Excess 26Mg Research Articles

Infiltration metasomatism of the Allende coarse-grained calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions

We report on the mineralogy, petrography, and O and Al-Mg isotopic systematics of secondary mineralization in the metasomatically altered igneous Ca,Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) [compact type A (CTA), B1, B2, forsterite-bearing B (FoB), and C] from the CV3 carbonaceous chondrite Allende. This alteration affected mainly melilite, and to a lesser degree anorthite, and resulted in the formation of a variety of secondary minerals, including adrianite, Al-diopside, andradite, anorthite, calcite, celsian, clintonite, corundum, dmisteinbergite, ferroan olivine, ferroan monticellite, ferroan Al-diopside, forsterite, grossular, heazlewoodite, hedenbergite, hutcheonite, kushiroite, margarite, monticellite, Na-melilite, nepheline, pentlandite, pyrrhotite, sodalite, spinel, tilleyite, wadalite, and wollastonite. The secondary mineral assemblages are mainly defined by chemical compositions of the primary melilite replaced and elements introduced by an aqueous fluid. Gehlenitic melilite (Åk<35) in CTAs and mantles of B1s is mainly replaced by anorthite + grossular; clintonite, corundum, spinel, and Al-diopside are minor. Åkermanitic melilite (Åk35-90) in type B2s, FoBs, and cores of B1s is replaced by the grossular + monticellite + wollastonite, grossular + monticellite, and grossular + Al-diopside assemblages; forsterite, spinel, clintonite, and Na-melilite are minor. In type Cs, lacy melilite (åkermanitic melilite with rounded inclusions of anorthite) is pseudomorphically replaced by the grossular + forsterite + monticellite and grossular + Al-diopside assemblages; Na-melilite is minor. Primary and secondary anorthites in the peripheral portions of CAIs are replaced by nepheline, sodalite, and ferromagnesian olivine. Some CAIs contain voids and cracks filled by andradite, hedenbergite, wollastonite, ±sodalite, ±grossular, ±monticellite, ±tilleyite, and ±calcite. All CAIs studied are surrounded by Wark-Lovering rims, fine-grained matrix-like rims composed of lath-shaped ferroan olivine and abundant nepheline grains, and a layer of salite-hedenbergite pyroxenes + andradite + wollastonite. Grossular associating with monticellite, Al-diopside, and forsterite and replacing åkermanitic melilite (27Al/24Mg ~ 2) has high 27Al/24Mg ratios (30−100) and shows no resolvable excess of radiogenic 26Mg (26Mg*). The 27Al/24Mg ratios (7−10) and 26Mg* (2−3‰) in the nearly monomineralic grossular veins crosscutting gehlenitic melilite are similar to those of the host melilite and plot along a regression line with 26Al/27Al ratio of ~5×10−5. Oxygen isotopic compositions of secondary minerals in the most Type Bs measured in situ with the UH Cameca ims-1280 and matrix-matched standards plot along mass-dependent fractionation line with ∆17O of ~ −3±2‰ with δ18O ranging from ~0 to ~10‰. Primary melilite and anorthite in the host CAIs are similarly 16O-depleted, whereas spinel, forsterite, and most Al,Ti-diopside grains have 16O-rich compositions (∆17O ~ −25±2‰). Secondary grossular and forsterite in type Cs and type B1 CAI TS-34 show a range of ∆17O, from ~ −15 to ~ −1‰; the 16O-enriched compositions of grossular and forsterite plot along the carbonaceous chondrite anhydrous mineral line. The similar ranges of ∆17O and positions on the three-isotope oxygen diagram are observed for primary anorthite; melilite is generally 16O-depleted compared to anorthite (∆17O ~ −5 to −1±2‰); spinel and fassaite are 16O-rich (except very Ti-rich fassaite in TS-34 and CTA CAIs). We conclude that Allende CAIs experienced an open-system in situ metasomatic alteration at relatively high temperatures (200-250 °C) in the presence of CO2- and H2O-bearing fluid with ∆17O of ~ −3±2‰ followed by thermal metamorphism at ~ 500 °C on the CV chondrite parent asteroid. During the alteration, most elements were mobile: Si, Na, Cl, K, Fe, S, and Ni were introduced; Al, Ti, Mg, and Ba were locally mobilized; Ca and some Mg and Al were lost from the host inclusions. The alteration occurred after nearly complete decay of 26Al, >3 Ma after crystallization of CAIs with the canonical (26Al/27Al)0 of (5.25±0.02)×10-5; 26Mg* in grossular was inherited from the primary melilite and provide no chronological significance. Oxygen isotopic heterogeneity of primary minerals in the Allende CAIs at least partly is due to isotopic exchange with an aqueous fluid that largely affected melilite, anorthite, perovskite, Zr- and Sc-rich oxides and silicates, and possibly very Ti-rich fassaite.

New constraints from 26Al-26Mg chronology of anorthite bearing chondrules in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites

26Al-26Mg ages were determined for 14 anorthite-bearing chondrules from five different unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOCs) with low petrologic subtypes (3.00–3.05). In addition, oxygen three isotopes of these chondrules were also measured. The selected chondrules are highly depleted in alkali elements, and anorthite is the only mesostasis phase, though they show a range of mafic mineral compositions (Mg# 76–97 mole%) that are representative of chondrules in UOCs. The mean Δ17O values in these chondrules range from −0.44 ± 0.23‰ to 0.49 ± 0.15‰, in good agreement with previous studies of plagioclase-bearing chondrules from UOCs. Anorthite in all chondrules exhibit resolvable excess 26Mg (>1.0 ± 0.4‰). Their inferred (27Al/26Al)0 range from (6.3 ± 0.7) × 10−6 to (8.9 ± 0.3) × 10−6 corresponding to a timescale for chondrule formation of 1.8 ± 0.04 Ma to 2.16 ± 0.12/0.11 Ma after CAIs using a canonical (27Al/26Al)0 value of 5.25 × 10−5. The ages from six chondrules in LL chondrites are restricted to between 1.8 Ma and 1.9 Ma, whereas eight chondrules in L chondrites show ages from 1.8 Ma to 2.2 Ma, including three chondrules at ∼2.0 Ma and two chondrules at ∼2.15 Ma.The inferred chondrule formation ages from this study are at the peak of those previously determined for UOC chondrules, though with much shorter durations. This is potentially due to the time difference between formation of anorthite-bearing chondrules and typical UOC chondrules with alkali-rich compositions. Alternatively, younger chondrules ages in previous studies could have been the result of disturbance to the Al-Mg system in glassy mesostasis even at the low degree of thermal metamorphism in the parent bodies. Nevertheless, the high precision ages from this study (with uncertainties from 0.04 Ma to 0.15 Ma) indicate that there was potentially more than one chondrule forming event represented in the studied population. Considering data from LL chondrites only, the restricted duration (≤0.1 Ma) of chondrule formation ages suggests an origin in high density environments that subsequently lead to parent body formation. However, the unusually low alkali contents of the studied chondrules compared to common alkali-rich chondrules could also represent earlier chondrule formation events under relatively lower dust densities in the disk. Major chondrule forming events for UOCs might have postdated or concurrent with the younger anorthite-bearing chondrule formation at 2.15 Ma after CAIs, which are very close to the timing of accretion of ordinary chondrite parent bodies that are expected from thermal evolution of ordinary chondrite parent bodies.

One of the earliest refractory inclusions and its implications for solar system history

A ∼175 µm refractory inclusion, A-COR-01 from one of the least altered carbonaceous chondrites, ALHA 77307 (CO3.0), has been found to bear unique characteristics that indicate that it is one of the first solids to have formed at the very birth of the solar system while isotopic reservoirs were still evolving rapidly. Its core is composed mainly of hibonite and corundum, the two phases predicted to condense first from a gas of solar composition, and like many common types of Calcium-, Aluminium-rich Inclusions (CAIs) is surrounded by a rim of diopside.Core minerals in A-COR-01 are very 16O-rich (Δ17OCore = −32.5 ± 3.3 (2SD) ‰) while those in the rim display an O isotopic composition (Δ17ORim = −24.8 ± 0.5 (2SD) ‰) indistinguishable from that found in the vast majority of the least altered CAIs. These observations indicate that this CAI formed in a very 16O-rich reservoir and either recorded the subsequent evolution of this reservoir or the transit to another reservoir. The origin of A-COR-01in a primitive reservoir is consistent with the very low content of excess of radiogenic 26Mg in its core minerals corresponding to the inferred initial 26Al/27Al ratio ((26Al/27Al)0 = (1.67 ± 0.31) × 10−7), supporting a very early formation before injection and/or homogenisation of 26Al in the protoplanetary disk. Possible reservoir evolution and short-lived radionuclide (SLRs) injection scenarios are discussed and it is suggested that the observed isotope composition resulted from mixing of a previously un-observed early reservoir with the rest of the disk.

Mineralogy, petrography, and oxygen and aluminum-magnesium isotope systematics of grossite-bearing refractory inclusions

Grossite (CaAl4O7) is one of the one of the first minerals predicted to condense from a gas of solar composition, and therefore could have recorded isotopic compositions of reservoirs during the earliest stages of the Solar System evolution. Grossite-bearing Ca,Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) are a relatively rare type of refractory inclusions in most carbonaceous chondrite groups, except CHs, where they are dominant. We report new and summarize the existing data on the mineralogy, petrography, oxygen and aluminum-magnesium isotope systematics of grossite-bearing CAIs from the CR, CH, CB, CM, CO, and CV carbonaceous chondrites. Grossite-bearing CAIs from unmetamorphosed (petrologic type 2―3.0) carbonaceous chondrites preserved evidence for heterogeneous distribution of 26Al in the protoplanetary disk. The inferred initial 26Al/27Al ratio [(26Al/27Al)0] in grossite-bearing CAIs is generally bimodal, ˜0 and ˜5×10−5; the intermediate values are rare. CH and CB chondrites are the only groups where vast majority of grossite-bearing CAIs lacks resolvable excess of radiogenic 26Mg. Grossite-bearing CAIs with approximately the canonical (26Al/27Al)0 of ˜5×10−5 are dominant in other chondrite groups. Most grossite-bearing CAIs in type 2–3.0 carbonaceous chondrites have uniform solar-like O-isotope compositions (Δ17O ˜ ‒24±2‰). Grossite-bearing CAIs surrounded by Wark-Lovering rims in CH chondrites are also isotopically uniform, but show a large range of Δ17O, from ˜ ‒40‰ to ˜ ‒5‰, suggesting an early generation of gaseous reservoirs with different oxygen-isotope compositions in the protoplanetary disk. Igneous grossite-bearing CAIs surrounded by igneous rims of ±melilite, Al-diopside, and Ca-rich forsterite, found only in CB and CH chondrites, have uniform 16O-depleted compositions (Δ17O ˜ ‒14‰ to ‒5‰). These CAIs appear to have experienced complete melting and incomplete O-isotope exchange with a 16O-poor (Δ17O ˜ ‒2‰) gas in the CB impact plume generated about 5 Ma after CV CAIs. Grossite-bearing CAIs in metamorphosed (petrologic type >3.0) CO and CV chondrites have heterogeneous Δ17O resulted from mineralogically-controlled isotope exchange with a 16O-poor (Δ17O ˜ ‒2 to 0‰) aqueous fluid on the CO and CV parent asteroids 3–5 Ma after CV CAIs. This exchange affected grossite, krotite, melilite, and perovskite; corundum, hibonite, spinel, diopside, forsterite, and enstatite preserved their initial O-isotope compositions. The internal 26Al-26Mg isochrons in grossite-bearing CAIs from weakly-metamorphosed CO and CV chondrites were not disturbed during this oxygen-isotope exchange.HCCJr is grateful to Klaus Keil for all his sound profession counsel and collegial friendship over the years. He has always been willing to talk and has the generous nature of listening and sharing his thoughts freely and constructively. Professor Klaus Keil has been a mentor to and played a key role in the careers of three of the authors of this paper (ANK, KN, and GRH). He has also influenced the careers of the other authors and most of the people who have worked on meteorites over the past 50+ years. We therefore dedicate this paper to Professor Keil and present it in this Special Issue of Geochemistry.

