Calcium- And Aluminum-rich Inclusions Research Articles

Extended time scales of carbonaceous chondrite aqueous alteration evidenced by a xenolith in LaPaz Icefield 02239 (CM2)

AbstractLaPaz Icefield (LAP) 02239 is a mildly aqueously altered CM2 carbonaceous chondrite that hosts a xenolith from a primitive chondritic parent body. The xenolith contains chondrules and calcium‐ and aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs) in a very fine‐grained matrix. The chondrules are comparable in mineralogy and oxygen isotopic composition with those in the CMs, and its CAIs are also mineralogically similar to the CM population apart for being unusually small and abundant. The presence of serpentine demonstrates that the xenolith has been aqueously altered, and its phyllosilicate‐rich matrix has a comparable oxygen isotopic composition to the matrices of CM meteorites. The xenolith's chondrules lack fine‐grained rims, whereas the xenolith itself has a fine‐grained rim that is petrographically and chemically comparable with the rims on coarse grained objects in LAP 02239 and other CM meteorites. These properties show that the xenolith's parent body was formed from similar materials to the CM parent body(ies). Following its lithification by aqueous alteration, a piece of the xenolith's parent body was impact‐ejected, acquired a fine‐grained rim while free‐floating in the protoplanetary disc, then was accreted along with rimmed chondrules and other materials to make the LAP 02239 parent body. Subsequent aqueous processing of the LAP 02239 parent body altered the fine‐grained rims on the xenolith, chondrules, and CAIs. The xenolith shows that the timespan of geological evolution of carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies was sufficiently long for some of them to have been aqueously altered before others had formed.

Alkali‐halogen metasomatism of theCMcarbonaceous chondrites

AbstractMeteorite Hills (MET) 01075 is unique among theCMcarbonaceous chondrites in containing the feldspathoid mineral sodalite, and hence it may provide valuable evidence for a nebular or parent body process that has not been previously recorded by this meteorite group.MET01075 is composed of aqueously altered chondrules and calcium‐ and aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs) in a matrix that is predominantly made of serpentine‐ and tochilinite‐rich particles. The chondrules have been impact flattened and define a foliation petrofabric. Sodalite occurs in a 0.6 mm sizeCAIthat also contains spinel, perovskite, and diopside together with Fe‐rich phyllosilicate and calcite. By analogy with feldspathoid‐bearingCAIs in theCVandCOcarbonaceous chondrites, the sodalite is interpreted to have formed by replacement of melilite or anorthite during alkali‐halogen metasomatism in a parent body environment. While it is possible that theCAIwas metasomatized in a precursor parent body, then excavated and incorporated into theMET01075 parent body, in situ metasomatism is the favored model. The brief episode of relatively high temperature water–rock interaction was driven by radiogenic or impact heating, and most of the evidence for metasomatism was erased by subsequent lower temperature aqueous alteration.MET01075 is very unusual in sampling aCMparent body region that underwent early alkali‐halogen metasomatism and has retained one of its products.

The alteration history of the Jbilet Winselwan CM carbonaceous chondrite: An analog for C‐type asteroid sample return

AbstractJbilet Winselwan is one of the largest CM carbonaceous chondrites available for study. Its light, major, and trace elemental compositions are within the range of other CM chondrites. Chondrules are surrounded by dusty rims and set within a matrix of phyllosilicates, oxides, and sulfides. Calcium‐ and aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs) are present at ≤1 vol% and at least one contains melilite. Jbilet Winselwan is a breccia containing diverse lithologies that experienced varying degrees of aqueous alteration. In most lithologies, the chondrules and CAIs are partially altered and the metal abundance is low (<1 vol%), consistent with petrologic subtypes 2.7–2.4 on the Rubin et al. () scale. However, chondrules and CAIs in some lithologies are completely altered suggesting more extensive hydration to petrologic subtypes ≤2.3. Following hydration, some lithologies suffered thermal metamorphism at 400–500 °C. Bulk X‐ray diffraction shows that Jbilet Winselwan consists of a highly disordered and/or very fine‐grained phase (73 vol%), which we infer was originally phyllosilicates prior to dehydration during a thermal metamorphic event(s). Some aliquots of Jbilet Winselwan also show significant depletions in volatile elements such as He and Cd. The heating was probably short‐lived and caused by impacts. Jbilet Winselwan samples a mixture of hydrated and dehydrated materials from a primitive water‐rich asteroid. It may therefore be a good analog for the types of materials that will be encountered by the Hayabusa‐2 and OSIRIS‐REx asteroid sample‐return missions.

