritic mineralogy. Silicates in the brachinites are FeO-rich (Fa32-36). Brachinite-like achondrite Northwest Africa 5400 is similar in mineralogy and texture to the brachinites but with a slightly lower FeO-content (Fa30). Thermodynamic calculations yield equilibration temperatures above the Fe,Ni-FeS cotectic temperature (∼950 °C) for all meteorites studied here and temperatures above the silicate eutectic (∼1050 °C) for all but two. Brachina formed at an fO2 of ∼IW, and the other brachinites and NWA 5400 formed at ∼IW - 1. All the meteorites show great evidence of formation by partial melting having approximately chondritic to depleted chondritic mineralogies, equilibrated mineral compositions, and recrystallized textures, and having reached temperatures above that required for melt generation. In an attempt to simulate the formation of the brachinite meteorites, we performed one-atmosphere, gas-mixing partial melting experiments of R4 chondrite LaPaz Ice Field 03639. Experiments at 1250 °C and an oxygen fugacity of IW - 1 produce residual phases that are within the mineralogy and mineral compositions of the brachinites. These experiments provide further evidence for the formation of brachinites as a result of partial melting of a chondritic precursor similar in mineralogy and mineral compositions to the R chondrites.

Metallographic cooling rates of L-group ordinary chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, Marvin E.; Mcsween, Harry Y., Jr.

1993-01-01

Shock metamorphism appears to be a ubiquitous feature in L-group ordinary chondrites. Brecciation and heterogeneous melting obscure much of the early history of this meteorite group and have caused confusion as to whether L chondrites have undergone thermal metamorphism within onion-shell or rubble-pile parent bodies. Employing the most recent shock criteria, we have examined 55 Antarctic and 24 non-Antarctic L chondrites in order to identify those which have been least affected by post-accretional shock. Six low-shock samples (those with shock grade less than S4) of petrographic types L3-L5 were selected from both populations and metallographic cooling rates were obtained following the technique of Willis and Goldstein. All non-Antarctic L6 chondrites inspected were too heavily shocked to be included in this group. However, 4 shocked L6 chondrites were analyzed in order to determine what effects shock may impose on metallographic cooling rates. Metallographic cooling rates were derived by analyzing the cores of taenite grains and then measuring the distance to the nearest grain edge. Taenites were identified using backscatter imaging on a Cameca SX-50 electron microprobe. Using backscatter we were able to locate homogeneous, rust-free, nearly spherical grains. M-shaped profiles taken from grain traverses were also used to help locate the central portions of selected grains. All points which contained phosphorus above detection limits were discarded. Plots of cooling-rate data are summarized and data from the high-shock samples are presented. The lack of coherency of cooling rates for individual samples is indicative of heterogeneous cooling following shock. The data confirms the statement expressed by numerous workers that extreme care must be taken when selecting samples of L chondrites for cooling-rate studies. Data for the 6 non-Antarctic low-shock samples are also presented. The samples display a general trend in cooling rates. The lowest metamorphic grade yielded the slowest cooling rates and an increase in grade follows an increase in cooling rate. This is the opposite relationship to that predicted by the onion-shell model.

Orbit-dependent spectral trends for the near-Earth asteroid population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fevig, Ronald Adrey

Results of visible to near-infrared spectrophotometric observations of 55 near- Earth asteroids (NEAs) are reported. The observing techniques, instrumentation, and method of data analysis are described. A new asteroid classification method that directly compares these NEA spectra with spectral features of meteorites is presented. Two major siliceous groups (having discernible "1-mm" absorptions) result from this method, OC-likes which match the spectra of ordinary chondrites and S-types. The dataset shows a preponderance of spectra consistent with ordinary chondrites (23 NEAs), as well as S-types (19), 2 with spectra consistent with black ordinary chondrites, 2 R-types, and 9 that show no 1-mm absorption. The spectral characteristics of the siliceous S-type and OC-like asteroids blend together, providing evidence that S-type asteroids are simply ordinary chondrites whose surface has been modified by weathering. This helps resolve the long standing question of the lack of main belt asteroids having spectra matching ordinary chondrite meteorites. Main belt asteroids have on average much older surfaces while NEAs that exhibit OC-like spectra have younger surfaces. It was found that fresh objects having spectra consistent with ordinary chondrites (1) occupy mostly highly eccentric Apollo orbits which encounter a strong collisional environment in the asteroid main-belt, (2) may have been recently injected into high eccentricity orbits, or (3) have suffered tidal disruption. S-type NEAs reside primarily in orbits that do not cross the asteroid main-belt. This orbit dependent trend is verified by using the larger NEA dataset of Binzel et al. (2004a). Nine NEAs from this survey exhibiting no 1-mm absorption can be associated with extinct comets, iron meteorites or enstatite meteorites. It is shown that most of these NEAs must be extinct comets, implying a considerably larger fraction of comets among the NEA population than previously thought. A correlation of these objects with low inclination orbits is found. This study finds that the NEA population is divided roughly as follows: ~40 % fresh ordinary chondrites, ~35% S-types, ~20% extinct comet candidates, and ~5% in minor classes. This work may guide NEA mitigation planning should such an emergency arise.

Paleomagnetic Evidence for Partial Differentiation of the Silicate-Bearing IIE Iron Meteorite Parent Body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurel, C.; Bryson, J. F. J.; Weiss, B. P.; Scholl, A.

2017-12-01

The identification of dozens of petrologically diverse chondritic and achondritic meteoritic groups indicates that a diversity of planetesimals formed in the early solar system. It is commonly thought that planetesimals formed as either unmelted or else fully differentiated bodies, implying that chondrites and achondrites cannot have originated on a single body. However, it has been suggested that partially melted bodies with chondritic crusts and achondritic interiors may also have formed. This alternative proposal is supported by the recent identification of post-accretional remanent magnetization in CV, H chondrites, and also possibly in CM chondrites, which has been interpreted as possible evidence for a core dynamo on their parent bodies. Other piece of evidence suggesting the existence of partially differentiated bodies is the existence of the silicate-bearing IIE iron meteorites. The IIEs are composed of a Fe-Ni alloy matrix containing a mixture of chondritic, primitive achondritic, and chondritic silicate inclusions that likely formed on a single parent body. Therefore, IIEs may sample all three putative layers of a layered, partially differentiated body. On the other hand, the siderophile element compositions of the matrix metal demonstrate that it is not the product of fractional crystallization of a molten core. This suggests that the matrix metal is derived from isolated reservoirs of metal in the mantle and/or crust. It is unknown whether a large-scale metallic core, not represented by known meteorite samples, also formed on the same parent planetesimal. We can search for evidence of a molten, advecting core by assessing whether IIE irons contain remanent magnetization produced by a core dynamo. With this goal, we studied the paleomagnetism of a cloudy zone (CZ) interface in the Fe-Ni matrix of the IIE iron Colomera using X-ray photoelectron emission microscopy (XPEEM). Our initial results suggest that a steady, intense magnetic field was present during the gradual formation of the CZ. This may indicate the existence of an advecting core on the IIE parent body, which would support the hypothesis of a partially differentiated structure. We are continuing to test this conclusion with further XPEEM measurements on Colomera and other IIE irons.

Chromite and olivine in type II chondrules in carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites - Implications for thermal histories and group differences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Craig A.; Prinz, Martin

1991-01-01

Unequilibrated chromite and olivine margin compositions in type II chondrules are noted to differ systematically among three of the chondrite groups, suggesting that type II liquids differed in composition among the groups. These differences may be interpreted as indicators of different chemical compositions of the precursor solids which underwent melting, or, perhaps, as differences in the extent to which immiscible metal sulfide droplets were lost during chondrule formation. Because zinc is detectable only in type II chromites which have undergone reequilibration, the high zinc contents reported for chondritic chromites in other studies probably reflect redistribution during thermal metamorphism.

Asteroid and comet surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcfadden, Lucy-Ann

1988-01-01

Photometric and spectrophotometric studies of asteroids and comets are in progress to address questions about the mineralogical relationship between asteroids near the 3:1 Kirkwood gap and ordinary chondrite meteorites and between cometary nuclei and the surface of asteroids. Progress was made on a method to convert the measured excess UV flux in the spectrum of 2201 Oljato to column abundance of OH and CN. Spectral reflectance measurements of large asteroids near the 3:1 Kirkwood gap, which is expected to be the source of ordinary chondrite meteorites, were briefly examined and show no spectral signatures that are characteristic of ordinary chondrite meteorite powders measured in the lab.

Where is the Earth's missing xenon?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wacker, J. F.; Anders, E.

1984-01-01

Highly volatile elements (e.g., T1, Pb, B, C1, Br, etc.) in the Earth's crust occur in C-chondrite proportions, and so do the atmospheric noble gases Ne, Ar, and Kr. This has led to the suggestion that the Earth acquired its volatiles from a late veneer of C-chondrite-like material. A glaring exception is Xe, which is depleted approx. 20x relative to Ne, Ar, Kr. Three explanations are discussed for the depletion: (1) Xe is preferentially trapped in the crust, either in sediments (3) or in Antarctic ice (4); (2) the Earth's noble gas inventory is non-chondritic (5); or (3) Xe is incompletely outgassed from the mantle.

Multicolor observations of phobos with the viking lander cameras: evidence for a carbonaceous chondritic composition.

PubMed

Pollack, J B; Veverka, J; Pang, K; Colburn, D; Lane, A L; Ajello, J M

1978-01-06

The reflectivity of Phobos has been determined in the spectral region from 0.4 to 1.1 micrometers from images taken with a Viking lander camera. The reflectivity curve is flat in this spectral interval and the geometric albedo equals 0.05 +/- 0.01. These results, together with Phobos's reflectivity spectrum in the ultraviolet, are compared with laboratory spectra of carbonaceous chondrites and basalts. The spectra of carbonaceous chondrites are consistent with the observations, whereas the basalt spectra are not. These findings raise the possibility that Phobos may be a captured object rather than a natural satellite of Mars.

The Nature and Origin of Aromatic Organic Matter in the Tagish Lake Meteorite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clemett, S. J.; Keller, L. P.; Nakamura, K.; McKay, D. S.

2004-01-01

The Tagish Lake meteorite is an unusual carbonaceous chondrite that does not fit well within existing chondrite taxonomy. Bulk analyses suggest approx. 5 wt.% C of which approx. 1 wt.% is in the form of organic matter and the remainder is present as inorganic carbonate. The exact nature and form of this organic component is, as is the case with the other ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites, still poorly understood. Yet its significance has far reaching implications, from contributing to the abiotic evolution of the early Earth and Mars, to providing geothermal constraints in the evolution of the Solar nebula.

The Oxygen Isotope Composition of Dark Inclusions in HEDs, Ordinary and Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenwood, R. C.; Zolensky, M. E.; Buchanan, P. C.; Franchi, I. A.

2015-01-01

Dark inclusions (DIs) are lithic fragments that form a volumetrically small, but important, component in carbonaceous chondrites. Carbonaceous clasts similar to DIs are also found in some ordinary chondrites and HEDs. DIs are of particular interest because they provide a record of nebular and planetary processes distinct from that of their host meteorite. DIs may be representative of the material that delivered water and other volatiles to early Earth as a late veneer. Here we focus on the oxygen isotopic composition of DIs in a variety of settings with the aim of understanding their formational history and relationship to the enclosing host meteorite.

Terrestrial bitumen analogue of orgueil organic material demonstrates high sensitivity to usual HF-HCl treatment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korochantsev, A. V.; Nikolaeva, O. V.

1993-01-01

The relationship between the chemical composition and the interlayer spacing (d002) of organic materials (OM's) is known for various terrestrial OM's. We improved this general trend by correlation with corresponding trend of natural solid bitumens (asphaltite-kerite-anthraxolite) up to graphite. Using the improved trend we identified bitumen analogs of carbonaceous chondrite OM's residued after HF-HCl treatment. Our laboratory experiment revealed that these analogs and, hence, structure and chemical composition of carbonaceous chondrite OM's are very sensitive to the HF-HCl treatment. So, usual extraction of OM from carbonaceous chondrites may change significantly structural and chemical composition of extracted OM.

Water and the thermal evolution of carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grimm, Robert E.; Mcsween, Harry Y., Jr.

1989-01-01

Two hypotheses are proposed for the aqueous alteration of carbonaceous chondrites within their parent bodies, in which respectively the alteration occurs (1) throughout the parent body interior, or (2) in a postaccretional surface regolith; both models assume an initially homogeneous mixture of ice and rock that is heated through the decay of Al-26. Water is seen to exert a powerful influence on chondrite evolution through its role of thermal buffer, permitting substitution of a low temperature aqueous alteration for high temperature recrystallization. It is quantitatively demonstrated that liquid water may be introduced by either hydrothermal circulation, vapor diffusion from below, or venting due to fracture.

The petrogenesis of L-6 chondrites - Insights from the chemistry of minerals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curtis, D. B.; Schmitt, R. A.

1979-01-01

Measurements of the major, minor and trace element abundances of the major minerals of the L-6 chondrites Alfianello, Colby (WI) and Leedey are used to investigate the formation mechanisms of L-6 chondrites. Electron microprobe analysis was performed on individual grains of each mineral, and separated minerals were analyzed by instrumental and radiochemical neutron activation analysis. The compositions of the three meteorites are observed to be generally uniform, however different abundances and distributions of rare earth elements and Co and Ni indicate that the meteorites have different petrogenetic histories. Alkali element distributions are found to be incompatible with internal equilibration of a closed system.

Amoeboid Olivine Aggregates in Antarctic CR Chondrites: Petrologic Variations Among CR Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, M.; Fagan, T. J.; Yamaguchi, A.; Mikouchi, T.; Yasutake, M.; Zolensky, M. E.

2017-07-01

A set of Antarctic CRs were examined to see intra-group variations. AOAs in Y-791498, Y-793261, and A-881828 have largely escaped from aqueous alteration. Extensive aqueous alteration in A-881595 and shock deformation in Y-982405 are also observed.

Orbitrap-MS and FT-ICR-MS of Free and Labile Organic Matter from Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orthous-Daunay, F.-R.; Thissen, R.; Vuitton, V.; Somogyi, A.; Mespoulede, M.; Beck, P.; Bonnet, J.-Y.; Dutuit, O.; Schmitt, B.; Quirico, E.

2011-03-01

We used two types of high-resolution FT-MS to analyze the free and labile organic matter in carbonaceous chondrites of type 1 and 2. The methanol extraction and laser desorption gave access to highly and poorly functionalized molecules respectively.

A model composition for Mars derived from the oxygen isotopic ratios of martian/SNC meteorites. [Abstract only

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delaney, J. S.

1994-01-01

Oxygen is the most abundant element in most meteorites, yet the ratios of its isotopes are seldom used to constrain the compositional history of achondrites. The two major achondrite groups have O isotope signatures that differ from any plausible chondritic precursors and lie between the ordinary and carbonaceous chondrite domains. If the assumption is made that the present global sampling of chondritic meteorites reflects the variability of O reservoirs at the time of planetessimal/planet aggregation in the early nebula, then the O in these groups must reflect mixing between known chondritic reservoirs. This approach, in combination with constraints based on Fe-Mn-Mg systematics, has been used previously to model the composition of the basaltic achondrite parent body (BAP) and provides a model precursor composition that is generally consistent with previous eucrite parent body (EPB) estimates. The same approach is applied to Mars exploiting the assumption that the SNC and related meteorites sample the martian lithosphere. Model planet and planetesimal compositions can be derived by mixing of known chondritic components using O isotope ratios as the fundamental compositional constraint. The major- and minor-element composition for Mars derived here and that derived previously for the basaltic achondrite parent body are, in many respects, compatible with model compositions generated using completely independent constraints. The role of volatile elements and alkalis in particular remains a major difficulty in applying such models.

Connections between the bulk composition, geodynamics and habitability of Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jellinek, A. M.; Jackson, M. G.

2015-08-01

The bulk composition of the silicate part of Earth has long been linked to chondritic meteorites. Ordinary chondrites -- the most abundant meteorite class -- are thought to represent planetary building materials. However, a landmark discovery showed that the 142Nd/144Nd ratio of the accessible parts of the modern terrestrial mantle on Earth is greater than that of ordinary chondrites. If Earth was derived from these precursors, mass balance requires that a missing reservoir with 142Nd/144Nd lower than ordinary chondrites was isolated from the accessible mantle within 20 to 30 million years of accretion. This reservoir would host the equivalent of the modern continents' budget of radioactive heat-producing elements (uranium, thorium and potassium), yet has not been discovered. We argue that this reservoir could have been lost to space by ablation from early impactors. If so, Earth's radiogenic heat generation is between 18 and 45% lower than estimates based on a chondritic composition. Calculations of Earth's thermal history that incorporate such reduced radiogenic heating are consistent with a transition to the current plate tectonic mode in the past 2.5 billion years or so, a late onset of the dynamo and an evolving rate of volcanic outgassing consistent with Earth's long-term habitable climate. Reduced heat production compared with Venus and Mars could also explain aspects of the differences between the current climatic regimes of these planets and Earth.

Chemical studies of H chondrites. 6: Antarctic/non-Antarctic compositional differences revisited

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, Stephen F.; Lipschutz, Michael E.

1995-02-01

We report data for the trace elements Au, Co, Sb, Ga, Rb, Ag, Se, Cs, Te, Zn, Cd, Bi, T1, and In (ordered by putative volatility during nebular condensation and accretion) determined by radiochemical neutron activation analysis of 14 additional H5 and H6 chondrite falls. Data for the 10 most volatile elements (Rb to In) treated by the multivariate techniques of linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression in these and 44 other falls are compared with those of 59 H4-6 chondrites from Antarctica. Various populations are tested by the multivariate techniques, using the previously developed method of randomization-simulation to assess significance levels. An earlier conclusion, based on fewer examples, that H4-6 chondrite falls are compositionally distinguishable from the Antarctic suite is verified by the additional data. This distinctiveness is highly significant because of the presence of samples from Victoria Land in the Antarctic population, which differ compositionally from falls beyond any reasonable doubt. However, it cannot be proven unequivocally that falls and Antarctic samples from Queen Maud Land are compositionally distinguishable. Trivial causes (e.g., analyst bias, weathering) cannot explain the Victoria Land (Antarctic)/non-Antarctic compositional difference for paradigmatic H4-6 chondrites. This seems to reflect a time-dependent variation of near-Earth meteoroid source regions differing in average thermal history.

Chemical studies of H chondrites. 6: Antarctic/non-Antarctic compositional differences revisited

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, Stephen F.; Lipschutz, Michael E.

1995-01-01

We report data for the trace elements Au, Co, Sb, Ga, Rb, Ag, Se, Cs, Te, Zn, Cd, Bi, T1, and In (ordered by putative volatility during nebular condensation and accretion) determined by radiochemical neutron activation analysis of 14 additional H5 and H6 chondrite falls. Data for the 10 most volatile elements (Rb to In) treated by the multivariate techniques of linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression in these and 44 other falls are compared with those of 59 H4-6 chondrites from Antarctica. Various populations are tested by the multivariate techniques, using the previously developed method of randomization-simulation to assess significance levels. An earlier conclusion, based on fewer examples, that H4-6 chondrite falls are compositionally distinguishable from the Antarctic suite is verified by the additional data. This distinctiveness is highly significant because of the presence of samples from Victoria Land in the Antarctic population, which differ compositionally from falls beyond any reasonable doubt. However, it cannot be proven unequivocally that falls and Antarctic samples from Queen Maud Land are compositionally distinguishable. Trivial causes (e.g., analyst bias, weathering) cannot explain the Victoria Land (Antarctic)/non-Antarctic compositional difference for paradigmatic H4-6 chondrites. This seems to reflect a time-dependent variation of near-Earth meteoroid source regions differing in average thermal history.

Young asteroid mixing revealed in ordinary chondrites: The case of NWA 5764, a polymict LL breccia with L clasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gattacceca, Jérome; Krzesińska, Agata M.; Marrocchi, Yves; Meier, Matthias M. M.; Bourot-Denise, Michèle; Lenssen, Rob

2017-11-01

Polymict chondritic breccias—rocks composed of fragments originating from different chondritic parent bodies—are of particular interest because they give insights into the mixing of asteroids in the main asteroid belt (occurrence, encounter velocity, transfer time). We describe Northwest Africa (NWA) 5764, a brecciated LL6 chondrite that contains a >16 cm3 L4 clast. The L clast was incorporated in the breccia through a nondestructive, low-velocity impact. Identical cosmic-ray exposure ages of the L clast and the LL host (36.6 ± 5.8 Myr), suggest a short transfer time of the L meteoroid to the LL parent body of 0.1 ± 8.1 Myr, if that meteoroid was no larger than a few meters. NWA 5764 (together with St. Mesmin, Dimmitt, and Glanerbrug) shows that effective mixing is possible between ordinary chondrite parent bodies. In NWA 5764 this mixing occurred after the peak of thermal metamorphism on the LL parent body, i.e., at least several tens of Myr after the formation of the solar system. The U,Th-He ages of the L clast and LL host, identical at about 2.9 Ga, might date the final assembly of the breccia, indicating relatively young mixing in the main asteroid belt as previously evidenced in St. Mesmin.

Aqueous Alteration of Enstatite Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, M. E.; Ziegler, K.; Weisberg, M. K.; Gounelle, M.; Berger, E. L.; Le, L.; Ivanov, A.

2014-01-01

The Kaidun meteorite is different from all other meteorites [1], consisting largely of a mixture of “incompatible” types of meteoritic material – carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites, i.e. corre-sponding to the most oxidized and the most reduced samples of meteorite materials, including CI1, CM1-2, CV3, EH3-5, and EL3. In addition to these, minor amounts of ordinary and R chondrites are present. In addition, approximately half of the Kaidun lithologies are new materials not known as separate meteorites. Among these are aqueously altered enstatite chondrites [1], which are of considerable interest because they testify that not all reduced asteroids escaped late-stage oxidation, and hydrolysis, and also because hydrated poorly crystalline Si-Fe phase, which in turn is re-placed by serpentine (Figs 3-5). In the end the only indication of the original presence of metal is the re-sidual carbides. In other enstatite chondrite lithogies (of uncertain type) original silicates and metal have been thoroughly replaced by an assemblage of authi-genic plagioclase laths, calcite boxwork, and occasion-al residual grains of silica, Cr-rich troilite, ilmenite, and rare sulfides including heideite (Fig. 6). Fe and S have been largely leached from the rock (Fig. 4). Again the accessory phases are the first clue to the original character of the rock, which can be verified by O isotopes. It is fortunate that Kaidun displays every step of the alteration process.

Investigation of Pyridine Carboxylic Acids in CM2 Carbonaceous Chondrites: Potential Precursor Molecules for Ancient Coenzymes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Karen E.; Callahan, Michael P.; Gerakines, Perry A.; Dworkin, Jason P.; House, Christopher H.

2014-01-01

The distribution and abundances of pyridine carboxylic acids (including nicotinic acid) in eight CM2 carbonaceous chondrites (ALH 85013, DOM 03183, DOM 08003, EET 96016, LAP 02333, LAP 02336, LEW 85311, and WIS 91600) were investigated by liquid chromatography coupled to UV detection and high resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry. We find that pyridine monocarboxylic acids are prevalent in CM2-type chondrites and their abundance negatively correlates with the degree of pre-terrestrial aqueous alteration that the meteorite parent body experienced. We lso report the first detection of pyridine dicarboxylic acids in carbonaceous chondrites. Additionally, we carried out laboratory studies of proton-irradiated pyridine in carbon dioxide-rich ices (a 1:1 mixture) to serve as a model of the interstellar ice chemistry that may have led to the synthesis of pyridine carboxylic acids. Analysis of the irradiated ice residue shows that a comparable suite of pyridine mono- and dicarboxylic acids was produced, although aqueous alteration may still play a role in the synthesis (and ultimate yield) of these compounds in carbonaceous meteorites. Nicotinic acid is a precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a likely ancient molecule used in cellular metabolism in all of life, and its common occurrence in CM2 chondrites may indicate that meteorites may have been a source of molecules for the emergence of more complex coenzymes on the early Earth.

Investigation of Pyridine Carboxylic Acids in CM2 Carbonaceous Chondrites: Potential Precursor Molecules for Ancient Coenzymes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Karen E.; Callahan, Michael P.; Gerakines, Perry A.; Dworkin, Jason P.; House, Christopher H.

2014-01-01

The distribution and abundances of pyridine carboxylic acids (including nicotinic acid) in eight CM2 carbonaceous chondrites (ALH 85013, DOM 03183, DOM 08003, EET 96016, LAP 02333, LAP 02336, LEW 85311, and WIS 91600) were investigated by liquid chromatography coupled to UV detection and high resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry. We find that pyridine monocarboxylic acids are prevalent in CM2-type chondrites and their abundance negatively correlates with the degree of pre-terrestrial aqueous alteration that the meteorite parent body experienced. We also report the first detection of pyridine dicarboxylic acids in carbonaceous chondrites. Additionally, we carried out laboratory studies of proton-irradiated pyridine in carbon dioxide-rich ices (a 1:1 mixture) to serve as a model of the interstellar ice chemistry that may have led to the synthesis of pyridine carboxylic acids. Analysis of the irradiated ice residue shows that a comparable suite of pyridine mono- and dicarboxylic acids was produced, although aqueous alteration may still play a role in the synthesis (and ultimate yield) of these compounds in carbonaceous meteorites. Nicotinic acid is a precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a likely ancient molecule used in cellular metabolism in all of life, and its common occurrence in CM2 chondrites may indicate that meteorites may have been a source of molecules for the emergence of more complex coenzymes on the early Earth.

