Al Huwaysah 010: The most reduced brachinite, so far

Abstract

AbstractAl Huwaysah 010 is an ungrouped achondrite meteorite, recently referred to as a brachinite‐like meteorite. This meteorite, showing a fine‐grained assemblage of low‐Ca pyroxene and opaque phases, is strongly reduced in comparison to other reduced brachinites. The occurrence of some tiny plates of graphite and oldhamite in this meteorite suggests that a partial melt residue has experienced a further reduction process. Olivine, the most abundant phase, is compositionally homogeneous (Fo83.3) as well as the clinopyroxene (En45.5Fs10.8Wo43.7) and the plagioclase (Ab69.5). Orthopyroxene (En85.4Fs13.9Wo0.7) also occurs but only in a fine intergrowth. Other accessory phases are Fe metal grains (Ni‐free or Cr‐bearing Fe‐Ni alloy), troilite, chlorapatite, pentlandite (as inclusions in chromite). The sample shows two different closure temperatures: the highest (≈900°C) is determined via the olivine–chromite intercrystalline geothermometer and the lowest temperature (≈520°C) is determined via the pyroxene‐based intracrystalline geothermometer. These temperatures may represent, respectively, the closure temperature associated with the formation and a subsequent impact event excavating the sample from the parental body. The visible to near‐infrared (VNIR) reflectance spectra of Al Huwaysah 010 exhibit low reflectance, consistent with the presence of darkening components, and weak absorptions indicative of olivine and pyroxene. Comparing the spectral parameters of Al Huwaysah 010 to potential parent bodies characterized by olivine–pyroxene mineralogy, we find that it falls within the field previously attributed to the SIII type asteroids. These results lead us to classify the Al Huwaysah 010 meteorite as the most reduced brachinite, whose VNIR spectral features show strong affinities with those of SIII asteroids.