Sara S. Russell

Evidence for Widespread 26Al in the Solar Nebula and Constraints for Nebula Time Scales

A search was made for 26Mg (26Mg*) from the decay of 26Al (half-life = 0.73 million years) in Al-rich objects from unequilibrated ordinary chondrites. Two Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) and two Al-rich chondrules (not CAIs) were found that contained 26Al when they formed. Internal isochrons for the CAIs yielded an initial 26Al/27Al ratio [(26Al/27Al)0] of 5 × 10−5, indistinguishable from most CAIs in carbonaceous chondrites. This result shows that CAIs with this level of 26Al are present throughout the classes of chondrites and strengthens the notion that 26Al was widespread in the early solar system. The two Al-rich chondrules have lower 26Mg*, corresponding to a (26Al/27Al)0 ratio of ∼ 9 × 10−6. Five other Al-rich chondrules contain no resolvable 26Mg*. If chondrules and CAIs formed from an isotopically homogeneous reservoir, then the chondrules with 26Al must have formed or been last altered ∼2 million years after CAIs formed; the 26Mg*-free chondrules formed >1 to 3 million years later still. Because 26Mg*-containing and 26Mg*-free chondrules are both found in Chainpur, which was not heated to more than ∼400°C, it follows that parent body metamorphism cannot explain the absence of 26Mg* in some of these chondrules. Rather, its absence indicates that the lifetime of the solar nebula over which CAIs and chondrules formed extended over ∼5 million years.

An isotopic and petrologic study of calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions from CO3 meteorites

We have studied the mineralogy and petrology of 229 calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from ten CO3 meteorites of petrologic types 3.0–3.7. Subsets of these inclusions were measured by ion probe for magnesium, calcium, and titanium isotopes and REE abundances. Most CAIs from CO3 meteorites fall into three major types: (1) melilite-rich inclusions, which also contain spinel/hercynite, perovskite, and occasionally hibonite; (2) spinel-pyroxene inclusions; and (3) hibonite-hercynite inclusions. In addition, several isolated hibonite grains, two grossite (CaAl_4O_7) bearing CAIs, two hibonite-fassaite microspherules, and one anorthite-spinel-pyroxene inclusion were found. CAIs from CO3 meteorites exhibit all of the REE patterns commonly seen in inclusions from CV3 and CM2 chondrites. Most exhibit evidence of ^(26)AI, and many have inferred (^(26)AI/^(27)AI)_o ≈ 5 × 10^(−5). The relative abundances of different types of CAIs in CO3 chondrites differ from those in CV3 and CM2 chondrites. CAIs in CO3 chondrites have experienced considerable secondary alteration, both before and after accretion. Signatures of nebular alteration include Wark-Lovering rims and the high Fe contents in spinels from all hibonite/hercynite inclusions. Occasionally, melilite and anorthite show evidence of nebular alteration to feldspathoids and pyroxene. The magnesium-aluminum systematics of some melilite-rich inclusions were apparently disturbed prior to final accretion of the parent body. Parent body alteration is indicated by correlations between CAI characteristics and the petrologic type of the host meteorite. Spinel in melilite-rich and coarse-grained spinel-pyroxene inclusions becomes more Fe rich, with the development of relatively homogeneous hercynitic spinel (∼50–60 mol%) in CAIs from metamorphic grades >3.4. Perovskite has been converted to ilmenite in types >3.4. Melilite-rich inclusions are abundant in CO3.0–3.3 meteorites, rare in 3.4 meteorites, and absent meteorites of types 3.5–3.7; melilite-rich CAIs are probably replaced by inclusions rich in feldspathoids, pyroxene, and Fe-rich spinel. Isotopic disturbance of the magnesium-aluminum systematics may be more severe in higher petrologic types. Hibonite seems to be unaffected by this level of metamorphism. Three isotopically unusual inclusions were found. One single-crystal hibonite, Isna SP16, has a REE pattern strongly depleted in Ce and Y, (^(26)AI/^(27)AI)_o = (2.4 ± 0.3) × 10^(−5), and mass fractionated calcium (F_(Ca) = +12 ± 2‰/amu), but no resolvable nuclear anomalies in neutron-rich calcium isotopes. The REE pattern, which is thought to reflect nebular conditions, and mass-fractionated calcium, indicative of evaporation, are similar to those of the FUN inclusion, HAL, and related hibonites, indicating similar formation conditions. The absence in Isna SP16 of the nuclear anomalies observed in HAL and the difference in (^(26)AI/^(27)AI)_o between HAL and Isna SP16 indicate that the processes that produced HAL-type hibonites operated on diverse materials. Two hibonite-bearing microspherules, Colony SP1 and ALH82101 SP15, exhibit nearly flat REE patterns with negative europium anomalies and slightly negative δ^(26)Mg. ALH82101 SP15 has resolved excesses of ^(48)Ca and ^(50)Ti. These characteristics are similar to those of previously described microspherules from Murchison and Lance, implying that the microspherules formed via a single process from related, but not identical source materials.