H/L chondrite LaPaz Icefield 031047 - A feather of Icarus?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wittmann, Axel; Friedrich, Jon M; Troiano, Julianne

2011-10-28

Antarctic meteorite LAP 031047 is an ordinary chondrite composed of loosely consolidated chondritic fragments. Its petrography, oxygen isotopic composition and geochemical inventory are ambiguous and indicate an intermediate character between H and L chondrites. Petrographic indicators suggest LAP 031047 suffered a shock metamorphic overprint below ~10 GPa, which did not destroy its unusually high porosity of ~27 vol%. Metallographic textures in LAP 031047 indicate heating above ~700 °C and subsequent cooling, which caused massive transformation of taenite to kamacite. The depletion of thermally labile trace elements, the crystallization of chondritic glass to microcrystalline plagioclase of unusual composition, and the occurrencemore » of coarsely crystallized chondrule fragments is further evidence for post-metamorphic heating to ~700-750 °C. However, this heating event had a transient character because olivine and low-Ca pyroxene did not equilibrate. Nearly complete degassing up to very high temperatures is indicated by the thorough resetting of LAP 031047's Ar-Ar reservoir ~100 ± 55 Ma ago. A noble gas cosmic-ray exposure age indicates it was reduced to a meter-size fragment at <0.5 Ma. In light of the fact that shock heating cannot account for the thermal history of LAP 031047 in its entirety, we test the hypothesis that this meteorite belonged to the near-surface of an Aten or Apollo asteroid that underwent heating during orbital passages close to the Sun.« less

Re-Evaluation of HSE DATA in Light of High P-T Partitioning Data: Late Chondritic Addition to Inner Solar System Bodies Not Always Required for HSE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Righter, K.

2015-01-01

Studies of terrestrial peridotite and martian and achondritic meteorites have led to the conclusion that addition of chondritic material to growing planets or planetesimals, after core formation, occurred on Earth, Moon, Mars, asteroid 4 Vesta, and the parent body of the angritic meteorites. One study even proposed that this was a common process in the final stages of growth. These conclusions are based al-most entirely on the 8 highly siderophile elements (HSE; Re, Au, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ru, Ir, Os), which have been used to argue for late accretion of chondritic material to the Earth after core formation was complete. This idea was originally proposed because the D(metal/silicate) values for the HSE are very high (greater than 10,000), yet their concentration in the terrestrial mantle is too high to be consistent with such high Ds. The HSE in the terrestrial mantle also are present in chondritic relative abundances and hence require similar Ds if this was the result of core-mantle equilibration. The conclusion that late chondritic additions are required for all five of these bodies is based on the chondritic relative abundances of the HSE, as well as their elevated concentrations in the samples. An easy solution is to call upon addition of chondritic material to the mantle of each body, just after core formation; however, in practice this means similar additions of chondritic materials to each body just after core formation which ranges from approximately 4-5 Ma after T(sub 0) for 4 Vesta and the angrites, to 10-25 Ma for Mars, to 35 to 60 Ma for Moon and perhaps the Earth. Since the work of there has been a realization that high PT conditions can lower the partition coefficients of many siderophile elements, indicating that high PT conditions (magma ocean stage) can potentially explain elevated siderophile element abundances. However, detailed high PT partitioning data have been lacking for many of the HSE to evaluate whether such ideas are viable for all four bodies. Re-cent partitioning studies have covered P, T, fO2, and compositional ranges that allow values to be predicted at conditions relevant to these five inner solar system bodies. Because the D(HSE) metal/silicate are lowered substantially at higher PT conditions and natural com-positions (FeNi metallic liquids and peridotites) it is natural to re-examine the role of core formation on the HSE patterns in a variety of inner solar system bodies. Here I will discuss other processes (including high PT core formation for Mars, Moon and Earth) that can produce the observed HSE patterns, and demonstrate that there are viable hypotheses other than the "one size fits all" hypothesis of late chondritic additions.

Intensive parameters of enstatite chondrite metamorphism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fogel, Robert A.; Hess, Paul C.; Rutherford, Malcolm J.

1989-01-01

A geothermometer based on the assemblage kamacite-quartz-enstatite-oldhamite-troilite found in enstatite chondrites is described. Data obtained with the geothermometer reveal that the EL6 meteorites experienced temperatures exceeding 1000 C. These temperatures imply a metal-sulfide melting event that may have fractionated the melt from the source region.

Shock and thermal history of iron and chondritic meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, Joseph I.

1994-01-01

This research grant included a study of the shock and thermal history of iron and chondritic meteorites. The important research findings are to be found in the 20 publications that were published as a result of the research support. A complete bibliographic reference to all these papers is given.

Mineralogical Features and REE Distribution in Ortho- and Clinopyroxenes of the HaH 317 Enstatite Chondrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moggi-Cecchi, V.; Pratesi, G.

2004-03-01

SEM, EMPA and LA-ICP-MS analyses have been performed on HaH 317, an EL4 enstatite chondrite. Phases detected are En, Kam, Tro, Dio, Pla, Nin, Old. Diopside and enstatite grains display similar REEs patterns with marked Ce and LREE enrichments.

More Evidence of the Importance of Amorphous Silicates in CM Carbonaceous Chondrites: New Observations from a Fine-Grained Rim in the CM2 Chondrite, TIL 91722

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brearley, A. J.; Le Guillou, C.

2015-07-01

A fine-grained rim in TIL 91722 contains abundant amorphous silicate material containing nanophase sulfides. Phyllosilicates are rare. The amorphous material has a high ferric iron content indicative of oxidation coupled with hydration.

Sayama CM2 Chondrite: Fresh but Heavily Altered

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takaoka, N.; Nakamura, T.; Noguchi, T.; Tonui, E.; Gounelle, M.; Zolensky, M. E.; Ebisawa, N.; Osawa, T.; Okazaki, R.; Nagao, K.;

Oxygen isotope systematics of chondrules in the Murchison CM2 chondrite and implications for the CO-CM relationship

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaumard, Noël; Defouilloy, Céline; Kita, Noriko T.

2018-05-01

High-precision oxygen three-isotope measurements of olivine and pyroxene were performed on 29 chondrules in the Murchison CM2 chondrite by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The oxygen isotope ratios of analyzed chondrules all plot very close to the primitive chondrule minerals (PCM) line. In each of 24 chondrules, the olivine and/or pyroxene grains analyzed show indistinguishable oxygen isotope ratios. Exceptions are minor occurrences of isotopically distinguished relict olivine grains, which were found in nine chondrules. The isotope homogeneity of these phenocrysts is consistent with a co-magmatic crystallization of olivine and pyroxene from the final chondrule melts and a significant oxygen isotope exchange between the ambient gas and the melts. Homogeneous type I chondrules with Mg#'s of 98.9-99.5 have host chondrule Δ17O values ranging from -6.0‰ to -4.1‰, with one exception (Δ17O: -1.2‰; Mg#: 99.6). Homogeneous chondrules with Mg#'s <96, including four type II chondrules (Mg# ∼65-70), have Δ17O values of around -2.5‰. Five type I chondrules (Mg# ≥99) have internally heterogeneous oxygen isotope ratios with Δ17O values ranging from -6.5‰ to -4.0‰, similar to those of host chondrule values. These heterogeneous chondrules have granular or porphyritic textures, convoluted outlines, and contain numerous metal grains dispersed within fine-grained silicates. This is consistent with a low degree of melting of the chondrule precursors, possibly because of a low temperature of the melting event and/or a shorter duration of melting. The Δ17O values of relict olivine grains in nine chondrules range from -17.9‰ to -3.4‰, while most of them overlap the range of the host chondrule values. Similar to those reported from multiple carbonaceous chondrites (Acfer 094, Y-82094, CO, and CV), the Δ17O ∼ -5‰ and high Mg# (≥99) chondrules, which might derive from a reduced reservoir with limited dust enrichments (∼50 × Solar System), dominate the population of chondrules in Murchison. Other chondrules in Murchison formed in more oxidizing environment (Mg# < 96) with higher Δ17O values of -2.5‰, in agreement with the low Mg# chondrules in Acfer 094 and CO chondrites and some chondrules in CV and CR chondrites. They might form in environments containing the same anhydrous precursors as for the Δ17O ∼ -5‰ and Mg# ∼99 chondrules, but enriched in 16O-poor H2O ice (∼0.3-0.4× the CI dust; Δ17O > 0‰) and at dust enrichments of ∼300-2000×. Regarding the Mg# and oxygen isotope ratios, the chondrule populations sampled by CM and CO chondrites are similar and indistinguishable. The similarity of these 16O-rich components in CO and CM chondrites is also supported by the common Fe/Mn ratio of olivine in type II chondrules. Although they accreted similar high-temperature silicates, CO chondrites are anhydrous compared to CM chondrites, suggesting they derived from different parent bodies formed inside and outside the snow line, respectively. If chondrules in CO and CM chondrites formed at the same disk locations but the CM parent body accreted later than the CO parent body, the snow line might have crossed the common chondrule-forming region towards the Sun between the time of the CO and CM parent bodies accretion.

Experimental Data in Support of the 1991 Shock Classification of Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, R. T.; Stoffler, D.

1995-09-01

We present results of shock recovery experiments performed on the H6(S1) chondrite Kernouv . These data and new observations on ordinary chondrites confirm the recently proposed classification system [1] and provide additional criteria for determining the shock stage, the shock pressure, and, under certain conditions, also the ambient (pre-shock) temperature during shock metamorphism of any chondrite sample. Two series of experiments at 293 K and 920 K and 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, and 60 GPa were made with a high explosive device [2] using 0.5 mm thick disks of the Kernouv chondrite. Shock effects in olivine, orthopyroxene, plagioclase, and troilite and shock-induced melt products were studied by optical [3], electron optical and X-ray diffraction methods. All essential characteristics of the six progressive stages of shock metamorphism (S1 - S6) observed in natural samples of chondrites [1] have been reproduced experimentally except for opaque shock veins and the high pressure polymorphs of olivine and pyroxene (ringwoodite/wadsleyite and majorite), well known from naturally shocked chondrites. This is probably due to the special sample and containment geometry and the extremely short pressure pulses (0.2 - 0.8 microseconds) in the experiments. The shock experiments provided a clear understanding of the shock wave behavior of troilite and of the shock-induced melting, mobilization, and exsolution-recrystallization of composite troilite-metal grains. At 293 K troilite is monocrystalline up to 35 GPa displaying undulatory extinction from 10 to 25 GPa, partial recrystallization from 30 - 45 GPa, and complete recrystallization above 45 GPa. Local melting of troilite/metal grains starts at 30 GPa and composite grains displaying exsolution textures of both phases are formed which get mobilized and deposited into fractures of neighbouring silicate grains above 45 GPa. For a pre-shock temperature of 293 K the pressure at which diagnostic shock effects are formed, is somewhat lower in the experimentally shocked Kernouve than in single crystals [1] (Table 1). Based on the Kernouve calibration and on new observations made in natural samples of shocked chondrites an updated version of the 1991 shock classification system is given in Table 1 which holds for low temperatures. In general, the increase of the pre-shock temperature (e.g., 920 K) leads to a distinct decrease of the pressure at which certain shock effects are produced (Table 1). This effect, most distinct for recrystallization and melting phenomena in olivine and troilite, can be used as a pre-shock thermometer. Provided that a post-shock thermal event can be excluded, an estimate of the pre-shock ambient temperature of chondrites of shock stages S2 - S5 can be made by monitoring the texture of troilite. If troilite is monocrystalline, this temperature was low. Polycrystalline troilite indicates a pre-shock temperature higher than 300 K, probably as high as some 900 K. For chondrites of shock stage S6, the ambient pre-shock temperature exceeded 300 K distinctly if olivine near local melt zones lacks the yellow-brown staining characteristic for shock metamorphism at low temperatures. References: [1] Stoffler D. et al. (1991) GCA, 55, 3845-3867. [2] Stoffler D. and Langenhorst F. (1994) Meteoritics, 29, 155-181. [3] Schmitt R. T. et al. (1993) Meteoritics, 29, 529-530.

Chemical and mineralogical size segregation in the impact disruption of inhomogeneous, anhydrous meteorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flynn, George J.; Durda, Daniel D.

2004-10-01

We performed impact disruption experiments on pieces from eight different anhydrous chondritic meteorites - four weathered ordinary chondrite finds from North Africa (NWA791, NWA620, NWA869 and MOR001), three almost unweathered ordinary chondrite falls (Mbale, Gao, and Saratov), and an almost unweathered carbonaceous chondrite fall (Allende). In each case the impactor was a small (1/8 or 1/4 in) aluminum sphere fired at the meteorite target at ˜5km/s, comparable to the mean collision speed in the main-belt. Some of the ˜5 to ˜150μm debris from each disruption was collected in aerogel capture cells, and the captured particles were analyzed by in situ synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence. For each meteorite, many of the smallest particles ( <10μm up to 35μm in size, depending on the meteorite) exhibit very high Ni/Fe ratios compared to the Ni/Fe ratios measured in the larger particles (>45μm), a composition consistent with the smallest debris being dominated by matrix material while the larger debris is dominated by fragments from olivine chondrules. These results may explain why the ˜10μm interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) collected from the Earth's stratosphere are C-rich and volatile-rich compared to the presumed solar nebula composition. The ˜10μm IDPs may simply sample the matrix of an inhomogeneous parent body, structurally and mineralogically similar to the chondritic meteorites, which are inhomogeneous assemblages of compact, strong, C- and volatile-poor chondrules that are distributed in a more porous, C- and volatile-rich matrix. In addition, these results may explain why the micrometeorites, which are ˜50μm to millimeters in size, recovered from the polar ices are Ni- and S-poor compared to chondritic meteorites, since these polar micrometeorites may preferentially sample fragments from the Ni- and S-poor olivine chondrules. These results indicate that the average composition of the IDPs may be biased towards the composition of the matrix of the parent body while the average composition of the polar micrometeorites may be more heavily weighted towards the composition of the chondrules and clasts. Thus, neither the IDPs nor the polar micrometeorites may sample the bulk composition of their respective parent bodies. We determined the threshold collisional specific energy (QD*) for these chondritic meteorites to be 1419 J/kg, about twice the value for terrestrial basalt. Comparison of the mass of the largest fragment produced in the disruption of an ˜100g sample of the porous ordinary chondrite Saratov with the largest fragment produced in the disruption of an ˜100g sample of the compact ordinary chondrite MOR001 when each was struck by an impactor having approximately the same kinetic energy confirms that it requires significantly more energy to disrupt a porous target than a non-porous target. These results may also have important implications for the design of spacecraft missions intended to sample the composition and mineralogy of the chondritic asteroids and other inhomogeneous bodies. A Stardust-like spacecraft intended to sample asteroids by collecting only the small debris from a man-made impact onto the asteroid may collect particles that over-sample the matrix of the target and do not provide a representative sample of the bulk composition. The impact collection technique to be employed by the Japanese HAYABUSA (formerly MUSES-C) spacecraft to sample the asteroid Itokawa may result in similar mineral segregation.

Distribution of 26Al in the CR chondrite chondrule-forming region of the protoplanetary disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrader, Devin L.; Nagashima, Kazuhide; Krot, Alexander N.; Ogliore, Ryan C.; Yin, Qing-Zhu; Amelin, Yuri; Stirling, Claudine H.; Kaltenbach, Angela

2017-03-01

We report on the mineralogy, petrography, and in situ measured oxygen- and magnesium-isotope compositions of eight porphyritic chondrules (seven FeO-poor and one FeO-rich) from the Renazzo-like carbonaceous (CR) chondrites Graves Nunataks 95229, Grosvenor Mountains 03116, Pecora Escarpment 91082, and Queen Alexandra Range 99177, which experienced minor aqueous alteration and very mild thermal metamorphism. We find no evidence that these processes modified the oxygen- or Al-Mg isotope systematics of chondrules in these meteorites. Olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, and plagioclase within an individual chondrule have similar O-isotope compositions, suggesting crystallization from isotopically uniform melts. The only exceptions are relict grains in two of the chondrules; these grains are 16O-enriched relative to phenocrysts of the host chondrules. Only the FeO-rich chondrule shows a resolvable excesses of 26Mg, corresponding to an inferred initial 26Al/27Al ratio [(26Al/27Al)0] of (2.5 ± 1.6) × 10-6 (±2SE). Combining these results with the previously reported Al-Mg isotope systematics of CR chondrules (Nagashima et al., 2014, Geochem. J. 48, 561), 7 of 22 chondrules (32%) measured show resolvable excesses of 26Mg; the presence of excess 26Mg does not correlate with the FeO content of chondrule silicates. In contrast, virtually all chondrules in weakly metamorphosed (petrologic type 3.0-3.1) unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOCs), Ornans-like carbonaceous (CO) chondrites, and the ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Acfer 094 show resolvable excesses of 26Mg. The inferred (26Al/27Al)0 in CR chondrules with resolvable excesses of 26Mg range from (1.0 ± 0.4) × 10-6 to (6.3 ± 0.9) × 10-6, which is typically lower than (26Al/27Al)0 in the majority of chondrules from UOCs, COs, and Acfer 094. Based on the inferred (26Al/27Al)0, three populations of CR chondrules are recognized; the population characterized by low (26Al/27Al)0 (<3 × 10-6) is dominant. There are no noticeable trends with major and minor element or O-isotope compositions between these populations. The weighted mean (26Al/27Al)0 of 22 CR chondrules measured is (1.8 ± 0.3) × 10-6. An apparent agreement between the 26Al-26Mg ages (using weighted mean value) and the revised (using 238U/235U ratio for bulk CR chondrites of 137.7789 ± 0.0085) 207Pb-206Pb age of a set of chondrules from CR chondrites (Amelin et al., 2002, Science297, 1678) is consistent with the initial 26Al/27Al ratio in the CR chondrite chondrule-forming region at the canonical level (∼5.2 × 10-5), allowing the use of 26Al-26Mg systematics as a chronometer for CR chondrules. To prove chronological significance of 26Al for CR chondrules, measurements of Al-Mg and U-Pb isotope systematics on individual chondrules are required. The presence of several generations among CR chondrules indicates some chondrules that accreted into the CR chondrite parent asteroid avoided melting by later chondrule-forming events, suggesting chondrule-forming processes may have occurred on relatively limited spatial scales. Accretion of the CR chondrite parent body occurred at >4.0-0.3+0.5 Ma after the formation of CAIs with the canonical 26Al/27Al ratio, although rapid accretion after formation of the major population of CR chondrules is not required by our data.

Accretion and differentiation of carbon in the early Earth.

PubMed

Tingle, T N

1998-05-15

The abundance of C in carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites decreases exponentially with increasing shock pressure as inferred from the petrologic shock classification of Scott et al. [Scott, E.R.D., Keil, K., Stoffler, D., 1992. Shock metamorphism of carbonaceous chondrites. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 56, 4281-4293] and Stoffler et al. [Stoffler, D., Keil, K., Scott, E.R.D., 1991. Shock metamorphism of ordinary chondrites. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 55, 3845-3867]. This confirms the experimental results of Tyburczy et al. [Tyburczy, J.A., Frisch, B., Ahrens, T.J., 1986. Shock-induced volatile loss from a carbonaceous chondrite: implications for planetary accretion. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 80, 201-207] on shock-induced devolatization of the Murchison meteorite showing that carbonaceous chondrites appear to be completely devolatilized at impact velocities greater than 2 km s-1. Both of these results suggest that C incorporation would have been most efficient in the early stages of accretion, and that the primordial C content of the Earth was between 10(24) and 10(25) g C (1-10% efficiency of incorporation). This estimate agrees well with the value of 3-7 x 10(24) g C based on the atmospheric abundance of 36Ar and the chondritic C/36Ar (Marty and Jambon, 1987). Several observations suggest that C likely was incorporated into the Earth's core during accretion. (1) Graphite and carbides are commonly present in iron meteorites, and those iron meteorites with Widmanstatten patterns reflecting the slowest cooling rates (mostly Group I and IIIb) contain the highest C abundances. The C abundance-cooling rate correlation is consistent with dissolution of C into Fe-Ni liquids that segregated to form the cores of the iron meteorite parent bodies. (2) The carbon isotopic composition of graphite in iron meteorites exhibits a uniform value of -5% [Deines, P., Wickman, F.E. 1973. The isotopic composition of 'graphitic' carbon from iron meteorites and some remarks on the troilitic sulfur of iron meteorites. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 37, 1295-1319; Deines, P., Wickman, F.E., 1975. A contribution to the stable carbon isotope geochemistry of iron meteorites. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 39, 547-557] identical to the mode in the distribution found in diamonds, carbonatites and oceanic basalts [Mattey, D.P., 1987. Carbon isotopes in the mantle. Terra Cognita 7, 31-37]. (3) The room pressure solubility of C in molten iron is 4.3 wt% C. Phase equilibria confirm that the Fe-C eutectic persists to 12 GPa, and thermochemical calculations for the Fe-C-S system by Wood [Wood, B.J., 1993. Carbon in the core. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 117, 593-607] predict that C is soluble in Fe liquids at core pressures. The abundance of 36Ar in chondrites decreases exponentially with increasing shock pressure as observed for C. It is well known that noble gases are positively correlated and physically associated with C in meteorites [e.g. Otting, W., Zahringer J., 1967. Total carbon content and primordial rare gases in chondrites. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 31, 1949-1960; Reynolds, J.H., Frick, U., Niel, J.M., Phinney, D.L., 1978. Rare-gas-rich separates from carbonaceous chondrites. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 42, 1775-1797]. This suggests a mechanism by which primordial He and other noble gases may have incorporated into the Earth during accretion. The abundance of He in the primordial Earth required to sustain the modern He flux for 4 Ga (assuming a planetary 3 He/4 He; Reynolds et al. [Reynolds, J.H., Frick, U., Niel, J.M., Phinney, D.L., 1978. Rare-gas-rich separates from carbonaceous chondrites. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 42, 1775-1797] is calculated to be > or = 10(-8) cm3 g-1. This minimum estimate is consistent with a 1-10% efficiency of noble gas retention during accretion and the observed abundance of He in carbonaceous chondrites (10(-5) to 10(-4) cm3 g-1 excluding spallogenic contributions).

Chelyabinsk meteorite explains unusual spectral properties of Baptistina Asteroid Family

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, Vishnu; Sanchez, Juan A.; Bottke, William F.; Cloutis, Edward A.; Izawa, Matthew R. M.; O'Brien, David P.; Mann, Paul; Cuddy, Matthew; Le Corre, Lucille; Gaffey, Michael J.; Fujihara, Gary

2014-07-01

We investigated the spectral and compositional properties of Chelyabinsk meteorite to identify its possible parent body in the main asteroid belt. Our analysis shows that the meteorite contains two spectrally distinct but compositionally indistinguishable components of LL5 chondrite and shock blackened/impact melt material. Our X-ray diffraction analysis confirms that the two lithologies of the Chelyabinsk meteorite are extremely similar in modal mineralogy. The meteorite is compositionally similar to LL chondrite and its most probable parent asteroid in the main belt is a member of the Flora family. Our work confirms previous studies (e.g., Vernazza et al. [2008]. Nature 454, 858-860; de León, J., Licandro, J., Serra-Ricart, M., Pinilla-Alonso, N., Campins, H. [2010]. Astron. Astrophys. 517, A23; Dunn, T.L., Burbine, T.H., Bottke, W.F., Clark, J.P. [2013]. Icarus 222, 273-282), linking LL chondrites to the Flora family. Intimate mixture of LL5 chondrite and shock blackened/impact melt material from Chelyabinsk provides a spectral match with (8) Flora, the largest asteroid in the Flora family. The Baptistina family and Flora family overlap each other in dynamical space. Mineralogical analysis of (298) Baptistina and 11 small family members shows that their surface compositions are similar to LL chondrites, although their absorption bands are subdued and albedos lower when compared to typical S-type asteroids. A range of intimate mixtures of LL5 chondrite and shock blackened/impact melt material from Chelyabinsk provides spectral matches for all these BAF members. We suggest that the presence of a significant shock/impact melt component in the surface regolith of BAF members could be the cause of lower albedo and subdued absorption bands. The conceptual problem with part of this scenario is that impact melts are very rare within ordinary chondrites. Of the ∼42,000 ordinary chondrites, less than 0.5% (203) of them contain impact melts. A major reason that impact melts are rare in meteorites is that high impact velocities (V > 10 km/s) are needed to generate the necessary shock pressures and temperatures (e.g., Pierazzo, E., Melosh, H.J. [1998]. Hydrocode modeling of oblique impacts: The fate of the projectile. In: Origin of the Earth and Moon, Proceedings of the Conference. LPI Contribution No. 957) unless the target material is highly porous. Nearly all asteroid impacts within the main belt are at ∼5 km/s (Bottke, W.F., Nolan, M.C., Greenberg, R., Kolvoord, R.A. [1994]. Collisional lifetimes and impact statistics of near-Earth asteroids. In: Tucson, Gehrels T. (Ed.), Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids. The University of Arizona Press, Arizona, pp. 337-357), which prevents them from producing much impact melt unless they are highly porous. However, shock darkening is an equally efficient process that takes place at much lower impact velocities (∼2 km/s) and can cause the observed spectral effects. Spectral effects of shock darkening and impact melt are identical. The parent asteroid of BAF was either a member of the Flora family or had the same basic composition as the Floras (LL Chondrite). The shock pressures produced during the impact event generated enough impact melt or shock blackening to alter the spectral properties of BAF, but keep the BAF composition largely unchanged. Collisional mixing of shock blackened/impact melt and LL5 chondritic material could have created the Baptistina Asteroid Family with composition identical to those of the Floras, but with subdued absorption bands. Shock darkening and impact melt play an important role in altering the spectral and albedo properties of ordinary chondrites and our work confirms earlier work by Britt and Pieters (Britt, D.T., Pieters, C.M. [1994]. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 58, 3905-3919).

