Abstract
To improve the understanding of large-scale planetary processes, i.e. differentiation and core formation, of Earth and other planetary bodies, we performed experiments at 1 GPa in a range of temperatures to investigate mass-dependent isotope fractionation of ruthenium (Ru) between metal, silicate, and sulfide melts. Metal silicate fractionation is 102Ru/99Rusilicate - 102Ru/99Rumetal = 0.02 ± 0.02‰ (95% confidence interval) at 1600 °C and therefore negligible for Earth's core formation. However, there is resolvable Ru isotope fractionation between liquid metal and liquid sulfide: The 102Ru/99Ru ratio of liquid sulfide is 0.11 ± 0.03‰ lighter than that of liquid metal at 1400 °C in sulfur (S)-bearing experiments. The unexpected lighter Ru isotope composition of the sulfide can be best explained with different RuS bonding environments. Our results show furthermore, that addition of tin (Sn) instead of S to experimental charges affects Ru isotope fractionation significantly. The 102Ru/99Ru ratios in the Sn-bearing phase are 0.18‰ ± 0.01‰ heavier than metal; hence, the presence of Sn not only changes the magnitude of the Ru isotope fractionation but also its direction. The observed Ru isotope fractionations are too small to preserve a resolvable isotope fractionation signature during core formation or the Hadean matte scenario at very high temperatures.
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