NITROGEN AND CARBON ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF THE SUN INFERRED FROM A HIGH-TEMPERATURE SOLAR NEBULAR CONDENSATE

We report high-precision measurements of nitrogen and carbon isotopic compositions of a carbon-bearing titanium-nitride (osbornite) in a calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion (CAI) from the CH/CB-like carbonaceous chondrite Isheyevo. The mineralogy and petrography of the CAI and thermodynamic calculations indicate that the osbornite formed by gas-solid condensation in a high-temperature (similar to 2000 K) region of the solar nebula. Because isotopic fractionation at high temperature is small, the measured nitrogen [N-15/N-14 = (2.356 +/- 0.018) x 10(-3)] and carbon [C-13/C-12 = 0.01125 +/- 0.00008; 1 sigma] isotopic compositions of the Isheyevo osbornite are representative of the solar nebula and, hence, of the Sun. This conclusion is supported by the observations that ( 1) the measured C-13/C-12 ratio is indistinguishable from the spectroscopic determination of the C-13/C-12 ratio of the solar photosphere and ( 2) the measured N-15/N-14 ratio of osbornite is in excellent agreement with the Galileo spacecraft measurement of the nitrogen isotopic composition of the Jovian atmosphere, the second largest reservoir of nitrogen in the solar system. The inferred N-15/N-14 ratio of the solar nebula is also similar to the nitrogen isotopic composition of the vast majority of chondritic nanodiamonds, suggesting their solar nebula origin.

Modal abundances of CAIs: Implications for bulk chondrite element abundances and fractionations

Modal abundances of Ca,Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) are poorly known and reported data scatter across large ranges. CAIs are Poisson distributed, and if only small areas (<1000 mm2) are studied, the data are probably not representative of the true CAI modal abundances, explaining their reported large scatter in a single chondrite group. We combine reported CAI modal abundances and our own set, and present a complete list of CAI modal abundances in carbonaceous chondrites. This includes (in area%): CV: 2.98, CM: 1.21, Acfer 094: 1.12, CO: 0.99, CK/CV (Ningqiang and Dar al Gani [DaG] 055): 0.77, CK: 0.2, CR: 0.12 and CB: 0.1. CAIs are Poisson distributed and if only small areas are studied, the data are probably not representative of the true CAI modal abundances, Carbonaceous chondrites have excess bulk Al concentrations when compared to the CI-chondritic value. We find a correlation between this excess and CAI modal abundances and conclude that the excess Al was delivered by CAIs. The excess Al is only a minor fraction (usually ~10 rel%, but 25 rel% in case of CVs) of the bulk chondrite Al and cannot have contributed much 26Al to heat the chondrite parent body. Ordinary, enstatite, R and K chondrites have an Al deficit relative to CI chondrites and only very low CAI modal abundances, if any are present at all. Carbonaceous chondrites also had an initial Al deficit if the contribution of Al delivered by CAIs is subtracted. Therefore all chondrites probably lost a refractory rich high-T component. Only minor amounts of CAIs are present in the matrix or have been present in the chondrule precursor aggregates. Most CAI size distributions contain more than one size population, indicating that CAIs from within a single meteorite group had different origins.

Evidence for Multiple Sources of Diamond from Primitive Chondrites

Fine-grained diamonds, the most abundant form of circumstellar dust isolated from primitive meteorites, have elemental and isotopic characteristics that are dependent on the host meteorite type. Carbon isotopic compositions vary from –32 to –38 per mil, and nitrogen associated with the diamond changes in overall abundance by over a factor of four from 0.2 to 0.9 weight percent, between ordinary and CM2-type chondrites. Although the ratio of carbon to nitrogen evolves in a distinctive way during combustion of diamond separates, metamorphic degassing of nitrogen is not the main cause of the differences in nitrogen content. The data suggest that intrinsic differences must have been inherited by the diamonds at the time of their formation and that the diamonds were distributed heterogeneously in the solar nebula during condensation. However, the hypothesis that a distinct nitrogen carrier remains hidden within the diamond cannot be ruled out.