Laser Ablation Experiments on the Tamdakht H5 Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Susan M.; Stern, Eric

2017-01-01

High-powered lasers were used to induce ablation and to form fusion crusts in the lab on Tamdakht H5 chondrites and basalt. These ground tests were undertaken to improve our understanding, and ultimately improve our abilty to model and predict, meteoroid ablation during atmospheric entry. The infrared fiber laser at the LHMEL facilty, operated in the continuous wave (i.e. non-pulsed) mode, provided radiation surface heat flux at levels similar to meteor entry for these tests. Results are presented from the first round of testing on samples of Tamdakht H5 ordinary chondrite which were ex-posed to entry-relevant heating rates between 2 and 10 kWcm2.

Infrared spectroscopy of interplanetary dust in the laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fraundorf, P.; Patel, R. I.; Freeman, J. J.

1981-01-01

A mount containing three crushed chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) collected in the earth's stratosphere and subjected to infrared spectroscopic measurements shows features near 1000 and 500/cm, suggesting crystalline pyroxene rather than crystalline olivine, amorphous olivine, or meteoritic clay minerals. Chondritic IDP structural diversity and atmospheric heating effects must be considered when comparing this spectrum with interplanetary and cometary dust astrophysical spectra. TEM and infrared observations of one member of the rare subset of IDPs resembling hydrated carbonaceous chondrite matrix material shows a close infrared spectrum resemblance between 4000 and 400/cm to the C2 meteorite Murchison. TEM observations suggest that this class of particles may be used as an atmospheric entry heating-process thermometer.

Mineralogy and Microstructures of Shock-Induced Melt Veins in Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharp, Thomas G.

2000-01-01

The applicability of phase equilibrium data to the interpretation of shock-induced melt veins can only be tested by a detailed study of melt- vein mineralogy to see how high-pressure assemblages vary as a function of shock conditions inferred from other indicators. We have used transmission electron microscopy (TEM), analytical electron microscopy (AEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron microprobe analysis (EMA) and optical petrography to characterize the mineralogy, microstructures, and compositions of melt veins and associated high-pressure minerals in shocked chondrites and SNC meteorites. In the processes, we have gained a better understanding of what melt veining can tell us about shock conditions and we have discovered new mineral phases in chondritic and SNC meteorites.

An Ordinary Chondrite Impactor Composition for the Bosumtwi Impact Structure, Ghana, West Africa: Discussion of Siderophile Element Contents and Os and Cr Isotope Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koeberl, Christian; Shukolyukov, Alex; Lugmair, Guenter

2004-01-01

Osmium isotope data had shown that Ivory Coast tektites contain an extraterrestrial component, but do not allow distinction between chondritic and iron meteorite contamination. PGE abundances of Ivory Coast tektites and impactites and target rocks from the Bosumtwi crater, the source crater of the Ivory Coast tektites, were all relatively high and did not allow to resolve the presence, or identify the nature, of the meteoritic component. However, Cr isotope analyses of an Ivory Coast tektite yielded a distinct 53Cr excess of 0.30+/-0.06, which indicates that the Bosumtwi impactor was an ordinary chondrite.

Uranium-lead Isotope Evidence in the Shelyabinsk LL5 Chondrite Meteorite for Ancient and Recent Thermal Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lapen, T. J.; Kring, D. A.; Zolensky, M. E.; Andreasen, R.; Righter, M.; Swindle, T. D.; Beard, S. P.; Swindle, T. D.

2014-01-01

The impact histories on chondrite parent bodies can be deduced from thermochronologic analyses of materials and isotope systems with distinct apparent closure temperatures. It is especially critical to better understand the geological histories and physical properties of potenally hazardous near-Earth asteroids. Chelyabinsk is an LL5 chondrite meteorite that was dispersed over a wide area tens of kilometers south of the town of Chelyabinsk, Russia by an explosion at an altitude of 27 km at 3:22 UT on 15 Feb 2013 [1,2]. The explosion resulted in significant damage to surrounding areas and over 1500 injuries along with meteorite fragments being spread over a wide area [1].

2D Size Distribution of Chondrules and Chondritic Fragments of an Ordinary Chondrite from Lut Desert (Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pourkhorsandi, H.; Mirnejad, H.

2014-09-01

2D size measurement of chondrules and chondiritic fragments of a meteorite from Lut desert of Iran is conducted. Chondrules exhibit a size range of 55-1800 µm (average 437 µm). Chondiritic fragments show a size range of 46-1220 µm (average 261 µm).

Cosmogenic Ne-21 Production Rates in H-Chondrites Based on Cl-36 - Ar-36 Ages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leya, I.; Graf, Th.; Nishiizumi, K.; Guenther, D.; Wieler, R.

2000-01-01

We measured Ne-21 production rates in 14 H-chondrites in good agreement with model calculations. The production rates are based on Ne-21 concentrations measured on bulk samples or the non-magnetic fraction and Cl-36 - Ar-36 ages determined from the metal phase.

Noble Gas Isotopic Signatures and X-Ray and Electron Diffraction Characteristics of Tagish Lake Carbonaceous Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakamura, T.; Noguchi, T.; Zolensky, M. E.; Takaoka, N.

2001-01-01

Noble gas isotopic signatures and X-ray and electron diffraction characteristics of Tagish Lake indicate that it is a unique carbonaceous chondrite rich in saponite, Fe-Mg-Ca carbonate, primordial noble gases, and presolar grains. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Mineralogy of Tagish Lake, a Unique Type 2 Carbonaceous Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gounelle, M.; Zolensky, M. E.; Tonui, E.; Mikouchi, T.

2001-01-01

We have identified in Tagish Lake an abondant carbonate-poor lithology and a less common carbonate-rich lithology. Tagish Lake shows similarities and differences with CMs and CI1s. It is a unique carbonaceous chondrite recording specific aqueous alteration conditions. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Oxygen, Magnesium, and Aluminum Isotopes in the Ivuna CAI: Re-Examining High-Temperature Fractionations in CI Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frank, D. R.; Huss, G. R.; Nagashima, K.; Zolensky, M. E.; Le, L.

2017-07-01

The only whole CAI preserved in the aqueously altered CI chondrites is 16O-rich and has no resolvable radiogenic Mg. Accretion of CAIs by the CI parent object(s) may limit the precision of cosmochemical models that require a CI starting composition.

Highly Reduced Forsterite and Enstatite from Stardust Track 61: Implications for Radial Transport of E Asteroid Material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, David R.; Zolensky, M. E.; Le, L.; Weisberg, M. K.; Kimura, M.

2013-01-01

The Stardust Mission returned a large fraction of high-temperature, crystalline material that was radially transported from the inner solar system to the Kuiper Belt [1,2]. The mineralogical diversity found in this single cometary collection points to an even greater number of source materials than most primitive chondrites. In particular, the type II olivine found in Wild 2 includes the three distinct Fe/Mn ratios found in the matrix and chondrules of carbonaceous chondrites (CCs) and unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOCs) [3]. We also find that low-Ca pyroxene is quite variable (approximately Fs3-29) and is usually indistinguishable from CC, UOC, and EH3 pyroxene as well. However, occasional olivine and pyroxene compositions are found in Wild 2 that are inconsistent with chondrites. The Stardust track 61 terminal particle (TP) is one such example and is the focus of this study. It s highly reduced forsterite and enstatite is consistent only with that in Aubrites, in which FeO is essentially absent from these phases (less than approximately 0.1 wt.% FeO) [4].

Analytical electron microscopy of fine-grained phases in primitive interplanetary dust particles and carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackinnon, Ian D. R.; Rietmeijer, Frans J. M.; Mckay, David S.

1987-01-01

In order to describe the total mineralogical diversity within primitive extraterrestrial materials, individual interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) collected from the stratosphere as part of the JSC Cosmic Dust Curatorial Program were analyzed using a variety of AEM techniques. Identification of over 250 individual grains within one chondritic porous (CP) IDP shows that most phases could be formed by low temperature processes and that heating of the IDP during atmospheric entry is minimal and less than 600 C. In a review of the mineralogy of IDPs, it was suggested that the occurrence of other silicates such as enstatite whiskers is consistent with the formation in an early turbulent period of the solar nebula. Experimental confirmation of fundamental chemical and physical processes in a stellar environment, such as vapor phase condensation, nucleation, and growth by annealing, is an important aspect of astrophysical models for the evolution of the Solar System. A detailed comparison of chondritic IDP and carbonaceous chondrite mineralogies shows significant differences between the types of silicate minerals as well as the predominant oxides.

Si-rich Fe-Ni grains in highly unequilibrated chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rambaldi, E. R.; Sears, D. W.; Wasson, J. T.

1980-01-01

Consideration is given to the Si contents of Fe-Ni grains in highly unequilibrated chondrites, which have undergone little metamorphosis and thus best preserve the record of processes in the solar nebula. Electron microprobe determinations of silicon content in grains of the Bishunpur chondrite are presented for the six Si-bearing Fe-Ni grains for which data could be obtained, five of which were found to be embedded in olivine chondrules. In addition, all grains are found to be Cr-rich, with Cr increased in concentration towards the grain edge, and to be encased in FeS shells which evidently preserved the Si that entered the FeNi at higher temperatures. A mechanism for the production of Si-bearing metal during the condensation of the cooling solar nebula is proposed which considers the metal to have condensed heterogeneously while the mafic silicates condensed homogeneously with amounts of required undercooling in the low-pressure regions where ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites formed, resulting in Si mole fractions of 0.003 at nebular pressures less than 0.000001 atm.

The formation of FeO-rich pyroxene and enstatite in unequilibrated enstatite chondrites: A petrologic-trace element (SIMS) study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisberg, M. K.; Prinz, M.; Fogel, R. A.; Shimizu, N.

1993-01-01

Enstatite (En) chondrites record the most reducing conditions known in the early solar system. Their oxidation state may be the result of condensation in a nebular region having an enhanced C/O ratio, reduction of more oxidized materials in a reducing nebula, reduction during metamorphic reheating in a parent body, or a combination of these events. The presence of more oxidized Fe-rich silicates, two types of En (distinguished by red and blue CL), and the juxtaposition of FeO-rich pyroxenes (Fe-pyx) surrounded by blue En (enstatite) in the UEC's (unequilibrated enstatite chondrites) is intriguing and led to the examination of the question of enstatite chondrite formation. Previously, data was presented on the petrologic-geochemical characteristics of the Fe-pyx and coexisting red and blue En. Here minor and trace element abundances (determined by ion probe-SIMS) on these three types of pyroxenes are reported on in the following meteorites: Kota Kota and LEW87223 (EH3), MAC88136 (EL3), St. Marks (EH4), and Hvittis (EL6). More data are currently being collected.

Interplanetary dust in the transmission electron microscope - Diverse materials from the early solar system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fraundorf, P.

1981-01-01

An analytical electron microscope study of dispersed interplanetary dust aggregates collected in the earth's stratosphere shows that, in spite of their similarities, the aggregates exhibit significant differences in composition, internal morphology, and mineralogy. Of 11 chondritic particles examined, two consist mostly of a noncrystalline chondritic material with an atomic S/Fe ratio equal to or greater than 2 in places, one consists of submicron metal and reduced silicate 'microchondrules' and sulfide grains embedded in a carbonaceous matrix, and another consists of submicron magnetic-decorated unequilibrated silicate and sulfide grains with thick low-Z coatings. Although the particles are unmetamorphosed by criteria commonly applied for chondritic meteorites, the presence of reduced chemistries and the ubiquity of mafic, instead of hydrated, silicates confirm that they are not simply C1 or C2 chondrite matrix material. The observations indicate that portions of some particles have not been significantly altered by thermal or radiation processes since their assembly, and that the particles probably contain fine debris from diverse processes in the early solar system.

A Breccia of Ureilitic and C2 Carbonaceous Chondrite Materials from Almahata Sitta: Implications for the Regolith of Urelitic Asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodrich, C. A.; Fioretti, A. M.; Zolensky, M.; Fries, M.; Shaddad, M.; Kohl, I.; Young, E.; Jenniskens, P.

2017-01-01

The Almahata Sitta (AhS) polymict ureilite is the first meteorite to originate from a spectrally classified asteroid (2008 TC3) [1-3], and provides an unprecedented opportunity to correlate properties of meteorites with those of their parent asteroid. AhS is also unique because its fragments comprise a wide variety of meteorite types. Of approximately140 stones studied to-date, 70% are ureilites (carbon-rich ultramafic achondrites) and 30% are various types of chondrites [4,5]. None of these show contacts between ureilitic and chondritic lithologies. It has been inferred that 2008 TC3 was loosely aggregated, so that it disintegrated in the atmosphere and only its most coherent clasts fell as individual stones [1,3,5]. Understanding the structure and composition of this asteroid is critical for missions to sample asteroid surfaces. We are studying [6] the University of Khartoum collection of AhS [3] to test hypotheses for the nature of 2008 TC3. We describe a sample that consists of both ureilitic and chondritic materials.

Determining the relative extent of alteration in CM chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Browning, Lauren B.; Mcsween, Harry Y., Jr.; Zolensky, Michael

1993-01-01

The aqueous alteration of CM chondrites provides a record of the processes attending the earliest stages of parent body evolution. However, resolving the alteration pathways of chondritic evolution requires a means for distinguishing the relative extent of alteration that individual samples have experienced. Three new indices for gauging the relative degree of alteration in CM chondrites based on modal and compositional analyses of 7 CM falls were proposed. The proposed alteration parameters are consistent with the basic tenets of several previous models and correlate with additional indices to produce an integrated method for determining the relative extent of alteration. The model predicts the following order of progressive alteration: Murchison (MC) is less than or equal to Bells (BL) is less than Murray (MY) is less than Cochabamba (CC) is less than Mighei (MI) is less than Nogoya (NG) is less than or equal to Cold Bokkeveld (CB). The broad range of CM phyllosilicate compositions observed within individual meteorites is fundamental to the characterization of the aqueous alteration process. Chemical analyses of CM phyllosilicates suggest that these phases became systematically enriched in Mg and depleted in Fe with increasing alteration.

Polyhedral Serpentine Grains in CM Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zega, Thomas J.; Garvie, Laurence A. J.; Dodony, Istvan; Stroud, Rhonda M.; Buseck, Peter R.

2005-01-01

CM chondrites are primitive rocks that experienced aqueous alteration in the early solar system. Their matrices and fine-grained rims (FGRs) sustained the effects of alteration, and the minerals within them hold clues to the aqueous reactions. Sheet silicates are an important product of alteration, and those of the serpentine group are abundant in the CM2 chondrites. Here we expand on our previous efforts to characterize the structure and chemistry of serpentines in CM chondrites and report results on a polyhedral form that is structurally similar to polygonal serpentine. Polygonal serpentine consists of tetrahedral (T) sheets joined to M(2+)-centered octahedral (O) sheets (where (M2+) is primarily Mg(2+) and Fe(2+)), which give rise to a 1:1 (TO) layered structure with a 0.7-nm layer periodicity. The structure is similar to chrysotile in that it consists of concentric lizardite layers wrapped around the fiber axis. However, unlike the rolled-up chrysotile, the tetrahedral sheets of the lizardite layers are periodically inverted and kinked, producing sectors. The relative angles between sectors result in 15- and 30-sided polygons in terrestrial samples.

Molecular Isotopic Characterization of the ALH 85013.50 Meteorite: Defining the Extraterrestrial Organic Compounds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuller, M.; Huang, Y.

2003-01-01

The Antarctic Meteorite Program has returned over 16,000 meteorites from the ice sheets of the Antarctic. This more than doubles the number of preexisting meteorite collection and adds important and rare specimens to the assemblage. The CM carbonaceous chondrites are of particular interest because of their high organic component. The Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites provide a large, previously uninvestigated suite of meteorites. Of the 161 CM chondrites listed in the Catalogue of Meteorites 138 of them have been recovered from the Antarctic ice sheets,. However, these meteorites have typically been exposed to Earth s conditions for long periods of time. The extent of terrestrial organic contamination and weathering that has taken place on these carbonaceous chondrites is unknown. In the past, stable isotope analysis was used to identify bulk organics that were extraterrestrial in origin. Although useful, this method could not exclude the possibility of terrestrial contamination contributing to the isotopic measurement. Compound specific isotope analysis of organic meteorite material has provided the opportunity to discern the terrestrial contamination from extraterrestrial organic compounds on the molecular level.

Evidence of Microfossils in Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoover, Richard B.; Rozanov, Alexei Y.; Zhmur, S. I.; Gorlenko, V. M.

1998-01-01

Investigations have been carried out on freshly broken, internal surfaces of the Murchison, Efremovka and Orgueil carbonaceous chondrites using Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) in Russia and the Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) in the United States. These independent studies on different samples of the meteorites have resulted in the detection of numerous spherical and ellipsoidal bodies (some with spikes) similar to the forms of uncertain biogenicity that were designated "organized elements" by prior researchers. We have also encountered numerous complex biomorphic microstructures in these carbonaceous chondrites. Many of these complex bodies exhibit diverse characteristics reminiscent of microfossils of cyanobacteria such as we have investigated in ancient phosphorites and high carbon rocks (e.g. oil shales). Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and 2D elemental maps shows enhanced carbon content in the bodies superimposed upon the elemental distributions characteristic of the chondritic matrix. The size, distribution, composition, and indications of cell walls, reproductive and life cycle developmental stages of these bodies are strongly suggestive of biology' These bodies appear to be mineralized and embedded within the meteorite matrix, and can not be attributed to recent surface contamination effects. Consequently, we have interpreted these in-situ microstructures to represent the lithified remains of prokaryotes and filamentous cyanobacteria. We also detected in Orgueil microstructures morphologically similar to fibrous kerite crystals. We present images of many biomorphic microstructures and possible microfossils found in the Murchison, Efremovka, and Orgueil chondrites and compare these forms with known microfossils from the Cambrian phosphate-rich rocks (phosphorites) of Khubsugul, Northern Mongolia.

Metastable equilibria among dicarboxylic acids and the oxidation state during aqueous alteration on the CM2 chondrite parent body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McAlister, Jason A.; Kettler, Richard M.

2008-01-01

Linear saturated dicarboxylic acids are present in carbonaceous chondrite samples at concentrations that suggest aqueous alteration under conditions of metastable equilibrium. In this study, previously published values of dicarboxylic acid concentrations measured in Murchison, Yamato-791198, and Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrites are converted to aqueous activities during aqueous alteration assuming water:rock ratios that range from 1:10 to 10:1. Logarithmic plots of the aqueous activities of any two dicarboxylic acids are proximal to lines whose slope is fixed by the stoichiometry of reactions describing the oxidation-reduction equilibrium between the two species. The precise position of any line is controlled by the equilibrium constant of the reaction relating the species and the hydrogen fugacity for the reaction of interest. Reactions among succinic (C4), glutaric (C5), and adipic (C6) acids obtained from CM2 chondrites show evidence of metastable equilibrium and yield logf values that agree to within 0.3 log units at 298.15 K and 0.6 log units at 473.15 K. At a water:rock ratio of 1:1, metastable equilibrium among succinic, glutaric, and adipic acids results in calculated logf values during aqueous alteration that range from -6.2 at 298.15 K to -3.3 at 373.15 K. These values are consistent with those obtained in previous work on carbonaceous chondrites and with metastable equilibrium at temperatures ranging from 300 to 355 K in contact with cronstedtite + magnetite.

Kinetics of volatile extraction from carbonaceous chondrites: Dehydration of talc

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bose, Kunal; Ganguly, Jibamitra

1991-01-01

Carbonaceous chondrites are believed to be the primary constituents of near-Earth asteroids and Phobos and Deimos, and are potential resources of fuels that may be exploited for future planetary missions. Calculations of equilibrium phase relations suggest that talc (Ta) and antigorite (Ant) are likely to be the major hydrous phases in the C1 and C2 meteorites (Ganguly and Saxena, 1989), which constitute the most volatile rich classes of carbonaceous chondrites. The dehydration kinetics of talc are studied as a function of temperature, grain size, composition and fluid fugacity, as part of a systematic study of the reaction kinetics of the volatile bearing phases that are either known or likely to be present in carbonaceous chondrites. The dehydration kinetics were investigated at 1 bar, 775 to 875 C by monitoring the in-situ weight loss as a function of time of a natural talc. The talc platelets had a dimension of 0.8 to 1 micron. The run durations varied from 233.3 hours at 775 C (48 percent dehydration) to 20.8 hours at 875 C (80 pct. dehydration). The results can be adequately represented by a given rate equation. Theoretical analysis suggests that the reduction in the concentration of H2O in the environment of dehydrating talc, as would be encountered in processing chondritic materials, will have negligible effect on the rate of dehydration, unless there is a change of reaction mechanism owing to the presence of other volatile species.

Primordial and cosmogenic noble gases in the Sutter's Mill CM chondrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okazaki, Ryuji; Nagao, Keisuke

2017-04-01

The Sutter's Mill (SM) CM chondrite fell in California in 2012. The CM chondrite group is one of the most primitive, consisting of unequilibrated minerals, but some of them have experienced complex processes occurring on their parent body, such as aqueous alteration, thermal metamorphism, brecciation, and solar wind implantation. We have determined noble gas concentrations and isotopic compositions for SM samples using a stepped heating gas extraction method, in addition to mineralogical observation of the specimens. The primordial noble gas abundances, especially the P3 component trapped in presolar diamonds, confirm the classification of SM as a CM chondrite. The mineralogical features of SM indicate that it experienced mild thermal alteration after aqueous alteration. The heating temperature is estimated to be <350 °C based on the release profile of primordial 36Ar. The presence of a Ni-rich Fe-Ni metal suggests that a minor part of SM has experienced heating at >500 °C. The variation in the heating temperature of thermal alteration is consistent with the texture as a breccia. The heterogeneous distribution of solar wind noble gases is also consistent with it. The cosmic-ray exposure (CRE) age for SM is calculated to be 0.059 ± 0.023 Myr based on cosmogenic 21Ne by considering trapped noble gases as solar wind, the terrestrial atmosphere, P1 (or Q), P3, A2, and G components. The CRE age lies at the shorter end of the CRE age distribution of the CM chondrite group.

Fall, Recovery, and Characterization of the Novato L6 Chondrite Breccia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter; Rubin, Alan E.; Yin, Qing Zhu; Sears, Derek W. G.; Sandford, Scott A.; Zolensky, Michael E.; Krot, Alexander N.; Blair, Leigh; Kane, Daci; Utas, Jason;

Long-lived magnetism on chondrite parent bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, Jay; Bates, Helena C.; Muxworthy, Adrian R.; Hezel, Dominik C.; Russell, Sara S.; Genge, Matthew J.

2017-10-01

We present evidence for both early- and late-stage magnetic activity on the CV and L/LL parent bodies respectively from chondrules in Vigarano and Bjurböle. Using micro-CT scans to re-orientate chondrules to their in-situ positions, we present a new micron-scale protocol for the paleomagnetic conglomerate test. The paleomagnetic conglomerate test determines at 95% confidence, whether clasts within a conglomerate were magnetized before or after agglomeration, i.e., for a chondritic meteorite whether the chondrules carry a pre- or post-accretionary remanent magnetization. We found both meteorites passed the conglomerate test, i.e., the chondrules had randomly orientated magnetizations. Vigarano's heterogeneous magnetization is likely of shock origin, due to the 10 to 20 GPa impacts that brecciated its precursor material on the parent body and transported it to re-accrete as the Vigarano breccia. The magnetization was likely acquired during the break-up of the original body, indicating a CV parent body dynamo was active ∼9 Ma after Solar System formation. Bjurböle's magnetization is due to tetrataenite, which transformed from taenite as the parent body cooled to below 320 °C, when an ambient magnetic field imparted a remanence. We argue either the high intrinsic anisotropy of tetrataenite or brecciation on the parent body manifests as a randomly orientated distribution, and a L/LL parent body dynamo must have been active at least 80 to 140 Ma after peak metamorphism. Primitive chondrites did not originate from entirely primitive, never molten and/or differentiated parent bodies. Primitive chondrite parent bodies consisted of a differentiated interior sustaining a long-lived magnetic dynamo, encrusted by a layer of incrementally accreted primitive meteoritic material. The different ages of carbonaceous and ordinary chondrite parent bodies might indicate a general difference between carbonaceous and ordinary chondrite parent bodies, and/or formation location in the protoplanetary disk.

Why is it so difficult to classify Renazzo-type (CR) carbonaceous chondrites? - Implications from TEM observations of matrices for the sequences of aqueous alteration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abreu, Neyda M.