Extended chondrule formation intervals in distinct physicochemical environments: Evidence from Al-Mg isotope systematics of CR chondrite chondrules with unaltered plagioclase.

Al-Mg isotope systematics of twelve FeO-poor (type I) chondrules from CR chondrites Queen Alexandra Range 99177 and Meteorite Hills 00426 were investigated by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Five chondrules with Mg#'s of 99.0 to 99.2 and Δ17O of -4.2‰ to -5.3‰ have resolvable excess 26Mg. Their inferred (26Al/27Al)0 values range from (3.5 ± 1.3) × 10‒6 to (6.0 ± 3.9) × 10‒6. This corresponds to formation times of 2.2 (-0.5/+1.1) Myr to 2.8 (‒0.3/+0.5) Myr after CAIs, using a canonical (26Al/27Al)0 of 5.23 × 10-5, and assuming homogeneously distributed 26Al that yielded a uniform initial 26Al/27Al in the Solar System. Seven chondrules lack resolvable excess 26Mg. They have lower Mg#'s (94.2 to 98.7) and generally higher Δ17O (-0.9‰ to -4.9‰) than chondrules with resolvable excess 26Mg. Their inferred (26Al/27Al)0 upper limits range from 1.3 × 10‒6 to 3.2 × 10‒6, corresponding to formation >2.9 to >3.7 Myr after CAIs. Al-Mg isochrons depend critically on chondrule plagioclase, and several characteristics indicate the chondrule plagioclase is unaltered: (1) SIMS 27Al/24Mg depth profile patterns match those from anorthite standards, and SEM/EDS of chondrule SIMS pits show no foreign inclusions; (2) transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveals no nanometer-scale micro-inclusions and no alteration due to thermal metamorphism; (3) oxygen isotopes of chondrule plagioclase match those of coexisting olivine and pyroxene, indicating a low extent of thermal metamorphism; and (4) electron microprobe data show chondrule plagioclase is anorthite-rich, with excess structural silica and high MgO, consistent with such plagioclase from other petrologic type 3.00-3.05 chondrites. We conclude that the resolvable (26Al/27Al)0 variabilities among chondrules studied are robust, corresponding to a formation interval of at least 1.1 Myr. Using relationships between chondrule (26Al/27Al)0, Mg#, and Δ17O, we interpret spatial and temporal features of dust, gas, and H2O ice in the FeO-poor chondrule-forming environment. Mg# ≥ 99, Δ17O ~-5‰ chondrules with resolvable excess 26Mg initially formed in an environment that was relatively anhydrous, with a dust-to-gas ratio of ~100×. After these chondrules formed, we interpret a later influx of 16O-poor H2O ice into the environment, and that dust-to-gas ratios expanded (100× to 300×). This led to the later formation of more oxidized Mg# 94-99 chondrules with higher Δ17O (-5‰ to -1‰), with low (26Al/27Al)0, and hence no resolvable excess 26Mg. We refine the mean CR chondrite chondrule formation age via mass balance, by considering that Mg# ≥ 99 chondrules generally have resolved positive (26Al/27Al)0 and that Mg# < 99 chondrules generally have no resolvable excess 26Mg, implying lower (26Al/27Al)0. We obtain a mean chondrule formation age of 3.8 ± 0.3 Myr after CAIs, which is consistent with Pb-Pb and Hf-W model ages of CR chondrite chondrule aggregates. Overall, this suggests most CR chondrite chondrules formed immediately before parent body accretion.

Time and duration of chondrule formation: Constraints from 26Al-26Mg ages of individual chondrules

Chondrules from unequilibrated ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites belong to the oldest and most primitive materials from the early solar system and record chemical and isotopic signatures relating to their formation and evolution. These signatures allow tracing protoplanetary disk processes that eventually led to the formation of planetary building blocks and rocky planets. 26Al-26Mg ages based on mineral-mesostasis isochrons of 31 porphyritic ferromagnesian chondrules, that belong mainly to type-II, constrain the time of chondrule melting prior to incorporation into the respective chondrite parent bodies. For this study chondrules from the unequilibrated L, L(LL) and LL ordinary chondrites (UOCs) NWA 5206, NWA 8276, MET 96503, MET 00452, MET 00526, NWA 7936 and QUE 97008 were selected, which are of petrologic types 3.00–3.15 and were thus least metamorphosed after formation. Magnesium and Al isotopes were measured in-situ by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) using a CAMECA 1280 ims. 26Mg excess from in-situ decay of 26Al correlating with 27Al/24Mg has been detected in the mesostasis of all but one chondrule. The initial Al isotopic compositions (26Al/27Al)0 and 26Mg/24Mg ratios (δ26Mg0∗) deduced from internal mineral isochron regressions range from (9.5 ± 2.8) × 10−6 to (3.1 ± 1.2) × 10−6 and −0.020 ± 0.028‰ to 0.011 ± 0.039‰, respectively. The corresponding chondrule ages (ΔtCAI), calculated relative to calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) using the canonical 26Al/27Al = (5.23 ± 0.13) × 10−5, are between 1.76-0.27+0.36 and 2.92-0.34+0.51 Ma and date the melt formation and thus primary chondrule formation from dust-like precursors or reprocessing of older chondrules. The age range agrees with those acquired with different short-lived chronometers and with published 26Al-26Mg ages, the majority of which were obtained for chondrules from the Bishunpur and Semarkona meteorites, although no chondrule with (26Al/27Al)0 > 10−5 was found.Chondrules in single chondrite samples or between different chondrite groups show no distinct age distributions. The initial 26Al/27Al of the oldest chondrules in the L(LL)/LL and L chondrite samples are identical within their 1σ uncertainties and yield a mean age of 1.99-0.08+0.08 Ma and 1.81-0.10+0.11 Ma, respectively. The oldest chondrules from six of the seven studied samples record a mean age of 1.94-0.06+0.07 Ma. Since heating events in the protoplanetary disk could have partially reset the Al-Mg systematics in pre-existing chondrules and this would have shifted recorded 26Al-26Mg ages toward younger dates, the oldest mean age of 1.81-0.10+0.11 Ma recorded in L chondrite chondrules is interpreted to date the rapid and punctuated onset of chondrule formation. The density distribution of chondrule ages from this study, which comprises the largest single dataset of OC chondrule ages, combined with published ages for chondrules from ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites reveals major age peaks for OC chondrules at 2.0 and 2.3 Ma. Chondrules in ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites formed almost contemporaneously (with a possible distinction between CC groups) in two chemically distinct reservoirs, probably in density-enriched regions at the edges of Jupiter’s orbit. The young formation ages of chondrules suggest that they do not represent precursors but rather by-products of planetesimal accretion.