16O enrichments in aluminum-rich chondrules from ordinary chondrites

The oxygen isotopic compositions of seven Al-rich chondrules from four unequilibrated ordinary chondrites were measured in situ using an ion microprobe. On an oxygen three isotope plot, the data are continuous with the ordinary chondrite ferromagnesian chondrule field but extend it to more 16O-enriched values along a mixing line of slope=0.83±0.09, with the lightest value recorded at δ18O=−15.7±1.8‰ and δ17O=−13.5±2.6‰. If Al-rich chondrules were mixtures of ferromagnesian chondrules and CAI material, their bulk chemical compositions would require them to exhibit larger 16O enrichments than we observe. Therefore, Al-rich chondrules are not simple mixtures of these two components. Three chondrules exhibit significant internal isotopic heterogeneity indicative of partial exchange with a gaseous reservoir. Porphyritic Al-rich chondrules are consistently 16O-rich relative to nonporphyritic ones, suggesting that degree of melting is a key factor and pointing to a nebular setting for the isotopic exchange process. Because Al-rich chondrules are closely related to ferromagnesian chondrules, their radiogenic Mg isotopic abundances can plausibly be applied to help constrain the timing or location of chondrule formation.

The D-CIXS X-ray mapping spectrometer on SMART-1

The D-CIXS Compact X-ray Spectrometer will provide high quality spectroscopic mapping of the Moon, the primary science target of the ESA SMART-1 mission. D-CIXS consists of a high throughput spectrometer, which will perform spatially localised X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. It will also carry a solar monitor, to provide the direct calibration needed to produce a global map of absolute lunar elemental abundances, the first time this has been done. Thus it will achieve ground breaking science within a resource envelope far smaller than previously thought possible for this type of instrument, by exploiting two new technologies, swept charge devices and micro-structure collimators. The new technology does not require cold running, with its associated overheads to the spacecraft. At the same time it will demonstrate a radically novel approach to building a type of instrument essential for the BepiColombo mission and potential future planetary science targets.

Terrestrial carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios from cretaceous-tertiary boundary nanodiamonds.

One hypothesis for the origin of the nanometer-size diamonds found at the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary is that they are relict interstellar diamond grains carried by a postulated asteroid. The 13C/12C and 15N/14N ratios of the diamonds from two sites in North America, however, show that the diamonds are two component mixtures differing in carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition and nitrogen abundance. Samples from a site from Italy show no evidence for either diamond component. All the isotopic signatures obtained from the K-T boundary are material well distinguished from known meteoritic diamonds, particularly the fine-grain interstellar diamonds that are abundant in primitive chondrites. The K-T diamonds were most likely produced during the impact of the asteroid with Earth or in a plasma resulting from the associated fireball.

Origin of short–lived radionuclides

This paper reviews the evidence for short–lived radionuclides in the early Solar System and critically evaluates models for their origin. Radionuclides with half–lives of less than 50 Myr for which firm and consistent evidence has been found are 10Be, 26Al, 41Ca, 53Mn, 60Fe, 107Pd, 129I and 182Hf. The oldest Solar System objects, calcium–aluminium–rich inclusions (CAIs), contained 10Be, 26Al, 41Ca and 53Mn on formation. We discuss whether a spallation or stellar origin for the radionuclides is more likely, and conclude that the initial presence of short–lived radionuclides in CAIs can be most easily explained if these formed by spallation reactions close to the protosun.

A NEW TYPE OF METEORITIC DIAMOND IN THE ENSTATITE CHONDRITE ABEE

Diamonds with δ13C values of –2 per mil and less than 50 parts per million (by mass) nitrogen have been isolated from the Abee enstatite chondrite by the same procedure used for concentrating Cδ, the putative interstellar diamond found ubiquitously in primitive meteorites and characterized by δ13C values of –32 to –38 per mil, nitrogen concentrations of 2,000 to 12,500 parts per million, and δ15N values of –340 per mil. Because the Abee diamonds have typical solar system isotopic compositions for carbon, nitrogen, and xenon, they are presumably nebular in origin rather than presolar. Their discovery in an unshocked meteorite eliminates the possibility of origins normally invoked to account for diamonds in ureilites and iron meteorites and suggests a low-pressure synthesis. The diamond crystals are ∼100 nanometers in size, are of an unusual lath shape, and represent ∼100 parts per million of Abee by mass.