2016-12-01

A number of different classifications have been proposed for the CR chondrites; this study aims at reconciling these different schemes. Mineralogy-based classification has proved particularly challenging for weakly to moderately altered CRs because incipient mineral replacement and elemental mobilization arising from aqueous alteration only affected the most susceptible primary phases, which are generally located in the matrix. Secondary matrix phases are extremely fine-grained (generally sub-micron) and heterogeneously mixed with primary nebular materials. Compositional and isotopic classification parameters are fraught with confounding factors, such as terrestrial weathering, impact processes, and variable abundance of clasts from different regions of the CR parent body or from altogether different planetary bodies. Here, detailed TEM observations from eighteen FIB sections retrieved from the matrices of nine Antarctic CR chondrites (EET 96259, GRA 95229, GRO 95577, GRO 03116, LAP 02342, LAP 04516, LAP 04720, MIL 07525, and MIL 090001) are presented, representing a range of petrologic types. Amorphous Fe-Mg silicates are found to be the dominant phase in all but the most altered CR chondrite matrices, which still retain significant amounts of these amorphous materials. Amorphous Fe-Mg silicates are mixed with phyllosilicates at the nanometer scale. The ratio of amorphous Fe-Mg silicates to phyllosilicates decreases as: (1) the size of phyllosilicates, (2) abundance of magnetite, and (3) replacement of Fe-Ni sulfides increase. Carbonates are only abundant in the most altered CR chondrite, GRO 95577. Nanophase Fe-Ni metal and tochilinite are present small abundances in most CR matrices. Based on the presence, abundance and size of phyllosilicates with respect to amorphous Fe-Mg silicates, the sub-micron features of CR chondrites have been linked to existing classification sequences, and possible reasons for inconsistencies among classification schemes are discussed.

Exploring Chondrule and CAI Rims Using Micro- and Nano-Scale Petrological and Compositional Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartwright, J. A.; Perez-Huerta, A.; Leitner, J.; Vollmer, C.

2017-12-01

As the major components within chondrites, chondrules (mm-sized droplets of quenched silicate melt) and calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAI, refractory) represent the most abundant and the earliest materials that solidified from the solar nebula. However, the exact formation mechanisms of these clasts, and whether these processes are related, remains unconstrained, despite extensive petrological and compositional study. By taking advantage of recent advances in nano-scale tomographical techniques, we have undertaken a combined micro- and nano-scale study of CAI and chondrule rim morphologies, to investigate their formation mechanisms. The target lithologies for this research are Wark-Lovering rims (WLR), and fine-grained rims (FGR) around CAIs and chondrules respectively, present within many chondrites. The FGRs, which are up to 100 µm thick, are of particular interest as recent studies have identified presolar grains within them. These grains predate the formation of our Solar System, suggesting FGR formation under nebular conditions. By contrast, WLRs are 10-20 µm thick, made of different compositional layers, and likely formed by flash-heating shortly after CAI formation, thus recording nebular conditions. A detailed multi-scale study of these respective rims will enable us to better understand their formation histories and determine the potential for commonality between these two phases, despite reports of an observed formation age difference of up to 2-3 Myr. We are using a combination of complimentary techniques on our selected target areas: 1) Micro-scale characterization using standard microscopic and compositional techniques (SEM-EBSD, EMPA); 2) Nano-scale characterization of structures using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and elemental, isotopic and tomographic analysis with NanoSIMS and atom probe tomography (APT). Preliminary nano-scale APT analysis of FGR morphologies within the Allende carbonaceous chondrite has successfully discerned complex chondritic mineralogies and compositional differences across boundaries, which is one of the first applications of in-situ APT techniques to chondrites. Further data reduction will allow us to characterize the exact phases present, and further chondrite analyses are in progress.

The Formation and Chronology of the PAT 91501 Impact-Melt L-Chondrite with Vesicle-Metal-Sulfide Assemblages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benedix, G. K.; Ketcham, R. A.; Wilson, L.; McCoy, T. J.; Bogard, D. D.; Garrison, D. H.; Herzog, G. F.; Xue, S.; Klein, J.; Middleton, R.

2007-01-01

The L chondrite Patuxent Range (PAT) 41 91501 is an 8.5-kg unshocked, homogeneous, igneous-textured impact melt that cooled slowly compared to other meteoritic impact melts in a crater floor melt sheet or sub-crater dike. We conducted mineralogical and tomographic studies of previously unstudied mm- to cm-sized metal-sulfide-vesicle assemblages and chronologic studies of the silicate host. Metal-sulfide clasts constitute about 1 vol.%, comprise zoned taenite, troilite and pentlandite, and exhibit a consistent orientation between metal and sulfide and of metal-sulfide contacts. Vesicles make up approximately 2 vol.% and exhibit a similar orientation of long axes. Ar-39-Ar-40 measurements date the time of impact at 4.461 +/- 0.008 Gyr B.P. Cosmogenic noble gases and Be-10 and Al-2l activities suggest a pre-atmospheric radius of 40-60 cm and a cosmic ray exposure age of 25-29 Myr, similar to ages of a cluster of L chondrites. PAT 91501 dates the oldest known impact on the L chondrite parent body. The dominant vesicle-forming gas was S2 (approximately 15-20 ppm), which formed in equilibrium with impact-melted sulfides. The meteorite formed in an impact melt dike beneath a crater, as did other impact melted L chondrites, such as Chico. Cooling and solidification occurred over approximately 2 hours. During this time, approximately 90% of metal and sulfide segregated from the local melt. Remaining metal and sulfide grains oriented themselves in the local gravitational field, a feature nearly unique among meteorites. Many of these metal sulfide grains adhered to vesicles to form aggregates that may have been close to neutrally buoyant. These aggregates would have been carried upward with the residual melt, inhibiting further buoyancy-driven segregation. Although similar processes operated individually in other chondritic impact melts, their interaction produced the unique assemblage observed in PAT 91501.

Application of Scanning-Imaging X-Ray Microscopy to Fluid Inclusion Candidates in Carbonates of Carbonaceous Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsuchiyama, Akira; Nakano, Tsukasa; Miyake, Akira; Akihisa, Takeuchi; Uesugi, Kentaro; Suzuki, Yoshio; Kitayama, Akira; Matsuno, Junya; Zolensky, Michael E.

2016-01-01

In order to search for such fluid inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites, a nondestructive technique using x-ray micro-absorption tomography combined with FIB sampling was developed and applied to a carbonaceous chondrite. They found fluid inclusion candidates in calcite grains, which were formed by aqueous alteration. However, they could not determine whether they are really aqueous fluids or merely voids. Phase and absorption contrast images can be simultaneously obtained in 3D by using scanning-imaging x-ray microscopy (SIXM). In refractive index, n=1-sigma+i(beta), in the real part, 1-sigma is the refractive index with decrement, sigma, which is nearly proportional to the density, and the imaginary part, beta, is the extinction coefficient, which is related to the liner attenuation coefficient, mu. Many phases, including water and organic materials as well as minerals, can be identified by SIXM, and this technique has potential availability for Hayabusa-2 sample analysis too. In this study, we examined quantitative performance of d and m values and the spatial resolution in SIXM by using standard materials, and applied this technique to carbonaceous chondrite samples. We used POM ([CH2O]n), silicon, quartz, forsterite, corundum, magnetite and nickel as standard materials for examining the sigma and mu values. A fluid inclusion in terrestrial quartz and bi-valve shell (Atrina vexillum), which are composed of calcite and organic layers with different thickness, were also used for examining the spatial resolution. The Ivuna (CI) and Sutter's Mill (CM) meteorites were used as carbonaceous chondrite samples. Rod- or cube-shaped samples 20-30 micron in size were extracted by using FIB from cross-sectional surfaces of the standard materials or polished thin sections of the chondrites, which was previously observed with SEM. Then, the sample was attached to a thin W-needle and imaged by SIXM system at beamline BL47XU, SPring-8, Japan. The slice thickness was 109.3 nm and the pixel size was mostly 100 nm.

Oxygen Isotope Measurements of a Rare Murchison Type A CAI and Its Rim

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matzel, J. E. P.; Simon, J. I.; Hutcheon, I. D.; Jacobsen, B.; Simon, S. B.; Grossman, L.

2013-01-01

Ca-, Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) from CV chondrites commonly show oxygen isotope heterogeneity among different mineral phases within individual inclusions reflecting the complex history of CAIs in both the solar nebula and/or parent bodies. The degree of isotopic exchange is typically mineral-specific, yielding O-16-rich spinel, hibonite and pyroxene and O-16-depleted melilite and anorthite. Recent work demonstrated large and systematic variations in oxygen isotope composition within the margin and Wark-Lovering rim of an Allende Type A CAI. These variations suggest that some CV CAIs formed from several oxygen reservoirs and may reflect transport between distinct regions of the solar nebula or varying gas composition near the proto-Sun. Oxygen isotope compositions of CAIs from other, less-altered chondrites show less intra-CAI variability and 16O-rich compositions. The record of intra-CAI oxygen isotope variability in CM chondrites, which commonly show evidence for low-temperature aqueous alteration, is less clear, in part because the most common CAIs found in CM chondrites are mineralogically simple (hibonite +/- spinel or spinel +/- pyroxene) and are composed of minerals less susceptible to O-isotopic exchange. No measurements of the oxygen isotope compositions of rims on CAIs in CM chondrites have been reported. Here, we present oxygen isotope data from a rare, Type A CAI from the Murchison meteorite, MUM-1. The data were collected from melilite, hibonite, perovskite and spinel in a traverse into the interior of the CAI and from pyroxene, melilite, anorthite, and spinel in the Wark-Lovering rim. Our objectives were to (1) document any evidence for intra-CAI oxygen isotope variability; (2) determine the isotopic composition of the rim minerals and compare their composition(s) to the CAI interior; and (3) compare the MUM-1 data to oxygen isotope zoning profiles measured from CAIs in other chondrites.

Surviving High-temperature Components in CI Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, M.; Frank, D.

2014-01-01

The CI1 chondrites, while having the most solar-like compo-sition of any astromaterial available for laboratory analysis, have also been considerably altered by asteroidal processes including aqueous alteration. It is of fundamental importance to determine their pre-alteration mineralogy, so that the state of matter in the early Solar System can be better determined. In the course of a re-examination of the compositional range of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene in CI chondrites Orgueil, Ivuna and Alais [1] we found the first reported complete CAI, as already reported [2], with at-tached rock consisting mainly of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene. The range of residual olivine major element compositions we have determined in the CIs (Fig. 1) may now be directly com-pared with those of other astromaterials, including Wild 2 grains. The abundance of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene in CIs is higher than is generally appreciated, and in fact much higher than for some CMs [1]. We also noted numerous rounded objects varying in shape from spheres to oblate spheroids, and ranging up to 100µm in size (Fig. 2), which have been previously noted [3] but have not been well documented or appreciated. We characterized the mineralogy by transmission electron microscopy and found that they consist mainly of rather fine-grained, flaky single phase to intergrown serpentine and saponite. These two materials in fact dominate the bulk of the host CI1 chondrites. With the exception of sparse spinels, the rounded phyllosilicate objects are remarka-bly free of other minerals, suggesting that the precursor from which the phyllosilicates were derived was a homogeneous mate-rial. We suggest that these round phyllosilicates aggregates in CI1 chondrites were cryptocrystalline to glassy microchondrules. If so then CI chondrites cannot be considered chondrule-free. Small though they are, the abundance of these putative microchondrules is the same as that of chondrules in the Tagish Lake meteorite.

Chromium isotopic homogeneity between the Moon, the Earth, and enstatite chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mougel, Bérengère; Moynier, Frédéric; Göpel, Christa

2018-01-01

Among the elements exhibiting non-mass dependent isotopic variations in meteorites, chromium (Cr) has been central in arguing for an isotopic homogeneity between the Earth and the Moon, thus questioning physical models of Moon formation. However, the Cr isotopic composition of the Moon relies on two samples only, which define an average value that is slightly different from the terrestrial standard. Here, by determining the Cr isotopic composition of 17 lunar, 9 terrestrial and 5 enstatite chondrite samples, we re-assess the isotopic similarity between these different planetary bodies, and provide the first robust estimate for the Moon. In average, terrestrial and enstatite samples show similar ε54Cr. On the other hand, lunar samples show variables excesses of 53Cr and 54Cr compared to terrestrial and enstatite chondrites samples with correlated ε53Cr and ε54Cr (per 10,000 deviation of the 53Cr/52Cr and 54Cr/52Cr ratios normalized to the 50Cr/52Cr ratio from the NIST SRM 3112a Cr standard). Unlike previous suggestions, we show for the first time that cosmic irradiation can affect significantly the Cr isotopic composition of lunar materials. Moreover, we also suggest that rather than spallation reactions, neutron capture effects are the dominant process controlling the Cr isotope composition of lunar igneous rocks. This is supported by the correlation between ε53Cr and ε54Cr, and 150Sm/152Sm ratios. After correction of these effects, the average ε54Cr of the Moon is indistinguishable from the terrestrial and enstatite chondrite materials reinforcing the idea of an Earth-Moon-enstatite chondrite system homogeneity. This is compatible with the most recent scenarios of Moon formation suggesting an efficient physical homogenization after a high-energy impact on a fast spinning Earth, and/or with an impactor originating from the same reservoir in the inner proto-planetary disk as the Earth and enstatite chondrites and having similar composition.

Relationships Among Intrinsic Properties of Ordinary Chondrites: Oxidation State, Bulk Chemistry, Oxygen-isotopic Composition, Petrologic Type, and Chondrule Size

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, Alan E.

2006-01-01

The properties of ordinary chondrites (OC) reflect both nebular and asteroidal processes. OC are modeled here as having acquired nebular water, probably contained within phyllosilicates, during agglomeration. This component had high Ai70 and acted like an oxidizing agent during thermal metamorphism. The nebular origin of this component is consistent with negative correlations in H, L, and LL chondrites between oxidation state (represented by olivine Fa) and bulk concentration ratios of elements involved in the metal-silicate fractionation (e.g., NdSi, Ir/Si, Ir/Mn, Ir/Cr, Ir/Mg, Ni/Mg, As/Mg, Ga/Mg). LL chondrites acquired the greatest abundance of phyllosilicates with high (delta)O-17 among OC (and thus became the most oxidized group and the one with the heaviest O isotopes); H chondrites acquired the lowest abundance, becoming the most reduced OC group with the lightest O isotopes. Chondrule precursors may have grown larger and more ferroan with time in each OC agglomeration zone. Nebular turbulence may have controlled the sizes of chondrule precursors. H-chondrite chondrules (which are the smallest among OC) formed from the smallest precursors. In each OC region, low-FeO chondrules formed before high-FeO chondrules during repeated episodes of chondrule formation. During thermal metamorphism, phyllosilicates were dehydrated; the liberated water oxidized metallic Fe-Ni. This caused correlated changes with petrologic type including decreases in the modal abundance of metal, increases in olivine Fa and low-Ca pyroxene Fs, increases in the olivine/pyroxene ratio, and increases in the kamacite Co and Ni contents. As water (with its heavy 0 isotopes) was lost during metamorphism, inverse correlations between bulk (delta)O-18 and bulk (delta)O-17 with petrologic type were produced. The H5 chondrites that were ejected from their parent body approx.7.5 Ma ago during a major impact event probably had been within a few kilometers of each other since they accreted approx.4.5 Ga ago. There are significant differences in the olivine compositional distributions among these rocks; these reflect stochastic nebular sampling of the oxidant (Le., phyllosilicates with high (delta)O-17) on a 0.1-1 km scale during agglomeration.

Australasian microtektites: Impactor identification using Cr, Co and Ni ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Folco, L.; Glass, B. P.; D'Orazio, M.; Rochette, P.

2018-02-01

Impactor identification is one of the challenges of large-scale impact cratering studies due to the dilution of meteoritic material in impactites (typically < 1 wt%). The nature of the impactor that generated the Australasian tektite/microtektite strewn field, i.e., the largest Cenozoic strewn field (∼15% of the Earth's surface), the youngest (∼0.78 Myr old) on Earth, and the only one without an associated impact crater so far, is an outstanding issue. We identify a chondritic impactor signature in 77 Australasian microtektites (size range: ∼200-700 μm) from within 3000 km from the hypothetical impact location in Indochina (∼17°N, 107°E) based on variations of Cr, Co and Ni interelement ratios in a Co/Ni vs Cr/Ni space (46 microtektites analyzed in this work by Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma -Mass Spectrometry and 31 from literature by means of Neutron Activation Analyses with Cr, Co and Ni concentrations up to ∼370, 50 and 680 μg/g, respectively). Despite substantial overlap in Cr/Ni versus Co/Ni composition for several meteorite types with chondritic composition (chondrites and primitive achondrites), regression calculation based on ∼85% of the studied microtektites best fit a mixing line between crustal compositions and an LL chondrite. However, due to some scatter mainly in the Cr versus Ni ratios in the considered dataset, an LL chondrite may not be the best fit to the data amongst impactors of primitive compositions. Eight high Ni/Cr and five low Ni/Cr outlier microtektites (∼15% in total) deviate from the above mixing trend, perhaps resulting from incomplete homogenization of heterogeneous impactor and target precursor materials at the microtektite scale, respectively. Together with previous evidence from the ∼35 Myr old Popigai impact spherules and the ∼1 Myr old Ivory Coast microtektites, our finding suggests that at least three of the five known Cenozoic distal impact ejecta were generated by the impacts of large stony asteroids of chondritic composition, and possibly of ordinary chondritic composition. The impactor signature found in Australasian microtektites documents mixing of target and impactor melts upon impact cratering. This requires target-impactor mixing in both the two competing models in literature for the formation of the Australasian tektites/microtektites: the impact cratering and low-altitude airburst plume models.

Revisiting 26Al-26Mg systematics of plagioclase in H4 chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Telus, M.; Huss, G. R.; Nagashima, K.; Ogliore, R. C.

2014-06-01

Zinner and Göpel found clear evidence for the former presence of 26Al in the H4 chondrites Ste. Marguerite and Forest Vale. They assumed that the 26Al-26Mg systematics of these chondrites date "metamorphic cooling of the H4 parent body." Plagioclase in these chondrites can have very high Al/Mg ratios and low Mg concentrations, making these ion probe analyses susceptible to ratio bias, which is inversely proportional to the number of counts of the denominator isotope (Ogliore et al.). Zinner and Göpel used the mean of the ratios to calculate the isotope ratios, which exacerbates this problem. We analyzed the Al/Mg ratios and Mg isotopic compositions of plagioclase grains in thin sections of Ste. Marguerite, Forest Vale, Beaver Creek, and Sena to evaluate the possible influence of ratio bias on the published initial 26Al/27Al ratios for these meteorites. We calculated the isotope ratios using total counts, a less biased method of calculating isotope ratios. The results from our analyses are consistent with those from Zinner and Göpel, indicating that ratio bias does not significantly affect 26Al-26Mg results for plagioclase in these chondrites. Ste. Marguerite has a clear isochron with an initial 26Al/27Al ratio indicating that it cooled to below 450 °C 5.2 ± 0.2 Myr after CAIs. The isochrons for Forest Vale and Beaver Creek also show clear evidence that 26Al was alive when they cooled, but the initial 26Al/27Al ratios are not well constrained. Sena does not show evidence that 26Al was alive when it cooled to below the Al-Mg closure temperature. Given that metallographic cooling rates for Ste. Marguerite, Forest Vale, and Beaver Creek are atypical (>5000 °C/Myr at 500 °C) compared with most H4s, including Sena, which have cooling rates of 10-50 °C/Myr at 500 °C (Scott et al.), we conclude that the Al-Mg systematics for Ste. Marguerite, Forest Vale, and Beaver Creek are the result of impact excavation of these chondrites and cooling at the surface of the parent body, instead of undisturbed cooling at depth in the H chondrite parent body, like many have assumed.

Oxygen isotope characteristics of chondrules from the Yamato-82094 ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite: Further evidence for common O-isotope environments sampled among carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tenner, T. J.; Kimura, M.; Kita, N. T.

2017-02-01

High-precision secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was employed to investigate oxygen three isotopes of phenocrysts in 35 chondrules from the Yamato (Y) 82094 ungrouped 3.2 carbonaceous chondrite. Twenty-one of 21 chondrules have multiple homogeneous pyroxene data (∆17O 3SD analytical uncertainty: 0.7‰); 17 of 17 chondrules have multiple homogeneous pyroxene and plagioclase data. Twenty-one of 25 chondrules have one or more olivine data matching coexisting pyroxene data. Such homogeneous phenocrysts (1) are interpreted to have crystallized from the final chondrule melt, defining host O-isotope ratios; and (2) suggest efficient O-isotope exchange between ambient gas and chondrule melt during formation. Host values plot within 0.7‰ of the primitive chondrule mineral (PCM) line. Seventeen chondrules have relict olivine and/or spinel, with some δ17O and δ18O values approaching -40‰, similar to CAI or AOA-like precursors. Regarding host chondrule data, 22 of 34 have Mg#s of 98.8-99.5 and ∆17O of -3.9‰ to -6.1‰, consistent with most Acfer 094, CO, CR, and CV chondrite chondrules, and suggesting a common reduced O-isotope reservoir devoid of 16O-poor H2O. Six Y-82094 chondrules have ∆17O near -2.5‰, with Mg#s of 64-97, consistent with lower Mg# chondrules from Acfer 094, CO, CR, and CV chondrites; their signatures suggest precursors consisting of those forming Mg# 99, ∆17O: -5‰ ± 1‰ chondrules plus 16O-poor H2O, at high dust enrichments. Three type II chondrules plot slightly above the PCM line, near the terrestrial fractionation line (∆17O: +0.1‰). Their O-isotopes and olivine chemistry are like LL3 type II chondrules, suggesting they sampled ordinary chondrite-like chondrule precursors. Finally, three Mg# >99 chondrules have ∆17O of -6.7‰ to -8.1‰, potentially due to 16O-rich refractory precursor components. The predominance of Mg# 99, ∆17O: -5‰ ± 1‰ chondrules and a high chondrule-to-matrix ratio suggests bulk Y-82094 characteristics are closely related to anhydrous dust sampled by most carbonaceous chondrite chondrules.

Non-nebular Origin of Dark Mantles Around Chondrules and Inclusions in CM Chondrites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trigo-Rodriquez, Josep M.; Rubin, Alan E.; Wasson, John T.

2006-01-01

Our examination of nine CM chondrites that span the aqueous alteration sequence leads us to conclude that compact dark fine mantles surrounding chondrules and inclusions in CM chondrites are not discrete fine-grained rims acquired in the solar nebula as modeled by Metzler et al. [Accretionary dust mantles in CM chondrites: evidence for solar nebula processes. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 56, 1992, 2873-28971. Nebular processes that lead to agglomeration produce materials with porosities far higher than those in the dark mantles. We infer that the mantles were produced from porous nebular materials on the CM parent asteroid by impact-compaction (a process that produces the lowest porosity adjacent to chondrules and inclusions). Compaction was followed by aqueous alteration that formed tochilinite, serpentine, Ni-bearing sulfide, and other secondary products in voids in the interchondrule regions. Metzler et al. reported a correlation between mantle thickness and the radius of the enclosed object. In Yamato 791 198 we find no correlation when all sizes of central objects and dark lumps are included but a significant correlation (r(sup 2) = 0.44) if we limit consideration to central objects with radii >35 microns; a moderate correlation is also found in QUE 97990. We suggest that impact-induced shear of a plum-pudding-like precursor produced the observed "mantles"; these were shielded from comminution during impact events by the adjacent stronger chondrules and inclusions. Some mantles in CM chondrites with low degrees of alteration show distinct layers that may largely reflect differences in porosity. Typically, a gray, uniform inner layer is surrounded by an outer layer consisting of darker silicates with BSE-bright speckles. The CM-chondrite objects characterized as "primary accretionary rocks" by Metzler et al. did not form in the nebula, but rather on the parent body. The absence of solar-flare particle tracks and solar-wind-implanted rare gases in these clasts reflect their lithified nature and low surface/volume ratios during the period when they resided in the regolith and were subject to irradiation by solar particles. The clasts are analogous to the light-colored metamorphosed clasts in ordinary-chondrite regolith breccias (which also lack solar-flare particle tracks and solar-wind gas).

Variability in Abundances of Meteorites in the Ordovician

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heck, P. R.; Schmitz, B.; Kita, N.

2017-12-01

The knowledge of the flux of extraterrestrial material throughout Earth's history is of great interest to reconstruct the collisional evolution of the asteroid belt. Here, we present a review of our investigations of the nature of the meteorite flux to Earth in the Ordovician, one of the best-studied time periods for extraterrestrial matter in the geological record [1]. We base our studies on compositions of extraterrestrial chromite and chrome-spinel extracted by acid dissolution from condensed marine limestone from Sweden and Russia [1-3]. By analyzing major and minor elements with EDS and WDS, and three oxygen isotopes with SIMS we classify the recovered meteoritic materials. Today, the L and H chondrites dominate the meteorite and coarse micrometeorite flux. Together with the rarer LL chondrites they have a type abundance of 80%. In the Ordovician it was very different: starting from 466 Ma ago 99% of the flux was comprised of L chondrites [2]. This was a result of the collisional breakup of the parent asteroid. This event occurred close to an orbital resonance in the asteroid belt and showered Earth with >100x more L chondritic material than today during more than 1 Ma. Although the flux is much lower at present, L chondrites are still the dominant type of meteorites that fall today. Before the asteroid breakup event 467 Ma ago the three groups of ordinary chondrites had about similar abundances. Surprisingly, they were possibly surpassed in abundance by achondrites, materials from partially and fully differentiated asteroids [3]. These achondrites include HED meteorites, which are presumably fragments released during the formation of the Rheasilvia impact structure 1 Ga ago on asteroid 4 Vesta. The enhanced abundance of LL chondrites is possibly a result of the Flora asteroid family forming event at 1 Ga ago. The higher abundance of primitive achondrites was likely due to smaller asteroid family forming events that have not been identified yet but that did not generate a supply of fragments that was long-lived enough to be still important today. Our results imply that the composition of the flux of meteorites to Earth is biased by discrete collisional events in the asteroid belt. [1] Schmitz B (2013) Chem Erde 73, 117; [2] Heck PR et al (2016) GCA 177, 120; [3] Heck PR et al (2017) Nat Astron 1, 35, DOI: 10.1038/s41550-016-0035.