The Origin and Evolution of Nucleosynthetic Sr Isotope Variability in Calcium and Aluminum-rich Refractory Inclusions

Abstract Nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies in meteorites are useful for investigating the origin of materials in the protoplanetary disk and dynamical processes of planetary formation. In particular, calcium and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) found in chondrites are key minerals for decoding the initial conditions of the solar system before the accretion of small planetary bodies. In this study, we report isotopic analyses for three Allende CAIs, fluffy type A (FTA), type B, and fine-grained spinel rich (FS) inclusions, with a specific emphasis on the measurements of 84Sr/86Sr ratios. It was found that the average μ 84Sr values (106 relative deviations from a standard material) were 175, 129, and 56 ppm for the samples of FTA, type B, and FS inclusions, respectively. Additionally, the FTA samples exhibited heterogeneous μ 84Sr values, while those for the type B and FS inclusions were homogeneous within individual inclusions. The elevated μ 84Sr values were most likely explained by the relative enrichment of r-process nuclides in the CAI formation region. The variation of μ 84Sr values between the FTA and type B inclusions, as well as within the FTA inclusion, suggests the presence of multiple CAI source reservoirs with distinct isotopic compositions, which is either inherited from isotopic heterogeneity in the molecular cloud or caused by the selective destruction of r-process-enriched supernova grains via nebular thermal processing. On the other hand, the reaction between a refractory precursor of the FS inclusion and a gaseous reservoir enriched in Mg, Si, and 16O resulted in the lowest μ 84Sr values for the FS inclusion.

Neodymium isotope heterogeneity of ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites and the origin of non-chondritic 142Nd compositions in the Earth

We present high-precision Nd isotope compositions for ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites determined using thermal ionization mass spectrometry with dynamic and multistatic methods. The ordinary chondrites had uniform and non-terrestrial μ142Nd, μ148Nd, and μ150Nd values, with data that plot along the mixing line between s-process and terrestrial components in μ150Nd versus μ148Nd and μ142Nd versus μ148,150Nd diagrams. In contrast, the carbonaceous chondrites were characterized by larger anomalies in their μ142Nd, μ148Nd, and μ150Nd values compared to ordinary chondrites. Importantly, the data for carbonaceous chondrites plot along the s-process and terrestrial mixing line in a μ150Nd versus μ148Nd diagram, whereas they have systematically lower μ142Nd values than the s-process and terrestrial mixing line in μ142Nd versus μ148,150Nd diagrams. This shift likely results from the incorporation of calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), indicating that the Nd isotopic variability in the ordinary chondrites and CAI-free carbonaceous chondrites was caused solely by the heterogeneous distribution of s-process nuclides. The isotopic variation most likely results from nebular thermal processing that caused selective destruction of s-process-depleted (or r-process-enriched) dust grains in the inner Solar System where the parent bodies of ordinary chondrites formed, whereas such grains were preserved in the region of carbonaceous chondrite parent body formation. The Nd isotope dichotomy between ordinary and bulk aliquots of carbonaceous chondrites can be related to the presence of Jupiter, which may have separated two isotopically distinct reservoirs that were present in the solar nebula. After correcting for s-process anomalies and CAI contributions to the Nd isotopes observed in the chondrites, we obtained a μ142Nd value (−2.4±4.8 ppm) that was indistinguishable from the terrestrial value. Our results corroborate the interpretation that a missing reservoir (e.g., a hidden enriched reservoir, erosional loss of crust) is not required to explain the observed differences in 142Nd/144Nd ratios between chondrites and terrestrial materials.

