Noble gases in the St. Mesmin chondrite: Implications to the irradiation history of a brecciated meteorite

Abstract

Helium, neon and argon were analysed in matrix samples and in different clasts of the polymict-brecciated LL-chondrite St. Mesmin. All clasts have high K-Ar ages with a mean value of 4.40 ± 0.26Ga. One exotic H-group xenolith, however, has a K-Ar age of only 1.36 ± 0.05Ga. The low age indicates that the St. Mesmin breccia was compacted to its present structure relatively late in its history and that the St. Mesmin meteorite developed from regolith material on the meteorite's parent body. This is further demonstrated by the high concentrations of solar noble gases in the matrix and the cosmic ray pre-exposure of one individual clast.