Titanium stable isotopic variations in chondrites, achondrites and lunar rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greber, Nicolas D.; Dauphas, Nicolas; Puchtel, Igor S.; Hofmann, Beda A.; Arndt, Nicholas T.

2017-09-01

Titanium isotopes are potential tracers of processes of evaporation/condensation in the solar nebula and magmatic differentiation in planetary bodies. To gain new insights into the processes that control Ti isotopic variations in planetary materials, 25 komatiites, 15 chondrites, 11 HED-clan meteorites, 5 angrites, 6 aubrites, a martian shergottite, and a KREEP-rich impact melt breccia have been analyzed for their mass-dependent Ti isotopic compositions, presented using the δ49Ti notation (deviation in permil of the 49Ti/47Ti ratio relative to the OL-Ti standard). No significant variation in δ49Ti is found among ordinary, enstatite, and carbonaceous chondrites, and the average chondritic δ49Ti value of +0.004 ± 0.010‰ is in excellent agreement with the published estimate for the bulk silicate Earth, the Moon, Mars, and the HED and angrite parent-bodies. The average δ49Ti value of komatiites of -0.001 ± 0.019‰ is also identical to that of the bulk silicate Earth and chondrites. OL-Ti has a Ti isotopic composition that is indistinguishable from chondrites and is therefore a suitable material for reporting δ49Ti values. Previously published isotope data on another highly refractory element, Ca, show measurable variations among chondrites. The decoupling between Ca and Ti isotope systematics most likely occurred during condensation in the solar nebula. Aubrites exhibit significant variations in δ49Ti, from -0.07 to +0.24‰. This is likely due to the uniquely reducing conditions under which the aubrite parent-body differentiated, allowing chalcophile Ti3+ and lithophile Ti4+ to co-exist. Consequently, the observed negative correlation between δ49Ti values and MgO concentrations among aubrites is interpreted to be the result of isotope fractionation driven by the different oxidation states of Ti in this environment, such that isotopically heavy Ti4+ was concentrated in the residual liquid during magmatic differentiation. Finally, KREEPy impact melt breccia SaU 169 exhibits a heavy δ49Ti value of +0.330 ± 0.034‰ which is interpreted to result from Ti isotopic fractionation during ilmenite precipitation in the late stages of lunar magma ocean crystallization. A Rayleigh distillation calculation predicts that a δ49Ti value of +0.330‰ is achieved after removal of 94% of Ti in ilmenite.

An Earth with affinities to Enstatite Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonough, W. F.

2015-12-01

The Enstatite chondrite model for the Earth, as envisaged by Marc Javoy and colleagues, has strengths and weaknesses. The overwhelming evidence against layered mantle scenarios makes the existing enstatite Earth models unacceptable. Increasingly, stable and radiogenic isotope data for the Earth and the range of chondrites find that many (but not all) isotopic ratios are shared between the Earth and enstatite chondrites. This significant amount of overlap in isotope space compels one to reconsider the enstatite chondrite model for the Earth. During early solar system formation (circa +1 Ma) radial inward migration of the Jupiter and Saturn in the disk (e.g., Grand Tack model) would fully disrupted an asteroid belt, resulting in mixing and redistribution of preexisting components, while much later after the disk is gone (e.g., +100 Ma) gravitational scattering by these planets may have transported small bodies from the outer reaches of the solar system inward towards the rocky planets (Nice model). Astromineralogy reveals variations in the proportion of olivine to pyroxene in accretion disks, some with inner disk regions being richer in olivine relative to the disk wide composition, while other disks show the abundance of olivine is greater in the outer (vs the inner) part of the circumstellar disk, with differences in disk mineralogy being relating to type of star (e.g., T Tauri vs Herbig Ae/Be stars). The inner disk regions (a few AU) show higher abundances of large grains and generally higher crystallinity as compared to outer disk regions, suggesting grain growth occurs more rapidly in the inner disk regions. Recent results from geoneutrino measurements are most consistent with geochemical models that predict 20 TW of radiogenic power, less so with existing enstatite Earth models predicting less power in the planet. At 1 AU the Earth accreted a greater proportion of olivine to pyroxene (i.e., Mg/Si of pyrolite) than that available to the known enstatite chondrite parent body. The Earth accreted early in a reduced state, perhaps to the point of differentiating silicides into the core. Later accreted material was increasingly more oxidized. Stirring and mixing in the early solar system created opportunities for the Earth and enstatite chondrites to share some, but not all chemical and isotopic characteristics.

The role of phosphates for the Lu-Hf chronology of meteorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debaille, Vinciane; Van Orman, James; Yin, Qing-Zhu; Amelin, Yuri

2017-09-01

The 176Lu-176Hf isotopic system is widely used for dating and tracing cosmochemical and geological processes, but still suffers from two uncertainties. First, Lu-Hf isochrons for some early Solar System materials have excess slope of unknown origin that should not be expected for meteorites with ages precisely determined with other isotopic chronometers. This observation translates to an apparent Lu decay constant higher than the one calculated by comparing ages obtained with various dating methods on terrestrial samples. Second, unlike the well constrained Sm/Nd value (to within 2%) for the chondritic uniform reservoir (CHUR), the Lu/Hf ratios in chondrites vary up to 18% when considering all chondrites, adding uncertainty to the Lu/Hf CHUR value. In order to better understand the Lu-Hf systematics of chondrites, we analyzed mineral fractions from the Richardton H5 chondrite to construct an internal Lu-Hf isochron, and set up a numerical model to investigate the effect of preferential diffusion of Lu compared to Hf from phosphate, the phase with the highest Lu-Hf ratio in chondrites, to other minerals. The isochron yields an age of 4647 ± 210 million years (Myr) using the accepted 176Lu decay constant of 1.867 ± 0.008 ×10-11yr-1. Combining this study with the phosphate fractions measured in a previous study yields a slope of 0.08855 ± 0.00072, translating to a 176Lu decay constant of 1.862 ± 0.016 ×10-11yr-1 using the Pb-Pb age previously obtained, in agreement with the accepted value. The large variation of the Lu/Hf phosphates combined with observations in the present study identify phosphates as the key in perturbing Lu-Hf dating and generating the isochron slope discrepancy. This is critical as apatite has substantially higher diffusion rates of rare earth elements than most silicate minerals that comprise stony meteorites. Results of numerical modeling depending of temperature peak, size of the grains and duration of the metamorphic event, show that diffusion processes in phosphate can produce an apparently older Lu-Hf isochron, while this effect will remain negligible in perturbing the Sm-Nd chronology. Our results suggest that only type 3 chondrites with the lowest metamorphic grade and large minerals with minimal diffusive effects are suitable for determination of the Lu-Hf CHUR values and the Lu decay constant respectively.

Mineralogy, Reflectance Spectra, and Physical Properties of the Chelyabinsk LL5 Chondrite - Insight Into Shock Induced Changes in Asteroid Regoliths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gritsevich, Maria; Muinonen, Karri; Kohout, Tomas; Grokhovsky, Victor; Yakovlev, Grigoriy; Haloda, Jakub; Halodova, Patricie; Michallik, Radoslaw; Penttilä, Antti

On February 15, 2013, at 9:22 am, an exceptionally bright and long duration fireball was observed by many eyewitnesses in the Chelyabinsk region, Russia. Two days later the first fragments of the Chelyabinsk meteorite were reported to be found in the area, located approximately 40 km south of Chelyabinsk. We have examined a large number of the recovered Chelyabinsk meteorite fragments. Three lithologies, the light-colored, dark-colored, and impact melt, were found within the recovered meteorites. The light colored lithology is a LL5 ordinary chondrite (Fa 28, Fs 23) shocked to S4 level. The dark colored lithology is of identical LL5 composition (Fa 28, Fs 23). However, it is shocked to higher level (shock-darkened) with fine grained metal and sulfide-rich melt forming a dense network of fine veins impregnating the inter- and intra-granular pore space within crushed silicate grains. The impact melt lithology is a whole-rock melt derived from the same LL5 source material and is present within the light-colored and dark-colored lithology as inter-granular veins. The measured bulk and grain densities and the porosity closely resemble other LL chondrites. Based on the magnetic susceptibility, the Chelyabinsk meteorites are richer in metallic iron as compared to database of other LL chondrites. All three Chelyabinsk lithologies are of identical LL5 composition and origin. Both impact melting and shock darkening cause a decrease in reflectance and a suppression of the silicate absorption bands in the reflectance spectra. Such spectral changes are similar to the space weathering effects observed on asteroids. However, space weathering of chondritic materials is often accompanied with a significant spectral slope change (reddening). In our case, only negligible to minor change in the spectral slope is observed. Thus, it is possible that some dark asteroids with invisible silicate absorption bands may be composed of relatively fresh shock-darkened chondritic material. The main spectral difference of chondritic asteroid surfaces dominated by impact melt, shock darkening, or space weathering, is a significant spectral slope change in the latter case. Thus, shock does not have significant effect on meteorite properties, but causes spectral darkening and suppression of silicate absorption bands.

Investigating Planetary Volatile Accretion Mechanisms Using the Halogens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballentine, C. J.; Clay, P. L.; Burgess, R.; Busemann, H.; Ruzié, L.; Joachim, B.; Day, J. M.

2014-12-01

Depletion of the volatile elements in the Earth relative to the CI chondrites is roughly correlated with volatility, or decreasing condensation temperature. For the heavy halogen group elements (Cl, Br and I), volatility alone does not account for their apparent depletion, which early data has suggested is far greater than predicted [1-2]. Such depletion has been used to argue for the preferential loss of halogens by, amongst other processes, impact-driven erosive loss from Earth's surface [2]. Little consensus exists as to why the halogens should exhibit such preferential behavior during accretionary processes. Early efforts to constrain halogen abundance and understand their behavior in both Earth and planetary materials [3-6] have been hampered by their typically low abundance (ppb level) in most geologic materials. We present the results of halogen analysis of 23 chondrite samples, selected to represent diverse groups and petrologic type. Halogen abundances were measured by neutron irradiation noble gas mass spectrometry (NI-NGMS). Significant concentration heterogeneity is observed within some samples. However, a single Br/Cl and I/Cl ratio of 1.9 ± 0.2 (x 10-3) and 335 ± 10 (x 10-6) can be defined for carbonaceous chondrites with a good correlation between Br and Cl (R2 = 0.97) and between I and Cl (R2 = 0.84). Ratios of I/Cl overlap with terrestrial estimates of Bulk Silicate Earth and Mid Ocean Ridge Basalts. Similarly, good correlations are derived for enstatite (E) chondrites and a sulfide- and halogen- rich subset of E-chondrites. Chlorine abundances of CI (Orgueil) in this study are lower by factor of ~ 3 than the value of ~ 700 ppm Cl (compilation in [1]). Our results are similar to early discarded low values for Ivuna and Orgueil from [5,6] and agree more closely with values for CM chondrites. Halogens may not be as depleted in Earth as previously suggested, or a high degree of heterogeneity in the abundance of these volatile elements in carbonaceous chondrites should be considered when we assess Earth's halogen abundance relative to CI. [1] Lodders (2003) Astr J 591:1220-47. [2] Sharp et al. (2013) EPSL 369/70: 71-7. [3] Dreibus et al. (1979) Phys Chem Earth 11:33-8. [4] Goles et al. (1967) GCA 31: 1771-7. [5] Reed and Allen (1966) GCA 30: 779-800. [6] Greenland & Lovering (1965) GCA 29: 821-58.

Rhenium-osmium systematics of calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Becker, H.; Morgan, J.W.; Walker, R.J.; MacPherson, G.J.; Grossman, J.N.

2001-01-01

The Re-Os isotopic systematics of calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions (CAIs) in chondrites were investigated in order to shed light on the behavior of the Re-Os system in bulk chondrites, and to constrain the timing of chemical fractionation in primitive chondrites. CAIs with relatively unfractionated rare earth element (REE) patterns (groups I, III, V, VI) define a narrow range of 187Re/188Os (0.3764-0.4443) and 187Os/188Os (0.12599-0.12717), and high but variable Re and Os abundances (3209-41,820 ppb Os). In contrast, CAIs that show depletions in highly refractory elements and strongly fractionated REE patterns (group II) also show a much larger range in 187Re/188Os (0.409-0.535) and 187Os/188Os (0.12695-0.13770), and greater than an order of magnitude lower Re and Os abundances than other groups (e.g., 75.7-680.2 ppb Os). Sixteen bulk CAIs and CAI splits plot within analytical uncertainty of a 4558 Ga reference isochron, as is expected for materials of this antiquity. Eight samples, however, plot off the isochron. Several possible reasons for these deviations are discussed. Data for multiple splits of one CAI indicate that the nonisochronous behavior for at least this CAI is the result of Re-Os reequilibration at approximately 1.6 Ga. Thus, the most likely explanation for the deviations of most of the nonisochronous CAIs is late-stage open-system behavior of Re and Os in the asteroidal environment. The 187Os/188Os-Os systematics of CAIs are consistent with previous models that indicate group II CAIs are mixtures of components that lost the bulk of their highly refractory elements in a previous condensation event and a minor second component that provided refractory elements at chondritic relative proportions. The high Re/Os of group II CAIs relative to other CAIs and chondrite bulk rocks may have been caused by variable mobilization of Re and Os during medium- to low-temperature parent body alteration ??4.5 Ga ago. This model is favored over nebular models, which pose several difficulties. The narrow range of 187Os/188Os in group I, III, V, and VI bulk CAIs, and the agreement with 187Os/188Os of whole rock carbonaceous chondrites suggest that on a bulk inclusion scale, secondary alteration only modestly fractionated Re/Os in these CAIs. The average of 187Os/188Os for group I, III, V, and VI CAIs is indistinguishable from average CI chondrites, indicating a modern solar system value for 187Os/188Os of 0.12650, corresponding to a 187Re/188Os of 0.3964. Copyright ?? 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Do We Already have Samples of CERES H Chondrite Haliites and the CERES-HEBE Link

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fries, Marc D.; Messenger, S.; Steele, A.; Zolensky, M.

2013-01-01

We investigate the hypothesis that halite grains in the brecciated H chondrites Zag and Monahans originate from Ceres. Evidence includes mineralogy of the halites consistent with formation on a large, carbonaceous, aqueously active body close to the H chondrite parent body >4 Ga ago. Evidence also includes orbital simularities between 1 Ceres and the purported H chondrite parent body (HPB) 6 Hebe, possibly facilitating a gentle transfer between the bodies. Halite grains in the Monahans and Zag Hchondrites are exogenous to the H chondrite parent body and were transported to the HPB >4 Ga ago. Examination of minerals and carboanceous materials entrained within the halites shows that the halite parent body (HaPB) is consistent with a carbonaceous body [1]. It is probably a large body due to the variety of entrained carbonaceous materials which probably accreted from multiple sources. The halite grains contain intact, HaPB-origin, ancient fluid inclusions indicating that transfer between the HaPB and the HPB was a gentle process resulting in a ?T of <25 degC. Ejection from the HaPB may have been via cryovolcanic processes similar to those on modern-day Enceladus, which have been interpreted to include halite from spectroscopic observations. The ?Tmax to preserve the brinebearing halite restricts the impact velocity to the HPB at less than ˜350-700 m/s, depending upon the fraction of kinetic energy used heat the sample. [2-6]. Therefore the HaPB and HPB must have shared nearby orbits at the time of the HaPB-HPB transfer. Evidence presented elsewhere indicates asteroid 6 Hebe is a favored candidate for the HPB based on reflectance spectrum similarity with H chondrites and dynamical arguments [7,8]. The modern orbits of Ceres and Hebe are reasonably similar, with aphelion/perihelion of Ceres and Hebe of 2.99/2.55 and 2.91/1.94 AU, respectively. Initial calculations indicate an approximate mean infall velocity of 1.20 to 1.38 km/s. While higher than 350- 700 m/s, the orbits may have been more favorable >4 Ga ago. Additional dynamical factors need to be investigated. A combination of factors suggests Ceres as the HaPB. It is a carbonaceous body with suggestions of past aqueous activity [9], which is consistent with the mineral species found in H chondrite halites. Ceres is also a large body capable of accreting the range of carbonaceous materials noted [5]. It is relatively near to purported HPB Hebe, which is required to preserve halite fluid inclusions. The above evidence defines a hypothesized scenario featuring ejection of halite grains from Ceres onto Hebe. Halite was then entrained in H-chondrite near-surface breccias and ejected from Hebe for transport to Earth.

Antarctic meteorite descriptions, 1980

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Score, R.; Schwarz, C. M.; Mason, B.; Bogard, D. D.

1982-01-01

Specimens found in the Alan Hills area include 361 ordinary chondrites, 4 carbonaceous chondrites, 6 achondrites, and 2 irons. Thirteen specimens measured over 11 cm in diameter and 69 between 5 to 10 cm in diameter are reported. The remainder of the finds were small, and many were paired. One of the irons was estimated to weigh about 20 kilograms.

Classification of six ordinary chondrites from Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehlmann, Arthur J.; Keil, Klaus

1988-12-01

Based on optical microscopy, modal and electron microprobe analyses, six ordinary chondrites from Texas were classified in compositional groups, petrologic types, and shock facies. These meteorites are Comanche (stone), L5c; Haskell, L5c; Deport (a), H4b; Naruna (a), H4b; Naruna (b), H4b; and Clarendon (b), H5d.

Comets, carbonaceous chondrites, and interstellar clouds: Condensation of carbon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Field, G. B.

1979-01-01

Comets, carbonaceous chondrites, and interstellar clouds are discussed in relation to information on interstellar dust. The formation and presence of carbon in stars, comets, and meteorites is investigated. The existence of graphite in the interstellar medium, though it is predicted from thermodynamic calculations, is questioned and the form of carbon contained in comets is considered.

Detection of a meteorite 'stream' - Observations of a second meteorite fall from the orbit of the Innisfree chondrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halliday, I.

1987-03-01

The first observational evidence of multiple meteorite falls from the same orbit is adduced from the February 6, 1980 fall of a meteorite precisely 3 yr after the fall of the Innisfree meteorite. Due consideration of the detection probability for two related objects with the meteorite camera network in western Canada suggests that the Innisfree brecciated LL chondrite was a near-surface fragment from a parent object whose radius was of the order of several tens of meters. A meteorite mass of 1.8 kg is predicted for the new object, whose recovery in the vicinity of Ridgedale, Saskatchewan, is now sought for the sake of comparison with the Innisfree chondrite.

The formation conditions of chondrules and chondrites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Alexander, C.M. O'D.; Grossman, Jeffrey N.; Ebel, D.S.; Ciesla, F.J.

2008-01-01

Chondrules, which are roughly millimeter-sized silicate-rich spherules, dominate the most primitive meteorites, the chondrites. They formed as molten droplets and, judging from their abundances in chondrites, are the products of one of the most energetic processes that operated in the early inner solar system. The conditions and mechanism of chondrule formation remain poorly understood. Here we show that the abundance of the volatile element sodium remained relatively constant during chondrule formation. Prevention of the evaporation of sodium requires that chondrules formed in regions with much higher solid densities than predicted by known nebular concentration mechanisms. These regions would probably have been self-gravitating. Our model explains many other chemical characteristics of chondrules and also implies that chondrule and planetesimal formation were linked.

Antarctic and non-Antarctic meteorites form different populations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennison, J. E.; Lingner, D. W.; Lipschutz, M. E.

1986-01-01

The trace element differences between Victoria Land H5 chondrites and non-Antarctic H5 chondrites are studied. The focus on common meteorites was stimulated by Antarctic and non-Antarctic differences in meteorite types and in the trace element contents of congeners of rare type. Thirteen elements were analyzed by neutron activation analysis with radiochemical separation, and eight differed significantly. Eliminating test biasing and the possibility of compositional difference due to Antarctic weathering of the 300,000 year-old (on the average) Victoria Land falls, it is concluded that the two sets of chondrites differ due to extraterrestrial causes. The three possibilities discussed, differences in sample population, physical properties, orbital characteristics, and meteoroid flux with time, are all seen as problematic.

Gallium-bearing sphalerite in a metal-sulfide nodule of the Qingzhen (EH3) chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rambaldi, E. R.; Rajan, R. S.; Housley, R. M.; Wang, D.

1986-01-01

The composition and possible history of the Qingshen (EH3) chondrite is presented. The chondrite contains a population of spheroidal metal-sulfide nodules, which display textural evidence of reheating and melting. Evidence of metal sulfuration is also present, suggesting replacement of metal by sulfide during melting. This process has led to the nucleation of perryite along metal-sulfide interfaces. The Ga-bearing sphalerite that was found may have formed by injection of molten sulfide droplets into the metal followed by subsolidus diffusion of Ga from the metal into the sulfide. The latter may occur because of Ga supersaturation in the metal during progressive sulfuration and its decreased affinity for the metal phase during cooling below the taenite-kamacite transition point.

Chondrites isp. Indicating Late Paleozoic Atmospheric Anoxia in Eastern Peninsular India

PubMed Central

Bhattacharya, Biplab; Banerjee, Sudipto

2014-01-01

Rhythmic sandstone-mudstone-coal succession of the Barakar Formation (early Permian) manifests a transition from lower braided-fluvial to upper tide-wave influenced, estuarine setting. Monospecific assemblage of marine trace fossil Chondrites isp. in contemporaneous claystone beds in the upper Barakar succession from two Gondwana basins (namely, the Raniganj Basin and the Talchir Basin) in eastern peninsular India signifies predominant marine incursion during end early Permian. Monospecific Chondrites ichnoassemblage in different sedimentary horizons in geographically wide apart (~400 km) areas demarcates multiple short-spanned phases of anoxia in eastern India. Such anoxia is interpreted as intermittent falls in oxygen level in an overall decreasing atmospheric oxygenation within the late Paleozoic global oxygen-carbon dioxide fluctuations. PMID:24616628

Recondensation of chondritic material in the early solar system: Results of thermodynamic simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorofeyeva, V. A.; Makalkin, A. B.; Mironenko, M. V.; Vityazev, A. V.

1993-01-01

We have performed a thermodynamic simulation of the recondensation of evaporated meteoritic material. We suggest that evaporation and recondensation occurred in impact events during the intercollision of planetesimals during the early evolution of the solar system. The source materials adopted for our model are the chondrites CI Orgueil and H5 Richardton. These chondrites are representative examples of the two extremes regarding volatile content and oxidation state. We calculated equilibrium mineral compositions of the closed systems of the Orgueil's and Richardton's elemental composition at the P-T conditions characteristic of the explosion cloud formed at a planetesimal collision. The P-T conditions are as follows: 10(exp -4) bar, and 1500 and 2000 K. The results are presented.

Lithologies Making Up CM Carbonaceous Chondrites and Their Link to Space Exposure Ages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregory, Timothy; Zolensky, Michael E.; Trieman, Alan; Berger, Eve; Le, Loan; Fagan, Amy; Takenouchi, Atsushi; Velbel, Michael A.; Nishiizumi, Kunihiko

2015-01-01

Chondrite parent bodies are among the first large bodies to have formed in the early Solar System, and have since remained almost chemically unchanged having not grown large enough or quickly enough to undergo differentiation. Their major nonvolatile elements bear a close resemblance to the solar photosphere. Previous work has concluded that CM chondrites fall into at least four distinct space exposure age groups (0.1 Ma, 0.2 Ma, 0.6 Ma and >2.0 Ma), but the meaning of these groupings is unclear. It is possible that these meteorites came from different parent bodies which broke up at different times, or instead came from the same parent body which underwent multiple break-up events, or a combination of these scenarios.

Lithologies Making Up CM Carbonaceous Chondrites and Their Link to Space Exposure Ages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregory, Timothy; Zolensky, Michael E.; Trieman, Alan; Berger, Eve; Le, Loan; Fagan, Amy; Takenouchi, Atsushi; Velbel, Michael A.; Nishiizumi, Kuni

2015-01-01

Chondrite parent bodies are among the first large bodies to have formed in the early Solar System, and have since remained almost chemically unchanged having not grown large enough or quickly enough to undergo differentiation. Their major nonvolatile elements bear a close resemblance to the solar photosphere. Previous work has concluded that CM chondrites fall into at least four distinct space exposure age groups (0.1 megaannus, 0.2 megaannus, 0.6 megaannus and 2.0 megaannus), but the meaning of these groupings is unclear. It is possible that these meteorites came from different parent bodies which broke up at different times, or instead came from the same parent body which underwent multiple break-up events, or a combination of these scenarios.

Multivariate statistical analysis: Principles and applications to coorbital streams of meteorite falls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolf, S. F.; Lipschutz, M. E.

1993-01-01

Multivariate statistical analysis techniques (linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression) can provide powerful discrimination tools which are generally unfamiliar to the planetary science community. Fall parameters were used to identify a group of 17 H chondrites (Cluster 1) that were part of a coorbital stream which intersected Earth's orbit in May, from 1855 - 1895, and can be distinguished from all other H chondrite falls. Using multivariate statistical techniques, it was demonstrated that a totally different criterion, labile trace element contents - hence thermal histories - or 13 Cluster 1 meteorites are distinguishable from those of 45 non-Cluster 1 H chondrites. Here, we focus upon the principles of multivariate statistical techniques and illustrate their application using non-meteoritic and meteoritic examples.

What predictions can be made on the nature of carbon and carbon-bearing compounds (hydrocarbons) in the interstellar medium based on studies of interplanetary dust particles?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rietmeijer, F. J. M.