A multielement isotopic study of refractory FUN and F CAIs: Mass-dependent and mass-independent isotope effects

Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) are the oldest dated objects that formed inside the Solar System. Among these are rare, enigmatic objects with large mass-dependent fractionation effects (F CAIs), which sometimes also have large nucleosynthetic anomalies and a low initial abundance of the short-lived radionuclide 26Al (FUN CAIs). We have studied seven refractory hibonite-rich CAIs and one grossite-rich CAI from the Murchison (CM2) meteorite for their oxygen, calcium, and titanium isotopic compositions. The 26Al-26Mg system was also studied in seven of these CAIs. We found mass-dependent heavy isotope enrichment in all measured elements, but never simultaneously in the same CAI. The data are hard to reconcile with a single-stage melt evaporation origin and may require reintroduction or reequilibration for magnesium, oxygen and titanium after evaporation for some of the studied CAIs.The initial 26Al/27Al ratios inferred from model isochrons span a range from <1×10−6 to canonical (∼5×10−5). The CAIs show a mutual exclusivity relationship between inferred incorporation of live 26Al and the presence of resolvable anomalies in 48Ca and 50Ti. Furthermore, a relationship exists between 26Al incorporation and Δ17O in the hibonite-rich CAIs (i.e., 26Al-free CAIs have resolved variations in Δ17O, while CAIs with resolved 26Mg excesses have Δ17O values close to −23‰). Only the grossite-rich CAI has a relatively enhanced Δ17O value (∼−17‰) in spite of a near-canonical 26Al/27Al. We interpret these data as indicating that fractionated hibonite-rich CAIs formed over an extended time period and sampled multiple stages in the isotopic evolution of the solar nebula, including: (1) an 26Al-poor nebula with large positive and negative anomalies in 48Ca and 50Ti and variable Δ17O; (2) a stage of 26Al-admixture, during which anomalies in 48Ca and 50Ti had been largely diluted and a Δ17O value of ∼−23‰ had been achieved in the CAI formation region; and (3) a nebula with an approximately canonical level of 26Al and a Δ17O value of ∼−23‰ in the CAI formation region.

High precision Al–Mg systematics of forsterite-bearing Type B CAIs from CV3 chondrites

In order to further elucidate possible temporal relationships between different varieties of calcium-, aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), we measured the aluminum–magnesium isotopic systematics of seven examples of the rare type known as forsterite-bearing Type B (FoB) inclusions from four different CV3 carbonaceous chondrites: Allende, Efremovka, NWA 3118, and Vigarano. The primary phases (forsterite, Al–Ti-rich diopside, spinel, melilite, and anorthite) in each inclusion were analyzed in situ using high-precision secondary ion mass-spectrometry (SIMS). In all cases, minerals with low Al/Mg ratios (all except anorthite) yield well-defined internal Al–Mg isochrons, with a range of initial 26Al/27Al ratios [(26Al/27Al)0] ranging from (5.30±0.22)×10−5 down to (4.17±0.43)×10−5. Anorthite in all cases is significantly disturbed relative to the isochrons defined by the other phases in the same CAIs, and in several cases contains no resolved excesses of radiogenic 26Mg (δ26Mg∗) even at 27Al/24Mg ratios greater than 1000. The fact that some FoBs preserve (26Al/27Al)0 of ∼5.2×10−5, close to the canonical value of (5.23±0.13)×10−5 inferred from bulk magnesium-isotope measurements of CV CAIs (B. Jacobsen et al., 2008), demonstrates that FoBs began forming very early, contemporaneous with other more-refractory CAIs. The range of (26Al/27Al)0 values further shows that FoBs continued to be reprocessed over ∼200,000years of nebular history, consistent with results obtained for other types of igneous CAIs in CV chondrites. The absence of any correlation between of CAI+FoB formation or reprocessing times with bulk composition or CAI type means that there is no temporal evolutionary sequence between the diverse CAI types. The initial δ26Mg∗ value in the most primitive FoB (SJ101) is significantly lower than the canonical solar system value of −0.040±0.029‰.

Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions with fractionation and unidentified nuclear effects (FUN CAIs): II. Heterogeneities of magnesium isotopes and 26Al in the early Solar System inferred from in situ high-precision magnesium-isotope measurements

Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions with isotopic mass fractionation effects and unidentified nuclear isotopic anomalies (FUN CAIs) have been studied for more than 40years, but their origins remain enigmatic. Here we report in situ high precision measurements of aluminum-magnesium isotope systematics of FUN CAIs by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Individual minerals were analyzed in six FUN CAIs from the oxidized CV3 carbonaceous chondrites Axtell (compact Type A CAI Axtell 2271) and Allende (Type B CAIs C1 and EK1-4-1, and forsterite-bearing Type B CAIs BG82DH8, CG-14, and TE). Most of these CAIs show evidence for excess 26Mg due to the decay of 26Al. The inferred initial 26Al/27Al ratios [(26Al/27Al)0] and the initial magnesium isotopic compositions (δ26Mg0) calculated using an exponential law with an exponent β of 0.5128 are (3.1±1.6)×10−6 and 0.60±0.10‰ (Axtell 2271), (3.7±1.5)×10−6 and −0.20±0.05‰ (BG82DH8), (2.2±1.1)×10−6 and −0.18±0.05‰ (C1), (2.3±2.4)×10−5 and −2.23±0.37‰ (EK1-4-1), (1.5±1.1)×10−5 and −0.42±0.08‰ (CG-14), and (5.3±0.9)×10−5 and −0.05±0.08‰ (TE) with 2σ uncertainties. We infer that FUN CAIs recorded heterogeneities of magnesium isotopes and 26Al in the CAI-forming region(s). Comparison of 26Al-26Mg systematics, stable isotope (oxygen, magnesium, calcium, and titanium) and trace element studies of FUN and non-FUN igneous CAIs indicates that there is a continuum among these CAI types. Based on these observations and evaporation experiments on CAI-like melts, we propose a generic scenario for the origin of igneous (FUN and non-FUN) CAIs: (i) condensation of isotopically normal solids in an 16O-rich gas of approximately solar composition; (ii) formation of CAI precursors by aggregation of these solids together with variable abundances of isotopically anomalous grains—possible carriers of unidentified nuclear (UN) effects; and (iii) melt evaporation of these precursors accompanied by crystallization under different temperatures and gas pressures, leading to the observed variations in mass-dependent isotopic fractionation (F) effects.

Calcium–aluminum-rich inclusions recycled during formation of porphyritic chondrules from CH carbonaceous chondrites

We report on the mineralogy, petrography, and O-isotope compositions of ∼60 Ca, Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) incompletely melted during formation of porphyritic chondrules from the CH metal-rich carbonaceous chondrites and Isheyevo (CH/CB). These include (i) relict polymineralic CAIs in porphyritic chondrules, (ii) CAIs surrounded by chondrule-like igneous rims, (iii) igneous pyroxene-rich and Type C-like CAIs, and (iv) plagioclase-rich chondrules with clusters of relict spinel grains. 26Al–26Mg systematics were measured in 10 relict CAIs and 11 CAI-bearing plagioclase-rich chondrules. Based on the mineralogy, the CH CAIs incompletely melted during chondrule formation can be divided into grossite-rich (n=13), hibonite-rich (n=11), spinel±melilite-rich (n=33; these include plagioclase-rich chondrules with clusters of relict spinel grains) types. Mineralogical observations indicate that these CAIs were mixed with different proportions of ferromagnesian silicates and experienced incomplete melting and gas–melt interaction during chondrule formation. These processes resulted in partial or complete destruction of the CAI Wark–Lovering rims, replacement of melilite by Na-bearing plagioclase, and dissolution and overgrowth of nearly end-member spinel by chromium- and iron-bearing spinel. Only two relict CAIs and two CAI-bearing chondrules show resolvable excess of radiogenic 26Mg; the inferred initial 26Al/27Al ratios are (1.7±1.3)×10–6, (3.7±3.1)×10–7, (1.9±0.9)×10–6 and (4.9±2.6)×10–6. There is a large range of Δ17O among the CH CAIs incompletely melted during chondrule formation, from ∼−37‰ to ∼−5‰; the unmelted minerals in individual CAIs, however, are isotopically uniform and systematically 16O-enriched relative to the host chondrules and chondrule-like igneous rims, which have Δ17O ranging from ∼−7‰ to ∼+4‰. Most of the CH CAIs incompletely melted during chondrule formation are mineralogically and isotopically similar to the CH CAIs surrounded by Wark–Lovering rims and apparently unaffected by chondrule melting. The mineralogy and O-isotope compositions of the CH CAI-bearing chondrules are similar to those of the CH porphyritic chondrules without relict CAIs.We conclude that CH porphyritic chondrules formed by incomplete melting of isotopically diverse solid precursors, including mineralogically and isotopically unique CAIs commonly observed only in CH chondrites. Therefore, the CH porphyritic chondrules must have formed in a distinct disk region, where the CH CAIs were present at the time of chondrule formation. Because most CH CAIs avoided chondrule melting, we infer that chondrule formation was highly localized. These observations preclude formation of CH porphyritic chondrules by splashing of molten planetesimals, by impact processing of differentiated planetesimals, and by large scale nebular shocks, e.g., shocks driven by disk gravitational instabilities or by X-ray flares. Instead, they are consistent with small-scale chondrule-forming mechanisms proposed in the literature, such as nebular processing of dust balls by bow shocks and by current sheets.

Distribution of 26Al in the CR chondrite chondrule-forming region of the protoplanetary disk