Origin of crystalline silicates from Comet 81P/Wild 2: Combined study on their oxygen isotopes and mineral chemistry

In order to explore the link between comet 81P/Wild 2 and materials in primitive meteorites, seven particles 5 to 15 μm in diameter from comet 81P/Wild 2 have been analyzed for their oxygen isotope ratios using a secondary ion mass spectrometer. Most particles are single minerals consisting of olivine or pyroxene with Mg# higher than 85, which are relatively minor in 81P/Wild 2 particles (∼1/3 of the 16O-poor cluster). Four particles extracted from Track 149 are 16O-poor and show Δ17O (=δO17−0.52×δO18) values from −2‰ to +1‰, similar to previous studies, while one enstatite (En99) particle shows lower Δ17O value of −7±4‰(2σ). This compositional range has not been reported among 16O-poor particles in 81P/Wild 2, but is commonly observed among chondrules in carbonaceous chondrites and in particular in CR chondrites. The distribution in Δ17O indicates that 16O-poor 81P/Wild 2 particles are most similar to chondrules (and their fragments) in the CR chondrites and Tagish Lake-like WIS91600 chondrite chondrule silicate grains, which indicates that they likely come from a reservoir with similar dust/ice ratios as CR chondrites and WIS91600. However, differences in the Mg# distribution imply that the 81P/Wild 2 reservoir was comparatively more oxidized, with a higher dust enrichment. Two nearly pure enstatite grains from track 172 are significantly enriched in 16O, with δ18O values of −51.2±1.5‰(2σ) and −43.0±1.3‰(2σ), respectively, and Δ17O values of −22.3±1.9‰(2σ) and −21.3±2.3‰(2σ), respectively. They are the first 16O-rich pyroxenes found among 81P/Wild 2 particles, with similar Δ17O values to those of 16O-rich low-iron, manganese-enriched (LIME) olivine and CAI (calcium and aluminum-rich inclusions) – like particles from 81P/Wild 2. The major element and oxygen isotopic compositions of the pyroxenes are similar to those of enstatite in amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs) in primitive chondrites, in which 16O-rich pyroxenes have previously been found, and thus suggest a condensation origin.

Nucleosynthetic strontium isotope anomalies in carbonaceous chondrites

Precise Sr isotopic compositions in samples from sequential acid leaching experiments have been determined for three carbonaceous chondrites, Allende, Murchison, and Tagish Lake, together with those in the bulk aliquots of these meteorites. The chondritic acid leachates and residues were characterized by Sr isotope anomalies with variable μ84Sr values (106 relative deviation from a standard material) ranging from +120 to −4700 ppm, documenting multiple nucleosynthetic sources within a single meteorite. In addition, the μ84Sr patterns across leaching samples for individual chondrites differed from one another. The highest μ84Sr values were observed for leaching Step 3 (HCl+H2O, 75 °C) for Allende and Murchison likely because of the incorporation of calcium and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs). In contrast, extremely low μ84Sr values were observed in the later fractions (Steps 6 and 7) for Murchison and Tagish Lake, suggesting the existence of s-process-enriched presolar SiC grains derived from AGB stars.A μ84Sr–ϵ54Cr diagram was prepared with the CAIs and bulk aliquots of carbonaceous chondrites and other meteorites (noncarbonaceous) that were plotted separately; however, they still formed a global positive correlation. CAIs presented the highest μ84Sr and ϵ54Cr values, whereas carbonaceous chondrites and noncarbonaceous meteorites had intermediate and the lowest μ84Sr and ϵ54Cr values, respectively. The positive trend was interpreted as resulting from global thermal processing in which sublimation of high μ84Sr and ϵ54Cr carriers generated the excess μ84Sr and ϵ54Cr signatures in CAIs, while noncarbonaceous planetesimals accreted from materials that underwent significant thermal processing and thus had relatively low μ84Sr and ϵ54Cr values. Apart from the global trend, the carbonaceous chondrites and noncarbonaceous meteorites both exhibited intrinsic variations that highlight an isotopic dichotomy similar to that observed in other isotope combinations (e.g., ϵ54Cr–ϵ50Ti, ϵ54Cr–Δ17O). A plausible scenario for creation of the intrinsic variations involves local thermal processing (e.g., flash heating for chondrule formation) caused by additional selective destruction of presolar grains differently than that caused by global thermal processing. The existence of such a global positive trend and local variations for two meteorite groups suggests a complicated dynamic history for the dust grains with respect to thermal processing, material transportation, and mixing in the protoplanetary disk prior to planetesimal formation.