1986-01-01

The nature of hydrocarbons and properties of elemental carbon in circumstellar, interstellar, and interplanetary dust is a long standing problem in astronomy and meteorite research. The textures and crystallographical properties of poorly graphitized carbon (PGC) from carbonaceous chondrites and Chondritic Porous Aggregates (CPAs) are comparable with PGCs formed by dehydrogenation and carbonization of hydrocarbon precursors under natural terrestrial and experimental conditions. A multistage model of hydrocarbon diagenesis in CPA and carbonaceous chondrite (proto-) planetary parent bodies was proposed in which hydrocarbons are subjected to low temperature hydrous pyrolysis. Continued efforts to recognize hydrocarbons and elemental phases in CPAs may allow understanding of the multistage hydrocarbon/elemental carbon model.

Comparing Amino Acid Abundances and Distributions Across Carbonaceous Chondrite Groups

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burton, Aaron S.; Callahan, Michael P.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Elsila, Jamie E.; Dworkin, Jason P.

2012-01-01

Meteorites are grouped according to bulk properties such as chemical composition and mineralogy. These parameters can vary significantly among the different carbonaceous chondrite groups (CI, CM, CO, CR, CH, CB, CV and CK). We have determined the amino acid abundances of more than 30 primary amino acids in meteorites from each of the eight groups, revealing several interesting trends. There are noticeable differences in the structural diversity and overall abundances of amino acids between meteorites from the different chondrite groups. Because meteorites may have been an important source of amino acids to the prebiotic Earth and these organic compounds are essential for life as we know it, the observed variations of these molecules may have been important for the origins of life.

Fall, recovery, and characterization of the Novato L6 chondrite breccia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenniskens, Peter; Rubin, Alan E.; Yin, Qing-Zhu; Sears, Derek W. G.; Sandford, Scott A.; Zolensky, Michael E.; Krot, Alexander N.; Blair, Leigh; Kane, Darci; Utas, Jason; Verish, Robert; Friedrich, Jon M.; Wimpenny, Josh; Eppich, Gary R.; Ziegler, Karen; Verosub, Kenneth L.; Rowland, Douglas J.; Albers, Jim; Gural, Peter S.; Grigsby, Bryant; Fries, Marc D.; Matson, Robert; Johnston, Malcolm; Silber, Elizabeth; Brown, Peter; Yamakawa, Akane; Sanborn, Matthew E.; Laubenstein, Matthias; Welten, Kees C.; Nishiizumi, Kunihiko; Meier, Matthias M. M.; Busemann, Henner; Clay, Patricia; Caffee, Marc W.; Schmitt-Kopplin, Phillipe; Hertkorn, Norbert; Glavin, Daniel P.; Callahan, Michael P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Wu, Qinghao; Zare, Richard N.; Grady, Monica; Verchovsky, Sasha; Emel'Yanenko, Vacheslav; Naroenkov, Sergey; Clark, David L.; Girten, Beverly; Worden, Peter S.

2014-08-01

The Novato L6 chondrite fragmental breccia fell in California on 17 October 2012, and was recovered after the Cameras for Allsky Meteor Surveillance (CAMS) project determined the meteor's trajectory between 95 and 46 km altitude. The final fragmentation from 42 to 22 km altitude was exceptionally well documented by digital photographs. The first sample was recovered before rain hit the area. First results from a consortium study of the meteorite's characterization, cosmogenic and radiogenic nuclides, origin, and conditions of the fall are presented. Some meteorites did not retain fusion crust and show evidence of spallation. Before entry, the meteoroid was 35 ± 5 cm in diameter (mass 80 ± 35 kg) with a cosmic-ray exposure age of 9 ± 1 Ma, if it had a one-stage exposure history. A two-stage exposure history is more likely, with lower shielding in the last few Ma. Thermoluminescence data suggest a collision event within the last ˜0.1 Ma. Novato probably belonged to the class of shocked L chondrites that have a common shock age of 470 Ma, based on the U,Th-He age of 420 ± 220 Ma. The measured orbits of Novato, Jesenice, and Innisfree are consistent with a proposed origin of these shocked L chondrites in the Gefion asteroid family, perhaps directly via the 5:2 mean-motion resonance with Jupiter. Novato experienced a stronger compaction than did other L6 chondrites of shock-stage S4. Despite this, a freshly broken surface shows a wide range of organic compounds.

Metamorphosed CM and CI Carbonaceous Chondrites Could Be from the Breakup of the Same Earth-crossing Asteroid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael; Abell, Paul; Tonui, Eric

2005-01-01

Far from being the relatively unprocessed materials they were once believed to be, we now know that a significant number of carbonaceous chondrites were thermally metamorphosed on their parent asteroid(s). Numerous studies indicate that 7 "CM" and 2 "CI" chondrites have been naturally heated, variously, at from 400 to over 700 C on their parent asteroid(s). Petrographic textures reveal that this thermal metamorphism occurred after the dominant aqueous alteration phase, although some meteorites show evidence of a heating event between two aqueous alteration episodes, i.e. pro- and retrograde aqueous alteration. Aside from the issues of the identification of the transient heat source, timing of metamorphism, and the relation of these materials (if any) to conventional CM and CI chondrites, there is also a mystery related to their recovery. All of these meteorites have been recovered from the Antarctic; none are falls or finds from anyplace else. Indeed, the majority have been collected by the Japanese NIPR field parties in the Yamato Mountains. In fact, one estimate is that these meteorites account for approx. 64 wt% of the CM carbonaceous chondrites at the NIPR. The reasons for this are unclear and might be due in part to simple sampling bias. However we suggest that this recovery difference is related to the particular age of the Yamato Mountains meteorite recovery surfaces, and differences in meteoroid fluxes between the Yamato meteorites and recent falls and substantially older Antarctic meteorites. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vernazza, P.; Barge, P.; Zanda, B.

Although petrologic, chemical, and isotopic studies of ordinary chondrites and meteorites in general have largely helped establish a chronology of the earliest events of planetesimal formation and their evolution, there are several questions that cannot be resolved via laboratory measurements and/or experiments alone. Here, we propose the rationale for several new constraints on the formation and evolution of ordinary chondrite parent bodies (and, by extension, most planetesimals) from newly available spectral measurements and mineralogical analysis of main-belt S-type asteroids (83 objects) and unequilibrated ordinary chondrite meteorites (53 samples). Based on the latter, we suggest that spectral data may be usedmore » to distinguish whether an ordinary chondrite was formed near the surface or in the interior of its parent body. If these constraints are correct, the suggested implications include that: (1) large groups of compositionally similar asteroids are a natural outcome of planetesimal formation and, consequently, meteorites within a given class can originate from multiple parent bodies; (2) the surfaces of large (up to ∼200 km) S-type main-belt asteroids mostly expose the interiors of the primordial bodies, a likely consequence of impacts by small asteroids (D < 10 km) in the early solar system; (3) the duration of accretion of the H chondrite parent bodies was likely short (instantaneous or in less than ∼10{sup 5} yr, but certainly not as long as 1 Myr); (4) LL-like bodies formed closer to the Sun than H-like bodies, a possible consequence of the radial mixing and size sorting of chondrules in the protoplanetary disk prior to accretion.« less

Characterization of the organic matter and hydration state of Antarctic micrometeorites: A reservoir distinct from carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battandier, M.; Bonal, L.; Quirico, E.; Beck, P.; Engrand, C.; Duprat, J.; Dartois, E.

2018-05-01

This work presents a multi-analysis on 35 Antarctic micrometeorites (AMMs) (Concordia collection 2006) by coupled Raman and Infrared (IR) spectroscopies, in comparison with samples from type 1 and 2 carbonaceous CM, CR and CI chondrites. We identified the Raman G- and D-bands revealing the presence of polyaromatic carbonaceous material on raw particles in a subset of 16 particles. Thirteen AMMs (10 Fg + 1 Fg-Sc + 1 Sc) were selected from this first subset, and analyzed by infrared microscopy along with 4 AMMs (2 Fg + 1 Fg-Sc + 1 Sc) from a previous study by Dobrica et al. (2011). These analyses showed that scoriaceous, fine-grained scoriaceous and part of the fine-grained AMMs are not hydrated, with a weak abundance of carbonaceous matter. According to the Raman criterion defined by Dobrica et al. (2011), hydrous AMMs do not show structural modifications induced by heating through the atmospheric entry. In several hydrous AMMs, the carbonaceous matter abundance is found larger than in Orgueil (CI), Murchison (CM) and QUE 99177 (CR) chondrites and their mineral content exhibit differences reflected by the structure of the silicate 10 μm band. These observations suggest that part of the AMMs originates from one, or several, distinct parent bodies with respect to primitive carbonaceous chondrites. Each hydrous Fg-AMMS displays higher CH2/CH3 ratio and a smaller carbonyl abundance than chondrites, which point toward a mild processing during atmospheric entry, possibly oxidation, which did not modify the carbon backbone and therefore do not induce differences in Raman spectroscopy.

The Valence of Iron in CM Chondrite Serpentine as Measured by Synchrotron Xanes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mikouchi, T.; Zolensky, Michael E.; Satake, W.; Le, L.

2012-01-01

Fe-bearing phyllosilicates are the dominant product of aqueous alteration in carbonaceous chondrites, and serpentine is the most abundant phyllosilicate in CM2 chondrites that are the most abundant carbonaceous chondrite. Browning et al. predicted that Fe(3+)/(sum of Fe) ratios of serpentine in CM chondrites should change with progressive alteration. They proposed that progressive CM alteration is best monitored by evaluating the progress of Si and Fe3+ substitutions that necessarily attend the transition from end-member cronstedtite to serpentine. Their proposed Mineralogic Alteration Index, 2-(Fe(3+)/(2-Si)), was intended to highlight and utilize the relevant ex-change information in the stoichiometric phyllosilicate formulas based upon the coupled substitution of 2(Fe(3+), Al) = Si + (Mg, Fe(2+)...) in serpentine. The value of this ratio increases as alteration proceeds. We always wanted to directly test Browning s pre-diction through actual measurements of the Fe3+ con-tent of serpentine at the micron scale appropriate to EPMA analyses (Zega et al. have measured it at much finer scale), and this test can now be made using Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure (SR-XANES). Thus, we have recently begun investigation with CMs that span a large portion of the range of observed aqueous alteration, and we first analyzed Murray, Nogoya, and ALH84029 by SR-XANES. However, we did not find clear correlation between Fe3+/(sum of Fe) ratios of serpentine and their alteration degrees. We thus analyzed serpentine in three more CMs and here report their Fe3+/(sum of Fe) ratios in comparison with our previous results.

The origin of inner Solar System water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Conel M. O'D.

2017-04-01

Of the potential volatile sources for the terrestrial planets, the CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites are closest to the planets' bulk H and N isotopic compositions. For the Earth, the addition of approximately 2-4 wt% of CI/CM material to a volatile-depleted proto-Earth can explain the abundances of many of the most volatile elements, although some solar-like material is also required. Two dynamical models of terrestrial planet formation predict that the carbonaceous chondrites formed either in the asteroid belt (`classical' model) or in the outer Solar System (5-15 AU in the Grand Tack model). To test these models, at present the H isotopes of water are the most promising indicators of formation location because they should have become increasingly D-rich with distance from the Sun. The estimated initial H isotopic compositions of water accreted by the CI, CM, CR and Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrites were much more D-poor than measured outer Solar System objects. A similar pattern is seen for N isotopes. The D-poor compositions reflect incomplete re-equilibration with H2 in the inner Solar System, which is also consistent with the O isotopes of chondritic water. On balance, it seems that the carbonaceous chondrites and their water did not form very far out in the disc, almost certainly not beyond the orbit of Saturn when its moons formed (approx. 3-7 AU in the Grand Tack model) and possibly close to where they are found today. This article is part of the themed issue 'The origin, history and role of water in the evolution of the inner Solar System'.

A New Modal Analysis Method to put Constraints on the Aqueous Alteration of CR Chondrites and Estimate the Unaltered CR Composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perronnet, M.; Zolensky, M. E.; Gounelle, M.; Schwandt, C. S.

2007-01-01

CR carbonaceous chondrites are of the major interest since they contain one of the most primitive organic matters. However, aqueous alteration has more or less overprinted their original features in a way that needed to be assessed. That was done in the present study by comparing the mineralogy of the most altered CR1 chondrite, GRO 95577, to a less altered CR2, Renazzo. Their modal analyses were achieved thanks to a new method, based on X-ray elemental maps acquired on electron microprobe, and on IDL image treatment. It allowed the collection of new data on the composition of Renazzo and confirmed the classification of GRO 95577 as a CR1. New alteration products for CRs, vermiculite and clinochlore, were observed. The homogeneity of the Fe-poor clays in the CR1 and the distinctive matrix composition in the two chondrites suggest a wide-range of aqueous alteration on CRs. The preservation of the outlines of the chondrules in GRO 95577 and the elemental transfers of Al, Fe and Ca throughout the chondrule and of Fe and S from the matrix to the chondrule favor the idea of an asteroidal location of the aqueous alteration. From their mineralogical descriptions and modal abundances, the element repartitions in Renazzo and GRO 95577 were computed. It indicates a possible relationship between these two chondrites via an isochemical alteration process. Knowing the chemical reactions that occurred during the alteration, it was thus possible to decipher the mineralogical modal abundances in the unaltered CR body.

A New Modal Analysis Method to put Constraints on the Aqueous Alteration of CR Chondrites and Estimate the Unaltered CR Composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perronnet, M.; Zolensky, M. E.; Gounelle, M.; Schwandt, C. S.

2007-01-01

carbonaceous chondrites are of the major interest since they contain one of the most primitive organic matters. However, aqueous alteration has more or less overprinted their original features in a way that needed to be assessed. That was done in the present study by comparing the mineralogy of the most altered CR1 chondrite, GRO 95577, to a less altered CR2, Renazzo. Their modal analyses were achieved thanks to a new method, based on X-ray elemental maps acquired on electron microprobe, and on IDL image treatment. It allowed the collection of new data on the composition of Renazzo and confirmed the classification of GRO 95577 as a CR1. New alteration products for CRs, vermiculite and clinochlore, were observed. The homogeneity of the Fe-poor clays in the CR1 and the distinctive matrix composition in the two chondrites suggest a wide-range of aqueous alteration on CRs. The preservation of the outlines of the chondrules in GRO 95577 and the elemental transfers of Al, Fe and Ca throughout the chondrule and of Fe and S from the matrix to the chondrule favor the idea of an asteroidal location of the aqueous alteration. From their mineralogical descriptions and modal abundances, the element repartitions in Renazzo and GRO 95577 were computed. It indicates a possible relationship between these two chondrites via an isochemical alteration process. Knowing the chemical reactions that occurred during the alteration, it was thus possible to decipher the mineralogical modal abundances in the unaltered CR body.

Fall, Recovery and Characterization of the Novato L6 Chondrite Breccia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Petrus; Rubin, Alan E; Yin, Qing-Zhu; Sears, Derek; Sandford, Scott A.; Zolensky, Michael E.; Krot, Alexander N.; Blair, Leigh; Kane, Darci; Utas, Jason;

Reclassification of Villalbeto de la Peña—Occurrence of a winonaite-related fragment in a hydrothermally metamorphosed polymict L-chondritic breccia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bischoff, Addi; Dyl, Kathryn A.; Horstmann, Marian; Ziegler, Karen; Wimmer, Karl; Young, Edward D.

2013-04-01

The Villalbeto de la Peña meteorite that fell in 2004 in Spain was originally classified as a moderately shocked L6 ordinary chondrite. The recognition of fragments within the Villalbeto de la Peña meteorite clearly bears consequences for the previous classification of the rock. The oxygen isotope data clearly show that an exotic eye-catching, black, and plagioclase-(maskelynite)-rich clast is not of L chondrite heritage. Villalbeto de la Peña is, consequently, reclassified as a polymict chondritic breccia. The oxygen isotope data of the clast are more closely related to data for the winonaite Tierra Blanca and the anomalous silicate-bearing iron meteorite LEW 86211 than to the ordinary chondrite groups. The REE-pattern of the bulk inclusion indicates genetic similarities to those of differentiated rocks and their minerals (e.g., lunar anorthosites, eucritic, and winonaitic plagioclases) and points to an igneous origin. The An-content of the plagioclase within the inclusion is increasing from the fragment/host meteorite boundary (approximately An10) toward the interior of the clast (approximately An52). This is accompanied by a successive compositionally controlled transformation of plagioclase into maskelynite by shock. As found for plagioclase, compositions of individual spinels enclosed in plagioclase (maskelynite) also vary from the border toward the interior of the inclusion. In addition, huge variations in oxygen isotope composition were found correlating with distance into the object. The chemical and isotopical profiles observed in the fragment indicate postaccretionary metamorphism under the presence of a volatile phase.

Little Chondrules and Giant Impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, G. J.

2005-10-01

Alexander (Sasha) Krot (University of Hawaii), Yuri Amelin (University of Toronto), Pat Cassen (SETI Institute), and Anders Meibom (Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris) studied and then extracted frozen droplets of molten silicate (chondrules) from unusual meteorites rich in metallic iron-nickel. Called CB (Bencubbin-like) chondrites, these rare but fascinating meteorites contain chondrules with different properties than those in other types of chondrites. Most notably, the chondrules contain very small concentrations of volatile elements and variable concentrations of refractory elements. (Volatile elements condense from a gas at a relatively low temperature, or are boiled out of solids or liquids at relatively low temperature. Refractory elements are the opposite.) Some of the metal grains in CB chondrites are chemically zoned, indicating that they formed by condensation in a vapor cloud. The most intriguing feature of chondrules in CB chondrites is their relatively young age. Lead-lead isotopic dating of chondrules separated from two CB chondrites show that they formed 5 million years after formation of the first solids in the solar system (calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions), which is about at least two million years after formation of other chondrules, and after energetic events in the solar nebula stopped. Krot and his colleagues suggest that the CB chondrules formed as the result of an impact between Moon- to Mars-sized protoplanets. Such impacts were so energetic that huge amounts of material were vaporized and then condensed as chondrules or chemically zoned metal grains. This event enriched refractory elements and depleted volatile elements. Such large impacts appear to play important roles in planet formation, including the formation of the Moon.

Partitioning of Nd, Tb, Lu, and Hf Between Garnet and Ordinary Chondrite Melt at 5 to 9 GPa: Applications to Martian Differentiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Draper, D. S.; Chabot, N. L.; Xirouchakis, D.; Wasserman, A. A.; Agee, C. B.

2001-01-01

One explanation for Al and REE depletions in SNC meteorites is early majorite fractionation in a deep martian magma ocean. We report initial results from an experimental investigation of partitioning between majoritic garnet and ordinary chondrite liquid. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Chondrules in the Sharps H3 chondrite - Evidence for intergroup compositional differences among ordinary chondrite chondrules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, Alan E.; Pernicka, Ernst

1989-01-01

Bulk compositions of 19 chondrules and one matrix-rich sample from H3.4 Sharps were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Samples were characterized petrographically, and mineral compositions were determined by electron microprobe analysis. There is constancy among ordinary chondrite (OC) groups in the compositional interrelationships of different chondrule types; e.g., in H3 as well as L3 and LL3 chondrites, porphyritic chondrules are more refractory than nonporphyritic chondrules. Precursor components of H3 chondrules are closely related to those of LL3 chondrules. The mean Ir/Ni, Ir/Co, and Ir/Au ratios of H3 chondrules differ from the corresponding ratios of LL3 chondrules at the 99, 90, and 79 percent confidence levels, respectively. The ratios in H3 chondrules exceed those in LL3 chondrules by amounts similar to those by which H whole-rocks exceed LL whole-rocks. These data suggest that there are primary systematic differences in bulk composition between H and LL chondrules. These differences support the inference that chondrule formation occurred after major nebular fractionation events had established the observed bulk compositional differences among OC groups.

N-15-Rich Organic Globules in a Cluster IDP and the Bells CM2 Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Messenger, S.; Nakamura-Messenger, K.; Keller, Lindsay P.

2008-01-01

Organic matter in primitive meteorites and chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles (CP IDPs) is commonly enriched in D/H and 15N/14N relative to terrestrial values [1-3]. These anomalies are ascribed to the partial preservation of presolar cold molecular cloud material [1]. Some meteorites and IDPs contain m-size inclusions with extreme H and N isotopic anomalies [2-4], possibly due to preserved pristine primordial organic grains. We recently showed that the in the Tagish Lake meteorite, the principle carriers of these anomalies are sub- m, hollow organic globules [5]. The globules likely formed by photochemical processing of organic ices in a cold molecular cloud or the outermost regions of the protosolar disk [5]. We proposed that similar materials should be common among primitive meteorites, IDPs, and comets. Similar objects have been observed in organic extracts of carbonaceous chondrites [6-8], however their N and H isotopic compositions are generally unknown. Bulk H and N isotopic compositions may indicate which meteorites best preserve interstellar organic compounds. Thus, we selected the Bells CM2 carbonaceous chondrites for study based on its large bulk 15N (+335 %) and D (+990 %) [9].

40Ar/39Ar Ages of Carbonaceous Xenoliths in 2 HED Meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turrin, B.; Lindsay, F. N.; Park, J.; Herzog, G. F.; Delaney, J. S.; Swisher, C. C., III; Johnson, J.; Zolensky, M.

2016-01-01

The generally young K/Ar and 40Ar/39Ar ages of CM chondrites made us wonder whether carbonaceous xenoliths (CMX) entombed in Howardite–Eucrite–Diogenite (HED) meteorites might retain more radiogenic 40Ar than do ‘free-range’ CM-chondrites. To find out, we selected two HED breccias with carbonaceous inclusions in order to compare the 40Ar/39Ar release patterns and ages of the inclusions with those of nearby HED material. Carbonaceous inclusions (CMXs) in two HED meteorites lost a greater fraction of radiogenic 40Ar than did surrounding host material, but a smaller fraction of it than did free-range CM-chondrites such as Murchison or more heavily altered ones. Importantly, however, the siting of the CMXs in HED matrix did not prevent the 40Ar loss of about 40 percent of the radiogenic 40Ar, even from phases that degas at high laboratory temperatures. We infer that carbonaceous asteroids with perihelia of 1 astronomical unit probably experience losses of at least this size. The usefulness of 40Ar/39Ar dating for samples returned from C-type asteroids may hinge, therefore, on identifying and analyzing separately small quantities of the most retentive phases of carbonaceous chondrites.

A dual origin for water in carbonaceous asteroids revealed by CM chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piani, Laurette; Yurimoto, Hisayoshi; Remusat, Laurent

2018-04-01

Carbonaceous asteroids represent the principal source of water in the inner Solar System and might correspond to the main contributors for the delivery of water to Earth. Hydrogen isotopes in water-bearing primitive meteorites, for example carbonaceous chondrites, constitute a unique tool for deciphering the sources of water reservoirs at the time of asteroid formation. However, fine-scale isotopic measurements are required to unravel the effects of parent-body processes on the pre-accretion isotopic distributions. Here, we report in situ micrometre-scale analyses of hydrogen isotopes in six CM-type carbonaceous chondrites, revealing a dominant deuterium-poor water component (δD = -350 ± 40‰) mixed with deuterium-rich organic matter. We suggest that this deuterium-poor water corresponds to a ubiquitous water reservoir in the inner protoplanetary disk. A deuterium-rich water signature has been preserved in the least altered part of the Paris chondrite (δDParis ≥ -69 ± 163‰) in hydrated phases possibly present in the CM rock before alteration. The presence of the deuterium-enriched water signature in Paris might indicate that transfers of ice from the outer to the inner Solar System were significant within the first million years of the history of the Solar System.

Properties of the Guin ungrouped iron meteorite - The origin of Guin and of group-IIE irons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubin, A. E.; Jerde, E. A.; Zong, P.; Wasson, J. T.; Westcott, J. W.; Mayeda, T. K.; Clayton, R. N.

1986-01-01

The composition and structure of the Guin ungrouped iron meteorite inclusions have been investigated experimentally. The structural characteristics of polished and etched slabs of the meteorite were studied microscopically in reflected light. Modal abundances of troilite nodules and silicate inclusions were determined by weighing paper traces. The bulk composition of the silicate inclusions was calculated by combining modal phase abundances and mineral compositions. It is found that the largest silicate inclusion (2 x 4 cm) consists mostly of a shock-melted plagioclase-rich matrix surrounding large, partly melted augite grains. The oxygen isotopic composition of the inclusion is near that of LL chondrites. The inclusion is found to be similar in composition to selected melt pocket glasses in ordinary chondrites produced in situ by preferential melting of plagioclase rock due to shock compression. It is suggested that the Guin assemblage was formed by impact melting on a chondritic parent body. Silicate inclusions in IIE irons share many of the compositional and petrological characteristics of the Guin inclusions, indicating that IIE irons also formed by impact-melting of chondritic materials. Black and white photomicrographs of the silicate inclusions are provided.

Evidence for the presence of planetesimal material among the precursors of magnesian chondrules of nebular origin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Libourel, Guy; Krot, Alexander N.