We report on the mineralogy, petrography, and in situ measured oxygen- and magnesium-isotope compositions of eight porphyritic chondrules (seven FeO-poor and one FeO-rich) from the Renazzo-like carbonaceous (CR) chondrites Graves Nunataks 95229, Grosvenor Mountains 03116, Pecora Escarpment 91082, and Queen Alexandra Range 99177, which experienced minor aqueous alteration and very mild thermal metamorphism. We find no evidence that these processes modified the oxygen- or Al–Mg isotope systematics of chondrules in these meteorites. Olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, and plagioclase within an individual chondrule have similar O-isotope compositions, suggesting crystallization from isotopically uniform melts. The only exceptions are relict grains in two of the chondrules; these grains are 16O-enriched relative to phenocrysts of the host chondrules. Only the FeO-rich chondrule shows a resolvable excesses of 26Mg, corresponding to an inferred initial 26Al/27Al ratio [(26Al/27Al)0] of (2.5±1.6)×10−6 (±2SE). Combining these results with the previously reported Al–Mg isotope systematics of CR chondrules (Nagashima et al., 2014, Geochem. J. 48, 561), 7 of 22 chondrules (32%) measured show resolvable excesses of 26Mg; the presence of excess 26Mg does not correlate with the FeO content of chondrule silicates. In contrast, virtually all chondrules in weakly metamorphosed (petrologic type 3.0–3.1) unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (UOCs), Ornans-like carbonaceous (CO) chondrites, and the ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Acfer 094 show resolvable excesses of 26Mg. The inferred (26Al/27Al)0 in CR chondrules with resolvable excesses of 26Mg range from (1.0±0.4)×10−6 to (6.3±0.9)×10−6, which is typically lower than (26Al/27Al)0 in the majority of chondrules from UOCs, COs, and Acfer 094. Based on the inferred (26Al/27Al)0, three populations of CR chondrules are recognized; the population characterized by low (26Al/27Al)0 (<3×10−6) is dominant. There are no noticeable trends with major and minor element or O-isotope compositions between these populations. The weighted mean (26Al/27Al)0 of 22 CR chondrules measured is (1.8±0.3)×10−6. An apparent agreement between the 26Al–26Mg ages (using weighted mean value) and the revised (using 238U/235U ratio for bulk CR chondrites of 137.7789±0.0085) 207Pb–206Pb age of a set of chondrules from CR chondrites (Amelin et al., 2002, Science297, 1678) is consistent with the initial 26Al/27Al ratio in the CR chondrite chondrule-forming region at the canonical level (∼5.2×10−5), allowing the use of 26Al–26Mg systematics as a chronometer for CR chondrules. To prove chronological significance of 26Al for CR chondrules, measurements of Al–Mg and U–Pb isotope systematics on individual chondrules are required. The presence of several generations among CR chondrules indicates some chondrules that accreted into the CR chondrite parent asteroid avoided melting by later chondrule-forming events, suggesting chondrule-forming processes may have occurred on relatively limited spatial scales. Accretion of the CR chondrite parent body occurred at >4.0-0.3+0.5Ma after the formation of CAIs with the canonical 26Al/27Al ratio, although rapid accretion after formation of the major population of CR chondrules is not required by our data.

Corundum–hibonite inclusions and the environments of high temperature processing in the early Solar System

Corundum-bearing Ca–Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) are a rare class of high-temperature condensates from the inner regions of the protoplanetary disk. Their mineralogy is intermediate between isolated corundum grains and CAIs where corundum has been replaced by lower-temperature phases. These inclusions sample a critical transitional period of the inner nebula where both the Sun and protoplanetary disk were rapidly evolving. We conducted O isotopic, Al–Mg chronological, petrographic, and crystallographic studies of four corundum-bearing inclusions in the Murchison CM2 and ALHA 77307 CO3.0 carbonaceous chondrites. Within each inclusion, corundum, hibonite, and spinel have indistinguishable 16O-rich compositions. The O isotopic compositions from all inclusions fall within a narrow range of Δ17O=−22.8±3.6‰ that matches values of most previously studied micrometer-sized corundum grains and mineralogically pristine CAIs. These data indicate that, with few exceptions, the most refractory inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites formed from the same O isotopic reservoir. One CAI from ALHA 77307, ALH-61, exhibits a continuous corundum mantle overlying a hibonite core, opposite the equilibrium condensation sequence at typical nebular pressures and dust/gas ratios. Transmission electron microscopy examination of the hibonite–corundum interface suggests that the corundum condensed on the hibonite and was itself then partially overlain with spinel. Additionally, high dust/gas ratios are interpreted from the W- and Mo-depleted composition of a refractory metal nugget within a second corundum-bearing CAI, ALH-160. Together, these observations show that the primary formation conditions of some corundum-bearing CAIs involved non-equilibrium condensation in environments with elevated dust-gas ratios.The corundum-bearing CAIs studied here have inferred initial 26Al/27Al ratios that fall within the roughly bimodal distribution of values observed in most CAIs. ALH-160 retains no resolvable excess 26Mg while ALH-61 has a well-resolved initial 26Al/27Al ratio of 4.2±0.4×10−5. The presence or absence of live 26Al at the time of CAI formation may record distinct chronology if 26Al was initially homogeneously distributed in the early Solar System. Alternatively, variations in 26Al/27Al ratios may reflect late injection and/or heterogeneous distribution of 26Al. Regardless of which model for 26Al distribution is correct, the data presented here indicate that formation of corundum-bearing CAIs was repeated during multiple heating and non-equilibrium condensation events throughout early Solar System history and within a single oxygen isotopic reservoir.

Late formation of a comet Wild 2 crystalline silicate particle, Pyxie, inferred from Al–Mg chronology of plagioclase

We examined the Al–Mg isotope systematics of plagioclase in a FeO-poor ferromagnesian Wild 2 particle (C2092,7,81,1,0; named Pyxie) using a ∼2 μm spot. Three analyses show average 27Al/24Mg ratio of ∼65 and excess δ26Mg⁎ value of +0.1±4.5‰ (2σ), indicating no resolvable 26Mg excess in the particle. The inferred initial (26Al/27Al)0 ratio of plagioclase in Pyxie is estimated as (−0.6±4.5)×10−6 with an upper limit of 4×10−6. The result is very similar to that of the FeO-rich ferromagnesian particle “Iris” (Ogliore et al., 2012). Assuming homogeneous distribution of 26Al in the early solar system, Pyxie formed at least 2.6 Ma after the oldest Ca–Al-rich inclusions. This minimum formation age is marginally younger than formation ages of most chondrules in type ∼3.0 chondrites but comparable with those of Mg#<98 chondrules in CR3 chondrites. Considered in conjunction with similar oxygen isotope ratios between Pyxie (and Iris) and Mg#<98 chondrules in CR3 chondrites, it is inferred that the ferromagnesian Wild 2 particles and Mg#<98 chondrules in CR3 chondrites formed late in local disk environments that had similar oxygen isotope ratios and redox states.