Meridional circulation in turbulent protoplanetary disks

Based on the viscous disk theory, a number of recent studies have suggested there is large scale meridional circulation in protoplanetary disks. Such a flow could account for the presence of crystalline silicates, including calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), at large distances from the sun. This paper aims at examining whether such large-scale flows exist in turbulent protoplanetary disks. High-resolution global hydrodynamical and magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) numerical simulations of turbulent protoplanetary disks were used to infer the properties of the flow in such disks. By performing hydrodynamic simulations using explicit viscosity, we demonstrate that our numerical setup does not suffer from any numerical artifact. The aforementioned meridional circulation is easily recovered in viscous and laminar disks and is quickly established. In MHD simulations, the magnetorotational instability drives turbulence in the disks. Averaging out the turbulent fluctuations on a long timescale, the results fail to show any large-scale meridional circulation. A detailed analysis of the simulations show that this lack of meridional circulation is due to the turbulent stress tensor having a vertical profile different from the viscous stress tensor. A simple model is provided that successfully accounts for the structure of the flow in the bulk of the disk. In addition to those results, possible deviations from standard vertically averaged alpha disk models are suggested by the simulations and should be the focus of future work. Global MHD numerical simulations of fully ionized and turbulent protoplanetary disks are not consistent with the existence of a large-scale meridional flow. As a consequence, the presence of crystalline silicates at large distance for the central star cannot be accounted for by that process as suggested by recent models based on viscous disk theory.

Response to Comment on "Ancient Asteroids Enriched in Refractory Inclusions"

Although the exact abundance of phases in carbonaceous chondrites remains debatable, a potentially lower absolute abundance of calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) in the Allende meteorite does not change our fundamental conclusion. In a relative comparison, CAI-rich asteroids contain two to three times as many CAIs as the most CAI-rich meteorites. These asteroids are therefore greatly enriched in the earliest solar system materials and remain enticing targets for future exploration.

Comment on "Ancient Asteroids Enriched in Refractory Inclusions"

Sunshine et al. (Reports, 25 April 2008, p. 514) reported that certain asteroids contain 30 +/- 10 volume percent calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs). We contend that the amount of CAIs in CV chondrites is two to three times as low as the 10 volume percent assumed by the authors; thus, we question whether the CAI-rich bodies they studied are indeed older than known asteroids or formed before the injection of (26)Al into the solar nebula.

Ancient Asteroids Enriched in Refractory Inclusions

Calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) occur in all classes of chondritic meteorites and contain refractory minerals predicted to be the first condensates from the solar nebula. Near-infrared spectra of CAIs have strong 2-micrometer absorptions, attributed to iron oxide-bearing aluminous spinel. Similar absorptions are present in the telescopic spectra of several asteroids; modeling indicates that these contain approximately 30 +/- 10% CAIs (two to three times that of any meteorite). Survival of these undifferentiated, large (50- to 100-kilometer diameter) CAI-rich bodies suggests that they may have formed before the injection of radiogenic 26Al into the solar system. They have also experienced only modest post-accretionary alteration. Thus, these asteroids have higher concentrations of CAI material, appear less altered, and are more ancient than any known sample in our meteorite collection, making them prime candidates for sample return.

Trace element partitioning between type B CAI melts and melilite and spinel: Implications for trace element distribution during CAI formation

Calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), occurring in chondritic meteorites and considered the oldest materials in the solar system, can provide critical information about the environment and time scale of creation of planetary materials. However, interpretation of the trace element and isotope compositions of CAIs, particularly the light elements Li, Be, and B, is hampered by the lack of constraint on melilite–melt and spinel–melt partition coefficients. We determined melilite–melt and spinel–melt partition coefficients for 21 elements by performing controlled cooling rate (2 °C/h) experiments at 1 atmosphere pressure in sealed platinum capsules using a synthetic type B CAI melt. Trace element concentrations were measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and/or laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Melilites vary only slightly in composition, ranging from Åk 31–43. Results for the partitioning of trace elements between melilite and melt in three experiments and between spinel and melt in two experiments show that partition coefficients are independent of trace element concentration, are in good agreement for different analytical techniques (SIMS and LA-ICP-MS), and are in agreement with previous measurements in the literature. Partition coefficients between intermediate composition melilites and CAI melt are the following: Li, 0.5; Be, 1.0; B, 0.22; Rb, 0.012; Sr, 0.68; Zr, 0.004; Nb, 0.003; Cs, 0.002; Ba, 0.018; La, 0.056; Nd, 0.065; Sm, 0.073; Eu, 0.67; Er, 0.037; Yb, 0.018; Hf, 0.001; Ta, 0.003; Pb, 0.15; U, 0.001; Th, 0.002. Site size energetics analysis is used to assess isovalent partitioning into the different cation sites. The Young’s modulus deduced from +2 cations partitioning into the melilite X site agrees well with the bulk modulus of melilite based on X-ray diffraction methods. The changes in light element partitioning as melilite composition varies are predicted and used in several models of fractional crystallization to evaluate if the observed Li, Be, and B systematics in Allende CAI 3529-41 are consistent with crystallization from a melt. Models of crystallization agree reasonably well with observed light element variations in areas previously interpreted to be unperturbed by secondary processes [Chaussidon, M., Robert, F., McKeegan, K.D., 2006. Li and B isotopic variations in an Allende CAI: Evidence for the in situ decay of short-lived 10Be and for the possible presence of the short-lived nuclide 7Be in the early solar system. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 70, 224–245], indicating that the trends of light elements could reflect fractional crystallization of a melt. In contrast, areas interpreted to have been affected by alteration processes are not consistent with crystallization models.

Supra-Canonical 26 Al/ 27 Al and the Residence Time of CAIs in the Solar Protoplanetary Disk

The canonical initial 26Al/27Al ratio of 4.5 x 10(-5) has been a fiducial marker for the beginning of the solar system. Laser ablation and whole-rock multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma-source mass spectrometry magnesium isotope analyses of calcium- and aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from CV3 meteorites demonstrate that some CAIs had initial 26Al/27Al values at least 25% greater than canonical and that the canonical initial 26Al/27Al cannot mark the beginning of solar system formation. Using rates of Mg diffusion in minerals, we find that the canonical initial 26Al/27Al is instead the culmination of thousands of brief high-temperature events incurred by CAIs during a 10(5)-year residence time in the solar protoplanetary disk.

Mineralogical and chemical modification of components in CV3 chondrites: Nebular or asteroidal processing?

Abstract— Calcium‐ and aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs), chondrules, dark inclusions and matrices in certain CV3 carbonaceous chondrites appear to have been modified by different degrees of late‐stage alteration processes that caused significant variations in mineralogy and chemistry. Some chondrules and CAIs are rimmed with fayalitic olivine. Metal in all components may be oxidized and sulphidized to magnetite, Ni‐rich metal and sulfides. Silicates in all components are aqueously altered to different degrees to phyllosilicates. Primary minerals in some CAIs experienced Fe‐alkali‐halogen metasomatism forming nepheline, sodalite, wollastonite, hedenbergite and other secondary minerals. In CV3 chondrites with metasomatized CAIs, nepheline, sodalite, etc. are also present in chondrule mesostases and in matrices. McSween's (1977b) reduced subgroup of CV3 chondrites generally shows minimal alteration of all components and may represent the unaltered precursors for the oxidized CV3 chondrites, which generally show major alteration. Most studies have been focused on specific components in CV3 chondrites and have not considered possible relationships between alteration processes. We infer from the correlated occurrences of the alteration features that they were closely related in time and space and review nebular and asteroidal models for their origins. We prefer an asteroidal model.

THE MINERALOGY OF A RHÖNITE‐BEARING CALCIUM ALUMINUM RICH INCLUSION IN THE ALLENDE METEORITE

The meteoritic occurrence of rhönite‐bearing calcium and aluminum rich inclusions (CAIs) appears to be restricted to the Allende meteorite. These inclusions, however, are very scarce as only four are known to the author. This report is primarily concerned with the descriptive mineralogy of one of these rare CAIs.The inclusion contains, in decreasing order of abundance, melilite (Ak15‐Ak55), spinel, fassaite, rhönite, perovskite, grossular, Ni‐Fe metal, hibonite, troilite, a vanadium‐iron oxide (20–27 wt % V2O3), molybdenite, geikielo‐ilmenite and magnetite. Although this mineral assemblage formed under nonequilibrium conditions from a molten drop, the coarse grained texture does not indicate rapid crystallization. Local chemistries evidently played a significant role in the formation of metastable phase relationships and symplectites, thereby confounding the construction of a plausible thermal history for this CAI.