The trapped noble gas component in achondrites

Abstract

Abstract— The trapped noble gases Ar, Kr and Xe in several achondrites were analysed. We chose separates of the lodranites Lodran and Graves Nunataks 95209 and bulk samples of the Tatahouine diogenite, Pasamonte eucrite, five aubrites and two angrites. Among these, Lodran, Tatahouine, Pasamonte and the aubrite Norton County have been reported to contain U‐Xe, a noble gas component assumed to be the most primitive component in the solar system. U‐Xe might have been incorporated into the early Earth. We found large concentrations of Xe in several separates of the Lodran lodranite, however, none of the measurements revealed U‐Xe composition. The Xe composition of all achondrites can straightforwardly be explained with mixtures of trapped common Xe‐Q, absorbed air and various amounts of fissiogenic and cosmogenic Xe. Reanalysis of literature data for Pasamonte, Angra dos Reis and some aubrites is consistent with Xe‐Q as the trapped endmember component and contributions of fissiogenic Xe. The presence of Xe‐Q in many primitive achondrites is in agreement with the formation of their parent bodies from originally chondritic precursor material. The Ar‐Xe elemental composition of Lodran and the aubrites indicate subsolar composition, which is commonly found in E chondrites. This result supports a model of formation of the aubrites from E‐chondritic precursor material.