Formation of CV chondrules by recycling of amoeboid olivine aggregate-like precursors

Abstract

We have studied porphyritic olivine-rich chondrules of the carbonaceous chondrite Kaba (CV3) by combined high-resolution X-ray mapping, quantitative electron microprobe analyses, and oxygen isotopic analyses via secondary ion mass spectrometry. These chondrules contain smaller inner-chondrule olivine grains characterized by low refractory element (Ca, Al, Ti) contents, and larger outer-chondrule olivine crystals that are enriched in refractory elements and show complex Ti and Al oscillatory zonings. Our O isotopic survey revealed that many of the inner-chondrule olivines are 16 O-richer than the relatively isotopically uniform outer-chondrule olivines. Inner-chondrule olivine crystals-only a minority of which may be derived from earlier generations of chondrules-are likely mostly inherited from nebular condensates similar to AOAs, as they share similar isotopic and chemical features and are thus interpreted as relict grains. Still, being 16 O-poorer than most AOAs, they may have experienced significant exchange with a 16 O-poor reservoir prior to chondrule formation (even if to a lesser degree than relicts in CM2 and ungrouped C2 chondrites). Subsequent incomplete melting of the relict grains produced Ca-Al-Ti-rich melts that engulfed the remaining relict olivine grains. The complex Ti and Al zoning patterns in outer chon-drule (host) olivines, in particular the systematic dilution near the margin, seem to reflect gas-melt interactions (with e.g. SiO (g), Mg (g)) which also buffered the O isotopic composition of chondrule hosts. Together, these results demonstrate that important episodes of recycling of nebular condensates occurred in the solar protoplanetary disk.