Oxygen isotope compositions of chondrules in CR chondrites

Abstract

We report in situ ion microprobe analyses of oxygen isotopic compositions of olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, high-Ca pyroxene, anorthitic plagioclase, glassy mesostasis, and spinel in five aluminum-rich chondrules and nine ferromagnesian chondrules from the CR carbonaceous chondrites EET92042, GRA95229, and MAC87320. Ferromagnesian chondrules are isotopically homogeneous within ±2‰ in Δ 17O; the interchondrule variations in Δ 17O range from 0 to −5‰. Small oxygen isotopic heterogeneities found in two ferromagnesian chondrules are due to the presence of relict olivine grains. In contrast, two out of five aluminum-rich chondrules are isotopically heterogeneous with Δ 17O values ranging from −6 to −15‰ and from −2 to −11‰, respectively. This isotopic heterogeneity is due to the presence of 16O-enriched spinel and anorthite (Δ 17O = −10 to −15‰), which are relict phases of Ca,Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) incorporated into chondrule precursors and incompletely melted during chondrule formation. These observations and the high abundance of relict CAIs in the aluminum-rich chondrules suggest a close genetic relationship between these objects: aluminum-rich chondrules formed by melting of spinel–anorthite–pyroxene CAIs mixed with ferromagnesian precursors compositionally similar to magnesium-rich (Type I) chondrules. The aluminum-rich chondrules without relict CAIs have oxygen isotopic compositions (Δ 17O = −2 to −8‰) similar to those of ferromagnesian chondrules. In contrast to the aluminum-rich chondrules from ordinary chondrites, those from CRs plot on a three-oxygen isotope diagram along the carbonaceous chondrite anhydrous mineral line and form a continuum with amoeboid olivine aggregates and CAIs from CRs. We conclude that oxygen isotope compositions of chondrules resulted from two processes: homogenization of isotopically heterogeneous materials during chondrule melting and oxygen isotopic exchange between chondrule melt and 16O-poor nebular gas.