2007-02-01

Chondrules are the major high-temperature components of chondritic meteorites, which are conventionally viewed as the samples from the very first generation of undifferentiated planetesimals. Growing evidences from long- and short-lived radionuclide chronologies indicate however that chondrite parent asteroids accreted after or contemporaneously with igneous activities on differentiated asteroids, questioning the pristine nature of chondrites. Here we report a discovery of metal-bearing olivine aggregates with granoblastic textures inside magnesian porphyritic (Type I) chondrules from the CV carbonaceous chondrite Vigarano. Formation of the granoblastic textures requires sintering and prolonged, high-temperature (> 1000 °C) annealing - conditions which are not expected in the solar nebula during chondrule formation, but could have been achieved on parent bodies of olivine-rich differentiated or thermally metamorphosed meteorites. The mineralogy and petrography of the metal-olivine aggregates thus indicate that they are relict, dunite-like lithic fragments which resulted from fragmentation of such bodies. The very old Pb-Pb absolute ages and Al-Mg relative model ages of bulk CV chondrules suggest that such planetesimals may have formed as early as the currently accepted age of the Solar System (4567.2 ± 0.6 Ma).

Hydrogen and major element concentrations on 433 Eros: Evidence for an L- or LL-chondrite-like surface composition.

PubMed

Peplowski, Patrick N; Bazell, David; Evans, Larry G; Goldsten, John O; Lawrence, David J; Nittler, Larry R

2015-03-01

A reanalysis of NEAR X-ray/gamma-ray spectrometer (XGRS) data provides robust evidence that the elemental composition of the near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros is consistent with the L and LL ordinary chondrites. These results facilitated the use of the gamma-ray measurements to produce the first in situ measurement of hydrogen concentrations on an asteroid. The measured value, 1100-700+1600 ppm, is consistent with hydrogen concentrations measured in L and LL chondrite meteorite falls. Gamma-ray derived abundances of hydrogen and potassium show no evidence for depletion of volatiles relative to ordinary chondrites, suggesting that the sulfur depletion observed in X-ray data is a surficial effect, consistent with a space-weathering origin. The newfound agreement between the X-ray, gamma-ray, and spectral data suggests that the NEAR landing site, a ponded regolith deposit, has an elemental composition that is indistinguishable from the mean surface. This observation argues against a pond formation process that segregates metals from silicates, and instead suggests that the differences observed in reflectance spectra between the ponds and bulk Eros are due to grain size differences resulting from granular sorting of ponded material.

Searching for Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in a Contaminated Meteorite: Amino Acid Analyses of the Canakkale L6 Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burton, A. S.; Elsila, J. E.; Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, J. P.; Ornek, C. Y.; Esenoglu, H. H.; Unsalan, O.; Ozturk, B.

2016-01-01

Amino acids can serve as important markers of cosmochemistry, as their abundances and isomeric and isotopic compositions have been found to vary predictably with changes in parent body chemistry and alteration processes. Amino acids are also of astrobiological interest because they are essential for life on Earth. Analyses of a range of meteorites, including all groups of carbonaceous chondrites, along with H, R, and LL chondrites, ureilites, and a martian shergottite, have revealed that amino acids of plausible extraterrestrial origin can be formed in and persist after a wide range of parent body conditions. However, amino acid analyses of L6 chondrites to date have not provided evidence for indigenous amino acids. In the present study, we performed amino acid analysis on larger samples of a different L6 chondite, Canakkale, to determine whether or not trace levels of indigenous amino acids could be found. The Canakkale meteor was an observed fall in late July, 1964, near Canakkale, Turkey. The meteorite samples (1.36 and 1.09 g) analyzed in this study were allocated by C. Y. Ornek, along with a soil sample (1.5 g) collected near the Canakkale recovery site.

Comparison of lunar rocks and meteorites: Implications to histories of the moon and parent meteorite bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinz, M.; Fodor, R. V.; Keil, K.

1977-01-01

There are many similarities between lunar samples and stone meteorites. Lunar samples, especially from the highlands, indicate that they have been affected by complex and repeated impact processes. Similar complex and repeated impact processes have also been operative on the achondritic and chondritic meteorites. Similarities between lunar and meteoritic rocks are discussed as follows: (1) Monomict and polymict breccias occur in lunar rocks, as well as in achondritic and chondritic meteorites, having resulted from complex and repeated impact processes; (2) Chondrules are present in lunar meteorites, as well as in a few achondritic and most chondritic meteorites. They apparently crystallized spontaneously from molten highly supercooled droplets which may have formed from impact melts or, perhaps, volcanic processes (as well as from the solar nebula, in the case of meteoritic chondrites); (3) Lithic fragments vary from little modified (relative to the apparent original texture) to partly or completely melted and recrystallized lithic fragments. Their detailed study allows conclusions to be drawn about their parent rock types and their origin, thereby gaining insight into preimpact histories of lunar and meteoritic breccias. There is evidence that cumulate rocks were involved in the early history of both moon and parent meteorite bodies.

Link between the potentially hazardous Asteroid (86039) 1999 NC43 and the Chelyabinsk meteoroid tenuous

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reddy, Vishnu; Vokrouhlický, David; Bottke, William F.; Pravec, Petr; Sanchez, Juan A.; Gary, Bruce L.; Klima, Rachel; Cloutis, Edward A.; Galád, Adrián; Guan, Tan Thiam; Hornoch, Kamil; Izawa, Matthew R. M.; Kušnirák, Peter; Le Corre, Lucille; Mann, Paul; Moskovitz, Nicholas; Skiff, Brian; Vraštil, Jan

2015-05-01

We explored the statistical and compositional link between Chelyabinsk meteoroid and potentially hazardous Asteroid (86039) 1999 NC43 to investigate their proposed relation proposed by Borovička et al. (Borovička, J., et al. [2013]. Nature 503, 235-237). First, using a slightly more detailed computation we confirm that the orbit of the Chelyabinsk impactor is anomalously close to the Asteroid 1999 NC43. We find ∼(1-3) × 10-4 likelihood of that to happen by chance. Taking the standpoint that the Chelyabinsk impactor indeed separated from 1999 NC43 by a cratering or rotational fission event, we run a forward probability calculation, which is an independent statistical test. However, we find this scenario is unlikely at the ∼(10-3-10-2) level. Secondly, we note that efforts to conclusively prove separation of the Chelyabinsk meteoroid from (86039) 1999 NC43 in the past needs to meet severe criteria: relative velocity ≃1-10 m/s or smaller, and ≃100 km distance (i.e. about the Hill sphere distance from the parent body). We conclude that, unless the separation event was an extremely recent event, these criteria present an insurmountable difficulty due to the combination of strong orbital chaoticity, orbit uncertainty and incompleteness of the dynamical model with respect to thermal accelerations. This situation leaves the link of the two bodies unresolved and calls for additional analyses. With that goal, we revisit the presumed compositional link between (86039) 1999 NC43 and the Chelyabinsk body. Borovička et al. (Borovička, J., et al. [2013]. Nature 503, 235-237) noted that given its Q-type taxonomic classification, 1999 NC43 may pass this test. However, here we find that while the Q-type classification of 1999 NC43 is accurate, assuming that all Q-types are LL chondrites is not. Our experiment shows that not all ordinary chondrites fall under Q-taxonomic type and not all LL chondrites are Q-types. Spectral curve matching between laboratory spectra of Chelyabinsk and 1999 NC43 spectrum shows that the spectra do not match. Mineralogical analysis of Chelyabinsk (LL chondrite) and (8) Flora (the largest member of the presumed LL chondrite parent family) shows that their olivine and pyroxene chemistries are similar to LL chondrites. Similar analysis of 1999 NC43 shows that its olivine and pyroxene chemistries are more similar to L chondrites than LL chondrites (like Chelyabinsk). Analysis of the spectrum using Modified Gaussian Model (MGM) suggests 1999 NC43 is similar to LL or L chondrite although we suspect this ambiguity is due to lack of temperature and phase angle corrections in the model. While some asteroid pairs show differences in spectral slope, there is no evidence for L and LL chondrite type objects fissioning out from the same parent body. We also took photometric observations of 1999 NC43 over 54 nights during two apparitions (2000, 2014). The lightcurve of 1999 NC43 resembles simulated lightcurves of tumblers in Short-Axis Mode (SAM) with the mean wobbling angle 20°-30°. The very slow rotation of 1999 NC43 could be a result of slow-down by the Yarkovsky-O'Keefe-Radzievskii-Paddack (YORP) effect. While, a mechanism of the non-principal axis rotation excitation is unclear, we can rule out the formation of asteroid in disruption of its parent body as a plausible cause, as it is unlikely that the rotation of an asteroid fragment from catastrophic disruption would be nearly completely halted. Considering all these facts, we find the proposed link between the Chelyabinsk meteoroid and the Asteroid 1999 NC43 to be unlikely.

Nature of the H chondrite parent body regolith - Evidence from the Dimmitt breccia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubin, A. E.; Scott, E. R. D.; Taylor, G. J.; Keil, K.; Allen, J. S. B.; Mayeda, T. K.; Clayton, R. N.; Bogard, D. D.

1983-01-01

Meteorite regolith breccias are clastic rocks which formed by lithification of fragmental regolith material that once resided at the surface of a meteorite parent body. A study is reported of the matrix and 21 clasts of various sizes (0.2-24 mm) in the Dimmitt H chondrite regolith breccia using petrographic and electron microprobe techniques. In addition, oxygen isotope studies of three clasts and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and Ar-39/Ar-40 age dating of one clast are reported. The Dimmitt meteorite was found about 1942 near Dimmitt, Texas. Attention is given to analytical procedures, the clastic matrix, equilibrated clasts, poikilitic melt-rock clast, clasts of different chondrite groups, graphite-magnetite aggregates, the origin of exotic clasts, and the complexity of parent body surfaces processes.

Chondrule-forming Shock Fronts in the Solar Nebula: A Possible Unified Scenario for Planet and Chondrite Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boss, A. P.; Durisen, R. H.

2005-03-01

Chondrules are millimeter-sized spherules found throughout primitive chondritic meteorites. Flash heating by a shock front is the leading explanation of their formation. However, identifying a mechanism for creating shock fronts inside the solar nebula has been difficult. In a gaseous disk capable of forming Jupiter, the disk must have been marginally gravitationally unstable at and beyond Jupiter's orbit. We show that this instability can drive inward spiral shock fronts with shock speeds of up to ~10 km s-1 at asteroidal orbits, sufficient to account for chondrule formation. The mixing and transport of solids in such a disk, combined with the planet-forming tendencies of gravitational instabilities, results in a unified scenario linking chondrite production with gas giant planet formation.

Contrasting Size Distributions of Chondrules and Inclusions in Allende CV3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, Kent R.; Tait, Alastair W.; Simon, Jusin I.; Cuzzi, Jeff N.

2014-01-01

There are several leading theories on the processes that led to the formation of chondrites, e.g., sorting by mass, by X-winds, turbulent concentration, and by photophoresis. The juxtaposition of refractory inclusions (CAIs) and less refractory chondrules is central to these theories and there is much to be learned from their relative size distributions. There have been a number of studies into size distributions of particles in chondrites but only on relatively small scales primarily for chondrules, and rarely for both Calcium Aluminum-rich Inclusions (CAIs) and chondrules in the same sample. We have implemented macro-scale (25 cm diameter sample) and high-resolution microscale sampling of the Allende CV3 chondrite to create a complete data set of size frequencies for CAIs and chondrules.

Osmium-187 enrichment in some plumes: Evidence for core-mantle interaction?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, R.J.; Morgan, J.W.; Horan, M.F.

1995-01-01

Calculations with data for asteroidal cores indicate that Earth's outer core may have a rhenium/osmium ratio at least 20 percent greater than that of the chondritic upper mantle, potentially leading to an outer core with an osmium-187/osmium-188 ratio at least 8 percent greater than that of chondrites. Because of the much greater abundance of osmium in the outer core relative to the mantle, even a small addition of metal to a plume ascending from the D??? layer would transfer the enriched isotopic signature to the mixture. Sources of certain plume-derived systems seem to have osmium-187/osmium-188 ratios 5 to 20 percent greater than that for chondrites, consistent with the ascent of a plume from the core-mantle boundary.

Morphological Study of Insoluble Organic Matter Residues from Primitive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Changela, H. G.; Stroud, R. M.; Peeters, Z.; Nittler, L. R.; Alexander, C. M. O'D.; DeGregorio, B. T.; Cody, G. D.

2012-01-01

Insoluble organic matter (IOM) constitutes a major proportion, 70-99%, of the total organic carbon found in primitive chondrites [1, 2]. One characteristic morphological component of IOM is nanoglobules [3, 4]. Some nanoglobules exhibit large N-15 and D enrichments relative to solar values, indicating that they likely originated in the ISM or the outskirts of the protoplanetary disk [3]. A recent study of samples from the Tagish Lake meteorite with varying levels of hydrothermal alteration suggest that nanoglobule abundance decreases with increasing hydrothermal alteration [5]. The aim of this study is to further document the morphologies of IOM from a range of primitive chondrites in order to determine any correlation of morphology with petrographic grade and chondrite class that could constrain the formation and/or alteration mechanisms.

Abundances of volatile-bearing phases in carbonaceous chondrites and cooling rates of meteorites based on cation ordering of orthopyroxenes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ganguly, Jibamitra

1989-01-01

Results of preliminary calculations of volatile abundances in carbonaceous chondrites are discussed. The method (Ganguly 1982) was refined for the calculation of cooling rate on the basis of cation ordering in orthopyroxenes, and it was applied to the derivation of cooling rates of some stony meteorites. Evaluation of cooling rate is important to the analysis of condensation, accretion, and post-accretionary metamorphic histories of meteorites. The method of orthopyroxene speedometry is widely applicable to meteorites and would be very useful in the understanding of the evolutionary histories of carbonaceous chondrites, especially since the conventional metallographic and fission track methods yield widely different results in many cases. Abstracts are given which summarize the major conclusions of the volatile abundance and cooling rate calculations.

Cosmogenic radionuclides in stone meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cressy, P. J., Jr.

1976-01-01

This document presents the techniques and compilation of results of cosmogenic Al-26 measurements at Goddard Space Flight Center on 91 samples of 76 stone meteorites. Short-lived radionuclides, including Na-22, Sc-46, Mn-54, and Co-60, were measured in 13 of these meteorites. About one-third of these data has not previously been published. The results are discussed briefly in terms of (1) depletion of Al-26 and natural potassium due to weathering, (2) possible exposure of several chondrites to an unusually high cosmic-ray flux, (3) comparison of Al-26, Na-22, Sc-46, and Mn5-54 in chondrites with the spallation Ne-22/Ne-21 ratio as a shielding indicator, and (4) comparison of (Al-26)-(Ne-22)/Ne-21 data for achondrite classes with the chondrite trend.

Surface composition of near-Earth Asteroid (4953) 1990 MU: Possible fragment of (6) Hebe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, Michael S.; Gaffey, Michael J.; Reddy, Vishnu; Sanchez, Juan A.

2014-05-01

Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) are interesting as both a threat to the Earth and as the immediate parent bodies of most meteorites. We observed NEA (4953) 1990 MU using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) and University of Hawaii (U.H.) telescopes on Mauna Kea to constrain its surface composition and origin. The surface composition of 1990 MU is similar to ordinary chondrites (H chondrites). The calculated olivine and pyroxene chemistry of 1990 MU (Fa13.5±1.3 and Fs12.7±1.4) are consistent with the olivine and pyroxene chemistry ranges for H chondrites (Fa15-21 and Fs13-19) (Dunn, T.L., McCoy, T.J., Sunshine, J.M., McSween, H.Y. [2010]. Icarus 208, 789-797), although the estimated Fa value is at the lower end of the H chondrite range. The olivine abundance ratio of 1990 MU (0.57 ± 0.03) is slightly higher but not inconsistent with H chondrites (0.47-0.55 ± 0.03). The radar circular polarization ratio (same circular polarization state or SC/opposite circular polarization state or OC) (Benner, L.A.M., Ostro, S.J., Magri, C., Nolan, M.C., Howell, E.S., Giorgini, J.D., Jurgens, R.F., Margot, J.L., Taylor, P.A., Busch, M.W., Shepard, M.K. [2008]. Icarus, 198, 294-304) of 1990 MU is 0.36 ± 0.03, which is higher than the mean SC/OC ratio for S-type NEAs (0.270 ± 0.079). The 1990 MU SC/OC is also higher than those of (25143) Itokawa (0.27 ± 0.04), (4179) Toutatis (0.29 ± 0.01) and (433) Eros (0.28 ± 0.06) suggesting a rougher surface at decimeter scale (Benner, L.A.M., Ostro, S.J., Magri, C., Nolan, M.C., Howell, E.S., Giorgini, J.D., Jurgens, R.F., Margot, J.L., Taylor, P.A., Busch, M.W., Shepard, M.K. [2008]. Icarus, 198, 294-304). We constrained the diameter of 1990 MU (4.4 km) using the average albedo at 0.55 μm of H chondrites (0.21) and absolute magnitude (H) of 14.1 (Flower, J.W., Chillemi J.R. [1992]. IRAS Asteroid Data Processing: The IRAS Minor Planet Survey, Philips Laboratory Technical Report PL-TR-92-2049. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, pp. 17-43). This diameter is higher than the 2.8 km value from Harris et al. (Harris, A.W. et al. [2011]. Astron. J. 141, 10) using an albedo of 0.52 for 1990 MU. This albedo value is unusually high for H chondrites, which have an albedo range of 0.12-0.30. We compared olivine and pyroxene chemistries of 1990 MU with main belt Asteroid (6) Hebe, probable parent body of H chondrite meteorites and IIE irons (Gaffey, M.J., Gilbert, S.L. [1998]. Meteor. Planet. Sci. 33, 1281-1295), and found that 1990 MU has more high-calcium pyroxene than Hebe. Fayalite and ferrosilite values of the two asteroids are consistent with H chondrites but do not overlap each other. The differences could be due to compositional variations observed on Hebe by Gaffey and Gilbert (Gaffey, M.J., Gilbert, S.L. [1998]. Meteor. Planet. Sci. 33, 1281-1295), although the observed rotational variation in spectral parameters does not match well with those of 1990 MU.

High-temperature rims around calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions from the CR, CB and CH carbonaceous chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krot, Alexander N.; Nagashima, Kazuhide; van Kooten, Elishevah M. M.; Bizzarro, Martin

2017-03-01

We describe the mineralogy, petrology and oxygen isotopic compositions of high-temperature rims around mineralogically pristine calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from the CR, CB and CH carbonaceous chondrites. In CR chondrites, nearly all CAIs are surrounded by single- or multi-layered rims composed of CAI-like minerals; relict CAIs inside chondrules in which the rims were resorbed by the host chondrule melt (Aléon et al., 2002; Makide et al., 2009) are the only exception. A complete multi-layered rim sequence (from inside outward: spinel + hibonite + perovskite → melilite → anorthite replacing melilite → Al-diopside → forsterite) is rarely observed; Al-diopside ± forsterite rims are more common. The CR CAIs and all rim layers are uniformly 16O-rich (Δ17O ∼-24‰), indicating formation in a 16O-rich gaseous reservoir. The mineralogy, petrology and 16O-rich compositions of these rims suggest formation by evaporation/condensation, melting (?), and thermal annealing in the formation region of the host CAIs. We define such rims as the primordial Wark-Lovering (WL) rims. In CH chondrites, most CAIs are uniformly 16O-rich and surrounded by the primordial WL rims. One of the 16O-rich CAIs is surrounded by an anorthite-Al-diopside WL rim showing a range of Δ17O values, from ∼-24‰ to ∼-6‰; Δ17O decreases towards the CAI core. We infer that this rim experienced incomplete melting and O-isotope exchange in an 16O-poor nebular gas, most likely during chondrule formation. Most CAIs in CB chondrites and about 10% of CAIs in CH chondrites are uniformly 16O-depleted igneous inclusions; Δ17O values between individual CAIs vary from ∼-12‰ to ∼-5‰. These CAIs have diverse mineralogies (grossite-rich, hibonite-rich, melilite-rich, spinel-rich, and Al,Ti-diopside ± forsterite-rich), but are surrounded by the mineralogically similar igneous rims composed of ±melilite, Al-diopside and Ca-rich forsterite (0.5-1.4 wt% CaO). The igneous rims and the host igneous CAIs have identical (within uncertainties of our SIMS measurements) O-isotope compositions, suggesting that they crystallized from isotopically similar, but chemically distinct melts. We suggest that the uniformly 16O-depleted igneous rims around the uniformly 16O-depleted igneous CAIs in CB and CH chondrites formed during melting of pre-existing CAIs in an impact-generated plume invoked for the origin of CB chondrites (Krot et al., 2005), followed by O-isotope exchange with an 16O-poor plume gas (Δ17O ∼-2‰), condensation of gaseous SiO and Mg into CAI melt, and its subsequent crystallization. We conclude that high-temperature rims around CAIs from CR, CH and CB chondrites recorded thermal processing in gaseous reservoirs with different oxygen isotopic compositions. In contrast to the isotopically heterogeneous WL rims around CV CAIs, our data provide no evidence that CAIs were transported between 16O-rich and 16O-poor gaseous reservoirs multiple times. We suggest instead that oxygen-isotope heterogeneity in the CV WL rims resulted from a fluid-rock interaction on the CV parent asteroid.

Chemical evidence for differentiation, evaporation and recondensation from silicate clasts in Gujba

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oulton, Jonathan; Humayun, Munir; Fedkin, Alexei; Grossman, Lawrence

2016-03-01

The silicate and metal clasts in CB chondrites have been inferred to form as condensates from an impact-generated vapor plume between a metal-rich body and a silicate body. A detailed study of the condensation of impact-generated vapor plumes showed that the range of CB silicate clast compositions could not be successfully explained without invoking a chemically differentiated target. Here, we report the most comprehensive elemental study yet performed on CB silicates with 32 silicate clasts from nine slices of Gujba analyzed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for 53 elements. Like in other studies of CBs, the silicate clasts are either barred olivine (BO) or cryptocrystalline (CC) in texture. In major elements, the Gujba silicate clasts ranged from chondritic to refractory enriched. Refractory element abundances ranged from 2 to 10 × CI, with notable anomalies in Ba, Ce, Eu, and U abundances. The two most refractory-enriched BO clasts exhibited negative Ce anomalies and were depleted in U relative to Th, characteristic of volatilization residues, while other BO clasts and the CC clasts exhibited positive Ce anomalies with excess U (1-3 × CI), and Ba (1-6 × CI) anomalies indicating re-condensation of ultra-refractory element depleted vapor. The Rare Earth Elements (REE) also exhibit light REE (LREE) enrichment or depletion in several clasts with a range of (La/Sm)CI of 0.9-1.8. This variation in the LREE is essentially impossible to accomplish by processes involving vapor-liquid or vapor-solid exchange of REE, and appears to have been inherited from a differentiated target. The most distinctive evidence for inherited chemical differentiation is observed in highly refractory element (Sc, Zr, Nb, Hf, Ta, Th) systematics. The Gujba clasts exhibit fractionations in Nb/Ta that correlate positively with Zr/Hf and span the range known from lunar and Martian basalts, and exceed the range in Zr/Hf variation known from eucrites. Variations of highly incompatible refractory elements (e.g., Th) against less incompatible elements (e.g., Zr, Sr, Sc) are not chondritic, but exhibit distinctly higher Th abundances requiring a differentiated crust to be admixed with depleted mantle in ratios that are biased to higher crust/mantle ratios than in a chondritic body. The possibility that these variations are due to admixture of refractory inclusion-debris into normal chondritic matter is raised but cannot be definitively tested because existing ;bulk; analyses of CAIs carry artifacts of unrepresentative sampling. The inferences drawn from the compositions of Gujba silicate clasts, here, complement what has been inferred from the compositions of metallic clasts, but provide surprisingly detailed insight into the structure of the target. Evidence that metal and silicate in CB chondrites both formed from impact-generated vapor plumes, taken together with recent work on metallic nodules in E chondrites, and on ordinary chondrites, indicates that chondrule formation occurs by this mechanism quite widely. However, the nature of the impact on the CB body is quite different than the popular conceptions of impact of partially or wholly molten chondritic bodies and the younger (5 Ma) age of CB chondrules is consistent with origin in a disk with more evolved targets and impactors gravitationally perturbed by nascent planets.

Magnetic Properties of the Chelyabinsk meteorite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bezaeva, N. S.; Badyukov, D. D.; Nazarov, M. A.; Rochette, P.; Feinberg, J. M.

2013-12-01

The Chelyabinsk meteorite (the fall of February 15, 2013; Russia) is a LL5 ordinary chondrite. Numerous (thousands) stones fell as a shower to the south and the south-west of the city of Chelyabinsk. The stones consist of two intermixed lithologies, with the majority (2/3) being a light lithology with a typical chondritic texture and shock stage S4 (~30 GPa). The second lithology (1/3) is an impact melt breccia (IMB) consisting of blackened chondrite fragments embedded in a fine-grained matrix. We investigated the magnetic properties of the meteorite stones collected immediately after the fall by the expedition of the Vernadsky Institute, Moscow. The low-field magnetic susceptibility (χ0) of 174 fragments (135 chondritic and 39 IMB) weighing >3 g was measured. Each sample was measured three times in mutually perpendicular directions to average anisotropy. Also hysteresis loops (saturation magnetization Ms, coercivity Bc) and back-field remanence demagnetization curves (coercivity of remanence Bcr) in the temperature range from 10K to 700°C and other characteristics of some pieces (NRM, SIRM with their thermal and alternating field demagnetization spectra) were acquired. The mean logχ0 is 4.57×0.09 (s.d.) for the light lithology and 4.65×0.09 (s.d.) (×10-9 m3/kg) for the IMB, indicating that IMB is slightly richer in metal than the light chondritic lithology. According to [1], Chelyabinsk is three times more magnetic than the average LL5 fall, but similar to other metal-rich LL5 (e.g., Paragould, Aldsworth, Bawku, Richmond), as well as L/LL chondrites (e.g., Glanerbrug, Knyahinya, Qidong). The estimation of metal content from the Ms value gives 3.7 wt.% for the light fragments and 4.1 wt.% for IMB whereas the estimation from χ0 yields overestimated contents, e.g., 6.9 wt.% for the light lithology. Thermomagnetic curves Ms(T) up to 800°C identify the main magnetic carriers at room temperature (T0) and above as taenite and kamacite (no tetrataenite found), in accordance with mineralogical data. Additional magnetic analyses [2] confirm the absence of tetrataenite and show that metal grains are primarily multidomain and magnetically soft (Bc<2 mT and Bcr<23 mT) at T0. However, at temperatures <75 K, the magnetic remanence of the Chelyabinsk chondrite is dominated by high coercivity chromite with much higher Bcr (606 mT for the light lithology and 157 mT for IMB). These results are consistent with previously published data on ordinary chondrites [3]. Acknowledgments: This research was funded by a U.S. National Science Foundation IRM Visiting Fellowship. References: [1] Rochette P. et al. 2003. MAPS 38: 251-268. [2] Bezaeva N.S. et al. 2013. Geochem. Int. 51(7): 568-574. [3] Gattacceca J. et al. 2011. Geoph. Res. Lett. 38: L10203.

Late Eocene 3He and Ir anomalies associated with ordinary chondritic spinels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boschi, Samuele; Schmitz, Birger; Heck, Philipp R.; Cronholm, Anders; Defouilloy, Céline; Kita, Noriko T.; Monechi, Simonetta; Montanari, Alessandro; Rout, Surya S.; Terfelt, Fredrik

2017-05-01

During the late Eocene there was an enigmatic enhancement in the flux of extraterrestrial material to Earth. Evidence comes from sedimentary 3He records indicating an increased flux of interplanetary dust during ca. 2 Myr, as well as two very large impact structures, Popigai (100 km diameter) and Chesapeake Bay (40-85 km), that formed within 10-20 kyr at the peak of the 3He delivery. The Massignano section in Italy has one of the best sedimentary records of these events, including a well-defined 3He record, an Ir-rich ejecta bed related to the Popigai impact event, and two smaller Ir anomalies. Recently we showed that the Popigai ejecta is associated with a significant enrichment of chromite grains (>63 μm) with an H-chondritic elemental composition (17 grains in 100 kg of rock). Most likely these grains are unmelted fragments from the impactor. Slightly higher up (ca. 20 cm) in the section, where a small Ir anomaly possibly related to the Chesapeake Bay impact has been measured, we found a weak enrichment in L-chondritic grains (8 grains in 208 kg of rock). Here we report an extended data set increasing the total amount of sediment dissolved in acid and searched for extraterrestrial chromite grains from 658 to 1168 kg. In altogether 760 kg of background sediment from 17 levels over 14 m of strata outside the interval corresponding to the Popigai and Chesapeake Bay impacts, we only found 2 extraterrestrial chromite grains. Both grains have L-chondritic compositions and were found in a 100 kg sample from the ca. 10.25 m level in the section where the second of the smaller Ir anomalies has been reported. A correlation appears to exist between Ir, 3He and chromite from ordinary chondrites. We also report oxygen three-isotope measurements of the extraterrestrial chromite grains associated with the Popigai ejecta and confirm an H-chondritic composition. The new results strengthen our scenario that the upper Eocene 3He and Ir enrichments originate from the asteroid belt rather than the Oort cloud as originally proposed when the 3He anomaly was discovered. The generally low background concentrations of extraterrestrial chromite through the section speak against any major single asteroid breakup event such as in the mid-Ordovician after the break-up of the L-chondrite parent body. Instead the data reconcile with a small, possibly a factor of 2-3, increase in the flux of extraterrestrial material to Earth, but of both H- and L-chondritic composition. We also report the composition of all the 2310 terrestrial chrome spinel grains recovered, and show that their chemical composition indicates a dominantly regional ophiolitic source. Four anomalous chrome spinel grains with high Ti and V concentrations were found in the Popigai ejecta. These grains originate from Siberian Traps basalts in the Popigai crater at the time of impact.

Formation of chondrules in a moderately high dust enriched disk: Evidence from oxygen isotopes of chondrules from the Kaba CV3 chondrite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hertwig, Andreas T.; Defouilloy, Céline; Kita, Noriko T.

2018-03-01

Oxygen three-isotope analysis by secondary ion mass spectrometry of chondrule olivine and pyroxene in combination with electron microprobe analysis were carried out to investigate 24 FeO-poor (type I) and 2 FeO-rich (type II) chondrules from the Kaba (CV) chondrite. The Mg#'s of olivine and pyroxene in individual chondrules are uniform, which confirms that Kaba is one of the least thermally metamorphosed CV3 chondrites. The majority of chondrules in Kaba contain olivine and pyroxene that show indistinguishable Δ17O values (= δ17O - 0.52 × δ18O) within analytical uncertainties, as revealed by multiple spot analyses of individual chondrules. One third of chondrules contain olivine relict grains that are either 16O-rich or 16O-poor relative to other indistinguishable olivine and/or pyroxene analyses in the same chondrules. Excluding those isotopically recognized relicts, the mean oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O, δ17O, and Δ17O) of individual chondrules are calculated, which are interpreted to represent those of the final chondrule melt. Most of these isotope ratios plot on or slightly below the primitive chondrule mineral (PCM) line on the oxygen three-isotope diagram, except for the pyroxene-rich type II chondrule that plots above the PCM and on the terrestrial fractionation line. The Δ17O values of type I chondrules range from ∼-8‰ to ∼-4‰; the pyroxene-rich type II chondrule yields ∼0‰, the olivine-rich type II chondrule ∼-2‰. In contrast to the ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Acfer 094, the Yamato 81020 CO3, and the Allende CV3 chondrite, type I chondrules in Kaba only possess Δ17O values below -3‰ and a pronounced bimodal distribution of Δ17O values, as evident for those other chondrites, was not observed for Kaba. Investigation of the Mg#-Δ17O relationship revealed that Δ17O values tend to increase with decreasing Mg#'s, similar to those observed for CR chondrites though data from Kaba cluster at the high Mg# (>98) and the low Δ17O end (-6‰ and -4‰). A mass balance model involving 16O-rich anhydrous dust (Δ17O = -8‰) and 16O-poor water ice (Δ17O = +2‰) in the chondrule precursors suggests that type I chondrules in Kaba would have formed in a moderately high dust enriched protoplanetary disk at relatively dry conditions (∼50-100× dust enrichment compared to Solar abundance gas and less than 0.6× ice enhancement relative to CI chondritic dust). The olivine-rich type II chondrule probably formed in a disk with higher dust enrichment (∼2000× Solar).

The onset of metamorphism in ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grossman, J.N.; Brearley, A.J.

2005-01-01

Ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites of the lowest petrologic types were surveyed by X-ray mapping techniques. A variety of metamorphic effects were noted and subjected to detailed analysis using electron microprobe, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and cathodoluminescence (CL) methods. The distribution of Cr in FeO-rich olivine systematically changes as metamorphism increases between type 3.0 and type 3.2. Igneous zoning patterns are replaced by complex ones and Cr-rich coatings develop on all grains. Cr distributions in olivine are controlled by the exsolution of a Cr-rich phase, probably chromite. Cr in olivine may have been partly present as tetrahedrally coordinated Cr3+. Separation of chromite is nearly complete by petrologic type 3.2. The abundance of chondrules showing an inhomogeneous distribution of alkalis in mesostasis also increases with petrologic type. TEM shows this to be the result of crystallization of albite. Residual glass compositions systematically change during metamorphism, becoming increasingly rich in K. Glass in type I chondrules also gains alkalis during metamorphism. Both types of chondrules were open to an exchange of alkalis with opaque matrix and other chondrules. The matrix in the least metamorphosed chondrites is rich in S and Na. The S is lost from the matrix at the earliest stages of metamorphism due to coalescence of minute grains. Progressive heating also results in the loss of sulfides from chondrule rims and increases sulfide abundances in coarse matrix assemblages as well as inside chondrules. Alkalis initially leave the matrix and enter chondrules during early metamorphism. Feldspar subsequently nucleates in the matrix and Na re-enters from chondrules. These metamorphic trends can be used to refine classification schemes for chondrites. Cr distributions in olivine are a highly effective tool for assigning petrologic types to the most primitive meteorites and can be used to subdivide types 3.0 and 3.1 into types 3.00 through 3.15. On this basis, the most primitive ordinary chondrite known is Semarkona, although even this meteorite has experienced a small amount of metamorphism. Allan Hills (ALH) A77307 is the least metamorphosed CO chondrite and shares many properties with the ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Acfer 094. Analytical problems are significant for glasses in type II chondrules, as Na is easily lost during microprobe analysis. As a result, existing schemes for chondrule classification that are based on the alkali content of glasses need to be revised. ?? The Meteorological Society, 2005.

Mineralogical, crystallographic and redox features of the earliest stages of fluid alteration in CM chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pignatelli, Isabella; Marrocchi, Yves; Mugnaioli, Enrico; Bourdelle, Franck; Gounelle, Matthieu

2017-07-01

The CM chondrites represent the largest group of hydrated meteorites and span a wide range of conditions, from less altered (i.e., CM2) down to heavily altered (i.e., CM1). The Paris chondrite is considered the least altered CM and thus enables the earliest stages of aqueous alteration processes to be deciphered. Here, we report results from a nanoscale study of tochilinite/cronstedtite intergrowths (TCIs) in Paris-TCIs being the emblematic secondary mineral assemblages of CM chondrites, formed from the alteration of Fe-Ni metal beads (type-I TCIs) and anhydrous silicates (type-II TCIs). We combined high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and electron diffraction tomography to characterize the crystal structure, crystal chemistry and redox state of TCIs. The data obtained are useful to reconstruct the alteration conditions of Paris and to compare them with those of other meteorites. Our results show that tochilinite in Paris is characterized by a high hydroxide layer content (n = 2.1-2.2) regardless of the silicate precursors. When examined alongside other CMs, it appears that the hydroxide layer and iron contents of tochilinites correlate with the degree of alteration experienced by the chondrites. The Fe3+/ΣFe ratios of TCIs are high: 8-15% in tochilinite, 33-60% in cronstedtite and 70-80% in hydroxides. These observations suggest that alteration of CM chondrites took place under oxidizing conditions that could have been induced by significant H2 release during serpentinization. Similar results were recently reported in CR chondrites (Le Guillou et al., 2015), suggesting that the process(es) controlling the redox state of the secondary mineral assemblages were quite similar in the CM and CR parent bodies despite the different alteration conditions. According to our mineralogical and crystallographic survey, the formation of TCIs in Paris occurred at temperatures lower than 100 °C, under neutral, slightly alkaline conditions that favored the formation of both tochilinite and cronstedtite. During the course of alteration, the reduction in sulfur activity and/or the decrease of temperature prevented tochilinite crystallization and favoured the formation of cronstedtite and iron hydroxides. We suggest that iron hydroxides probably formed as ferrihydrite and then progressively converted to goethite between 50° and 80 °C, a temperature range that is also favorable for cronstedtite formation. The presence of cronstedtite plays a key role in the reconstruction of the alteration history, demonstrating that the alteration of Paris took place by way of serpentinization processes similar to those described on the Earth.

Experimental aqueous alteration of the Allende meteorite under oxidizing conditions: Constraints on asteroidal alteration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Catherine L.; Brearley, Adrian J.

2006-02-01

We have performed an experimental study of the aqueous alteration of the Allende CV3 carbonaceous chondrite under highly oxidizing conditions, in order to examine the alteration behavior of Allende's anhydrous mineralogy. The experiments were carried out at temperatures of 100, 150, and 200 °C, for time periods between 7 and 180 days, with water/rock ratios ranging from 1:1 to 9:1. Uncrushed cubes of Allende were used so that the spatial relationships between reactant and product phases could be examined in detail. Scanning electron microscope studies show that in all the experiments, even those of short duration (7 days), soluble salts of Ca and Mg (CaSO 4, CaCO 3, and MgSO 4) precipitated on the sample surface, indicating that these elements are rapidly mobilized during alteration. In addition, iron oxides and hydroxides formed on the sample surfaces. The sulfates, carbonates, and the majority of the iron-bearing secondary minerals are randomly distributed over the surface of samples. In some instances the iron oxides and hydroxides are constrained to the boundaries of altering mineral grains. Transmission electron microscope studies show that the FeO-rich olivine in the interior of the samples has altered to form interlayered serpentine/saponite and Fe-oxyhydroxides. The degree of alteration increases significantly with increasing water/rock ratio, and to a lesser extent with increasing duration of heating. The serpentine/saponite forms both by direct replacement of the olivine in crystallographically oriented intergrowths, and by recrystallization of an amorphous Si-rich phase that precipitates in pore space between the olivine grains. The alteration assemblage bears many similarities to those found in altered carbonaceous chondrites, although in detail there are important differences, which we attribute to (a) the relatively high temperatures of our experiments and (b) comparatively short reaction times compared with the natural examples. In terms of mineral assemblage, our experiments most closely resemble alteration in the CI chondrites, although the degree of alteration of our experiments is much lower. CI chondrites contain serpentine/saponite intergrowths and veins of Ca-sulfate and Ca-carbonate as well as the Fe-oxyhydroxide, ferrihydrite. However, the phyllosilicate phases formed in our experiments are somewhat coarser-grained than the finest phyllosilicate fraction present in CI chondrites, suggesting that alteration of the CI chondrites occurred at lower temperatures. In terms of mineral assemblage, our experiments also appear to come close to matching CR chondrites, although we infer that CR alteration probably occurred at temperatures <100 °C, based on the very fine-grained size of phyllosilicates in CR matrices.

Primitive Liquid Water of the Solar System in an Aqueous Altered Carbonaceous Chondrite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsuchiyama, A.; Miyake, A.; Kitayama, A.; Matsuno, J.; Takeuchi, A.; Uesugi, K.; Suzuki, Y.; Nakano, T.; Zolensky, M. E.

2016-01-01

Non-destructive 3D observations of the aqueous altered CM chondrite Sutter's Mill using scanning imaging x-ray microscopy (SIXM) showed that some of calcite and enstatite grains contain two-phase inclusion, which is most probably composed of liquid water and bubbles. This water should be primitive water responsible for aqueous alteration in an asteroid in the early solar system.

A Complex Exposure History of the Gold Basin L4-Chondrite Shower from Cosmogenic Radionuclides and Noble Gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Welten, K. C.; Nishiizumi, K.; Caffee, M. W.; Masarik, J.; Wieler, R.

2001-01-01

Cosmogenic radionuclides and noble gases in samples of the Gold Basin L-chondrite shower indicate a complex exposure history, with a first stage exposure on the parent body, followed by a second stage of approx. 19 Myr in a meteoroid 3-4 m in radius. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

The Origin of Chondrules and Chondrites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sears, Derek W. G.

2005-01-01

Drawing on research from the various scientific disciplines involved, this text summarizes the origin and history of chondrules and chondrites. Including citations to every published paper on the topic, it forms a comprehensive bibliography of the latest research. In addition, extensive illustrations provide a clear visual representation of the scientific theories. The text will be a valuable reference for graduate students and researchers in planetary science, geology and astronomy.

Testing the Late-Veneer hypothesis with selenium isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labidi, J.; Koenig, S.; Bennett, N.; Kurzawa, T.; Aierken, E.; Shahar, A.; Schoenberg, R.

2016-12-01

Selenium (Se) is a siderophile element displaying an excess abundance in Earth's mantle compared to experimental predictions [1], which may be attributed to the Late-Veneer. As Se is also volatile, testing the late-veneer addition of Se can constrain the origin of other volatile elements on Earth. Here we combine high-precision Se isotope measurements of metal-silicate partitioning experiments and chondrites to assess whether planetary differentiation could leave a measurable Se isotopic signature on planetary mantles. We performed Se isotopic measurements of 5 metal-silicate partitioning experiments and 20 chondrites of all major classes. Experiments were conducted at 1 GPa and 1650 C for 1 to 4 hours using the piston-cylinder apparatus at Carnegie's Geophysical Laboratory. After wet chemistry, data were obtained on a ThermoFisher Scientific™ NeptunePlus MC-ICP-MS at the University of Tübingen with a 74Se/77Se double spike technique. δ82/76Se values are given relative to NIST SRM-3149 and the external reproducibility calculated from duplicate meteorite analyses is ≤ 0.1‰ (2 s.d.). Chondrites vary over a 0.8‰ range of δ82/76Se values. CIs and CMs show evidence for heavier 82Se/76Se ratios, likely due to mixing processes in the proto-planetary nebula. When these isotopically heavier meteorites are excluded, remaining chondrites have δ82/76Se values varying over a 0.3‰ range, within uncertainty of previous results [2]. We suggest that these chondrites may be used to estimate a δ82/76Se value of bulk planets. At the conditions of our experiments, the partition coefficients for Se log Dmetal-silicate range from 0.7±0.1 to 1.9±0.1, consistent with previous work [1]. A small but resolvable Se isotopic fractionation was observed: 82Se/76Se ratios were enriched by ≤ 0.5‰ in the silicates relative to the metals. Thus, given current uncertainties for Se isotopic measurements, marginal differences between planetary mantles and chondrites may be resolved. [1] Rose-Weston et al. 2009, GCA, 73(15), 4598-4615. [2] Vollstaedt et al. 2016, 450, 372-380.

Presolar silicates in the matrix and fine-grained rims around chondrules in primitive CO3.0 chondrites: Evidence for pre-accretionary aqueous alteration of the rims in the solar nebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haenecour, Pierre; Floss, Christine; Zega, Thomas J.; Croat, Thomas K.; Wang, Alian; Jolliff, Bradley L.; Carpenter, Paul

2018-01-01

To investigate the origin of fine-grained rims around chondrules (FGRs), we compared presolar grain abundances, elemental compositions and mineralogies in fine-grained interstitial matrix material and individual FGRs in the primitive CO3.0 chondrites Allan Hills A77307, LaPaz Icefield 031117 and Dominion Range 08006. The observation of similar overall O-anomalous (∼155 ppm) and C-anomalous grain abundances (∼40 ppm) in all three CO3.0 chondrites suggests that they all accreted from a nebular reservoir with similar presolar grain abundances. The presence of presolar silicate grains in FGRs combined with the observation of similar estimated porosity between interstitial matrix regions and FGRs in LAP 031117 and ALHA77307, as well as the identification of a composite FGR (a small rimmed chondrule within a larger chondrule rim) in ALHA77307, all provide evidence for a formation of FGRs by accretion of dust grains onto freely-floating chondrules in the solar nebula before their aggregation into their parent body asteroids. Our study also shows systematically lower abundances of presolar silicate grains in the FGRs than in the matrix regions of CO3 chondrites, while the abundances of SiC grains are the same in all areas, within errors. This trend differs from CR2 chondrites in which the presolar silicate abundances are higher in the FGRs than in the matrix, but similar to each other within 2σ errors. This observation combined with the identification of localized (micrometer-scaled) aqueous alteration in a FGR of LAP 031117 suggests that the lower abundance of presolar silicates in FGRs reflects pre-accretionary aqueous alteration of the fine-grained material in the FGRs. This pre-accretionary alteration could be due to either hydration and heating of freely floating rimmed chondrules in icy regions of the solar nebula or melted water ice associated with 26Al-related heating inside precursor planetesimals, followed by aggregation of FGRs into the CO chondrite parent-body.

Iron-Nickel Sulfide Compositional Ranges in CM Chondrites: No Simple Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael; Le, Loan

2003-01-01

Iron-nickel sulfides are found in most or all solar system environments, and are probably the only minerals found in all extraterrestrial materials on hand. Despite this ubiquity, they have only just begun the attention they deserve. The most common Fe-Ni sulfides in chondrites are troilite (FeS), pyrrhotite (Fe(1-x)S) and pentlandite (Fe,Ni)9S8. Troilite is believed to have resulted from sulfidation of metal (Fe-Ni) grains in an H2S-containing environment. Pyrrhotite is produced when friable troilite grains, which are exfoliated from the metal nucleus, are submitted to continued sulfidation. Some asteroids are known to have experienced aqueous alteration, forming products including new generations of sulfides (pyrrhotite and pentlandite). Pentlandite in particular is known to form during such alteration. However, experimental work by Lauretta has indicated that pentlandite may also have been formed during the initial sulfidation process, due to the faster diffusion rate of nickel into the forming sulfide, as compared to iron. Finally, there is considerable evidence for a family of phases intermediate between pyrrhotite and pentlandite, following the trend of the high temperature monosulfide solid solution, something not encountered in terrestrial rocks. Each sulfide has its own particular stability conditions, which have been determined for most phases. The long-term objective of our research is to characterize sulfides in chondritic materials in order to better establish the conditions under which they formed, and the subsequent processes they experienced. Ultimately, it will be possible to infer whether the sulfides in the chondrites were formed in the solar nebula or on asteroids, and if formed on the asteroids, deduce how much alteration has occurred there. Here we explore the relationships between the finest grain size portions of carbonaceous chondrites, these being matrix and chondrule rims; fine-grained materials are the most sensitive to their environment. This abstract is one of a series reporting results for chondrites, earlier work reported results for a much more limited set of CMs, as well as for CVs and CIs.

Origins and Asteroid Main-Belt Stratigraphy for H-, L-, LL-Chondrite Meteorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Binzel, Richard; DeMeo, Francesca; Burbine, Thomas; Polishook, David; Birlan, Mirel

2016-10-01

We trace the origins of ordinary chondrite meteorites to their main-belt sources using their (presumably) larger counterparts observable as near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). We find the ordinary chondrite stratigraphy in the main belt to be LL, H, L (increasing distance from the Sun). We derive this result using spectral information from more than 1000 near-Earth asteroids [1]. Our methodology is to correlate each NEA's main-belt source region [2] with its modeled mineralogy [3]. We find LL chondrites predominantly originate from the inner edge of the asteroid belt (nu6 region at 2.1 AU), H chondrites from the 3:1 resonance region (2.5 AU), and the L chondrites from the outer belt 5:2 resonance region (2.8 AU). Each of these source regions has been cited by previous researchers [e.g. 4, 5, 6], but this work uses an independent methodology that simultaneously solves for the LL, H, L stratigraphy. We seek feedback from the planetary origins and meteoritical communities on the viability or implications of this stratrigraphy.Methodology: Spectroscopic and taxonomic data are from the NASA IRTF MIT-Hawaii Near-Earth Object Spectroscopic Survey (MITHNEOS) [1]. For each near-Earth asteroid, we use the Bottke source model [2] to assign a probability that the object is derived from five different main-belt source regions. For each spectrum, we apply the Shkuratov model [3] for radiative transfer within compositional mixing to derive estimates for the ol / (ol+px) ratio (and its uncertainty). The Bottke source region model [2] and the Shkuratov mineralogic model [3] each deliver a probability distribution. For each NEA, we convolve its source region probability distribution with its meteorite class distribution to yield a likelihood for where that class originates. Acknowledgements: This work supported by the National Science Foundation Grant 0907766 and NASA Grant NNX10AG27G.References: [1] Binzel et al. (2005), LPSC XXXVI, 36.1817. [2] Bottke et al. (2002). Icarus 156, 399. [3] Shkuratov et al. (1999). Icarus 137, 222. [4] Vernazza et al. (2008). Nature 454, 858. [5] Thomas et al. (2010). Icarus 205, 419. [6] Nesvorný et al.(2009). Icarus 200, 698.

Causes of 142Nd Variation in Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyet, M.; Bouvier, A.; Gannoun, A.; Carlson, R.

2015-12-01

Variability of the 142Nd/144Nd ratio can reflect Sm/Nd fractionation during the lifetime of 146Sm, i.e. the first 500 Ma of Solar System history1 and nucleosynthetic heterogeneity inherited from the solar nebula. Deciphering the message carried by 142Nd variability requires a detailed examination of the data for Earth and meteorites. The elevated 142Nd/144Nd in terrestrial samples relative to average chondrites suggests that all terrestrial rocks sampled by volcanism over the Earth's history come from a geochemical reservoir characterized by a superchondritic Sm/Nd ratio. The chemical compliment to this reservoir, however, has never been seen, so it either was lost during Earth's accretion2,3, or is preserved in a deep hidden reservoir 1,4. These models are based on a comparison of Earth rocks and O-chondrites because they do not show any variation in stable Sm and Nd isotopic composition compared to Earth6-8. The first analyzed E-chondrites with terrestrial 142Nd/144Nd showed 144Sm excesses that reflect an excess p-process contribution. Although 142Nd is mainly produced by s-process, there is a direct p-process component estimated to be lower than 4 %. We will present new Sm and Nd isotopic data on meteoritic materials. CAIs show deficits in both r- and p-process isotopes that would lead to elevated 142Nd, yet the bulk C-chondrites in which they are contained show excesses in r-process isotopes and hence 142Nd/144Nd lower than terrestrial. The new E-chondrites data do not confirm the 142Nd-144Sm correlation observed in bulk chondrites In light of these results and using 146Sm-142Nd isochrons for constraining the bulk 142Nd/144Nd ratio of planetary bodies, we will discuss the 142Nd signature of terrestrial samples (from Hadean to present). 1Boyet & Carlson, Science 2005; 2O'Neill & Palme, Phil. Trans. R. Soc 2008; 3Caro et al. Nature 2008; 4Andreasen et al. EPSL 2008; 6Andreasen & Sharma, Science 2006; 7Carlson et al., Science 2007; 8Gannoun et al. PNAS 2011.