Amoeboid olivine aggregates from CH carbonaceous chondrites

Amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs) in CH carbonaceous chondrites are texturally and mineralogically similar to those in other carbonaceous chondrite groups. They show no evidence for alteration and thermal metamorphism in an asteroidal setting and consist of nearly pure forsterite (Fa<3; in wt%, CaO=0.1–0.8, Cr2O3=0.04–0.48; MnO<0.5), anorthite, Al-diopside (in wt%, Al2O3=0.7–8.1; TiO2<1), Fe,Ni-metal, spinel, and, occasionally, low-Ca pyroxene (Fs1Wo2–3), and calcium–aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs). The CAIs inside AOAs are composed of hibonite, grossite, melilite (Åk13–44), spinel, perovskite, Al,Ti-diopside (in wt%, Al2O3 up to 19.6; TiO2 up to 13.9), and anorthite. The CH AOAs, including CAIs within AOAs, have isotopically uniform 16O-rich compositions (average Δ17O=−23.4±2.3‰, 2SD) and on a three-isotope oxygen diagram plot along ∼slope-1 line. The only exception is a low-Ca pyroxene-bearing AOA 1-103 that shows a range of Δ17O values, from −24‰ to −13‰. Melilite, grossite, and hibonite in four CAIs within AOAs show no evidence for radiogenic 26Mg excess (δ26Mg). In contrast, anorthite in five out of six AOAs measured has δ26Mg corresponding to the inferred initial 26Al/27Al ratio of (4.3±0.7)×10−5, (4.2±0.6)×10−5, (4.0±0.3)×10−5, (1.7±0.2)×10−5, and (3.0±2.6)×10−6. Anorthite in another AOA shows no resolvable δ26Mg excess; an upper limit on the initial 26Al/27Al ratio is 5×10−6. We infer that CH AOAs formed by gas–solid condensation and aggregation of the solar nebula condensates (forsterite and Fe,Ni-metal) mixed with the previously formed CAIs. Subsequently they experienced thermal annealing and possibly melting to a small degree in a 16O-rich gaseous reservoir during a brief epoch of CAI formation. The low-Ca pyroxene-bearing AOA 1-103 may have experienced incomplete melting and isotope exchange in an 16O-poor gaseous reservoir. The lack of resolvable δ26Mg excess in melilite, grossite, and hibonite in CAIs within AOAs reflects heterogeneous distribution of 26Al in the solar nebula during this epoch. The observed variations of the inferred initial 26Al/27Al ratios in anorthite of the mineralogically pristine and uniformly 16O-rich CH AOAs could have recorded (i) admixing of 26Al in the protoplanetary disk during the earliest stages of its evolution and/or (ii) closed-system Mg-isotope exchange between anorthite and Mg-rich minerals (spinel, forsterite, and Al-diopside) during subsequent prolonged (days-to-weeks) thermal annealing at high temperature (∼1100°C) and slow cooling rates (∼0.01Kh−1) that has not affected their O-isotope systematics. The proposed thermal annealing may have occurred in an impact-generated plume invoked for the origin of non-porphyritic magnesian chondrules and Fe,Ni-metal grains in CH and CB carbonaceous chondrites about 5Myr after formation of CV CAIs.

Magnesium isotopic fractionation in chondrules from the Murchison and Murray CM2 carbonaceous chondrites

AbstractWe present high‐precision measurements of the Mg isotopic compositions of a suite of types I and II chondrules separated from the Murchison and Murray CM2 carbonaceous chondrites. These chondrules are olivine‐ and pyroxene‐rich and have low 27Al/24Mg ratios (0.012–0.316). The Mg isotopic compositions of Murray chondrules are on average lighter (δ26Mg ranging from −0.95‰ to −0.15‰ relative to the DSM‐3 standard) than those of Murchison (δ26Mg ranging from −1.27‰ to +0.77‰). Taken together, the CM2 chondrules exhibit a narrower range of Mg isotopic compositions than those from CV and CB chondrites studied previously. The least‐altered CM2 chondrules are on average lighter (average δ26Mg = −0.39 ± 0.30‰, 2SE) than the moderately to heavily altered CM2 chondrules (average δ26Mg = −0.11 ± 0.21‰, 2SE). The compositions of CM2 chondrules are consistent with isotopic fractionation toward heavy Mg being associated with the formation of secondary silicate phases on the CM2 parent body, but were also probably affected by volatilization and recondensation processes involved in their original formation. The low‐Al CM2 chondrules analyzed here do not exhibit any mass‐independent variations in 26Mg from the decay of 26Al, with the exception of two chondrules that show only small variations just outside of the analytical error. In the case of the chondrule with the highest Al/Mg ratio (a type IAB chondrule from Murchison), the lack of resolvable 26Mg excess suggests that it either formed &gt;1 Ma after calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions, or that its Al‐Mg isotope systematics were reset by secondary alteration processes on the CM2 chondrite parent body after the decay of 26Al.

Heterogeneous distribution of 26Al at the birth of the Solar System: Evidence from corundum-bearing refractory inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites

We report on the mineralogy, petrology, and in situ oxygen- and magnesium-isotope measurements using secondary ion mass spectrometry of 10 corundum-bearing calcium–aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from the Adelaide (ungrouped), Murray and Murchison (CM) carbonaceous chondrites. We also measured in situ oxygen-isotope compositions of several isolated corundum grains in the matrices of Murray and Murchison. Most of the corundum-bearing objects studied are uniformly 16O-rich [Δ17O values range from −17‰ to −28‰ (2σ=±2.5‰) (Δ17Oavr=−23±5‰)], suggesting that they formed in a 16O-rich gas of approximately solar composition and largely avoided subsequent thermal processing in an 16O-poor gaseous reservoir. There is a large spread of the initial 26Al/27Al ratio [(26Al/27Al)0] in the corundum-bearing CAIs. Two Adelaide CAIs show no resolvable excess of radiogenic 26Mg (δ26Mg∗): the inferred (26Al/27Al)0 are (0.6±2.0)×10−6 and (−0.9±1.2)×10−6, respectively. Slopes of the model 26Al–26Mg isochrons in five CAIs from Murray and Murchison are (4.4±0.2)×10−5, (3.3±0.3)×10−5, (4.1±0.3)×10−5, (3.9±0.4)×10−5, and (4.0±2.0)×10−6, respectively. These values are lower than the canonical (26Al/27Al)0 ratio of (5.23±0.13)×10−5 inferred from the whole-rock magnesium-isotope measurements of the CV CAIs, but similar to the (26Al/27Al)0 ratio of (4.1±0.2)×10−5 in the corundum-bearing CAI F5 from Murray. Five other previously studied corundum-bearing CAIs from Acfer 094 (ungrouped) and CM carbonaceous chondrites showed no resolvable δ26Mg∗.We conclude that the corundum-bearing CAIs, as well as the solar corundum grains from matrices and acid-resistant residues of unequilibrated ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites, recorded heterogeneous distribution of 26Al in the Solar System during an epoch of CAI formation. The 26Al-rich and 26Al-poor corundum-bearing CAIs and solar corundum grains represent different generations of refractory objects formed during this epoch. As a result, its duration cannot be inferred from 26Al–26Mg systematics of CAIs. Oxygen-isotope composition of the protoplanetary disk was probably heterogeneous during this time reflecting either initial differences in oxygen isotopic compositions of the solid and gaseous reservoirs in the early Solar System or rapid isotopic evolution of these reservoirs in the protoplanetary disk with time. We suggest that 26Al was injected into the protosolar molecular cloud core, possibly by a wind from a neighboring massive star or by or a low-mass asymptotic giant branch star, prior to formation of CAIs and refractory grains, and was subsequently homogenized through the protoplanetary disk by radial mixing.

High precision Mg isotope measurements of meteoritic samples by secondary ion mass spectrometry

The possibility of establishing an accurate relative chronology of the early solar system events based on the decay of short-lived 26Al to 26Mg (half-life of 0.72 Myr) depends on the level of homogeneity (or heterogeneity) of 26Al and Mg isotopes. However, this level is difficult to constrain precisely because of the very high precision needed for the determination of isotopic ratios, typically of ±5 ppm. In this study, we report for the first time a detailed analytical protocol developed for high precision in situ Mg isotopic measurements (25Mg/24Mg and 26Mg/24Mg ratios, as well as 26Mg excess) by MC-SIMS. As the data reduction process is critical for both accuracy and precision of the final isotopic results, factors such as the Faraday cup (FC) background drift and matrix effects on instrumental fractionation have been investigated. Indeed these instrumental effects impacting the measured Mg-isotope ratios can be as large or larger than the variations we are looking for to constrain the initial distribution of 26Al and Mg isotopes in the early solar system. Our results show that they definitely are limiting factors regarding the precision of Mg isotopic compositions, and that an under- or over-correction of both FC background instabilities and instrumental isotopic fractionation leads to important bias on δ25Mg, δ26Mg and Δ26Mg values (for example, olivines not corrected for FC background drifts display Δ26Mg values that can differ by as much as 10 ppm from the truly corrected value). The new data reduction process described here can then be applied to meteoritic samples (components of chondritic meteorites for instance) to accurately establish their relative chronology of formation.

A heterogeneous solar nebula as sampled by CM hibonite grains

The magnesium isotopic compositions of 43 hibonite-bearing inclusions extracted from CM2 meteorites Murchion and Paris were measured with a Cameca 1280 HR2 ion microprobe. The results are broadly consistent with the literature data: most Spinel–HIBonite spherules (SHIBs) bear evidence for in situ decay of 26Al at the canonical level, whereas PLAty–hibonite Crystals (PLACs) either lack resolvable 26Mg excesses or are characterized by apparent 26Mg deficits by up to ~5‰ relative to the terrestrial composition. With higher precisions achieved in this study, the 26Al/27Al scatter ranging from ~6×10−6 to ~6×10−5 previously seen in lower precision SHIB data can be clearly resolved. A statistical treatment to all the data reveals three distinctive peaks at 26Al/27Al=4.9×10−5, 3.5×10−5 and 6.5×10−6, and two minor (barely resolved) components at 26Al/27Al=6×10−5 and 2.5×10−5. Possible explanations for the observed 26Al/27Al scatter in SHIBs include (1) isotopic disturbance, (2) protracted SHIB formation, (3) early formation before complete homogenization of 26Al in the solar nebula, and (4) initial Mg isotopic heterogeneity during SHIB formation. We argue that the early formation of SHIBs was the most plausible scenario. The PLACs could have formed in a reservoir characterized by 26Al/27Al similar to the average galactic background value, or in an 26Al-free environment. In either case, it is almost certain that the Mg isotope distribution in the PLAC-forming region was heterogeneous. Combining the hydrodynamic timescales of isotope mixing in the solar nebula, one could infer that the duration for PLAC and SHIB formation should only be around tens of thousands of years.

Al‐Mg systematics of hibonite‐bearing Ca,Al‐rich inclusions from Ningqiang

Abstract– Hibonite‐bearing Ca,Al‐rich inclusions (CAIs) usually occur in CM and CH chondrites and possess petrographic and isotopic characteristics distinctive from other typical CAIs. Despite their highly refractory nature, most hibonite‐bearing CAIs have little or no 26Mg excess (the decay product of 26Al), but do show wide variations of Ca and Ti isotopic anomalies. A few spinel‐hibonite spherules preserve evidence of live 26Al with an inferred 26Al/27Al close to the canonical value. The bimodal distribution of 26Al abundances in hibonite‐bearing CAIs has inspired several interpretations regarding the origin of short‐lived nuclides and the evolution of the solar nebula. Herein we show that hibonite‐bearing CAIs from Ningqiang, an ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite, also provide evidence for a bimodal distribution of 26Al. Two hibonite aggregates and two hibonite‐pyroxene spherules show no 26Mg excesses, corresponding to inferred 26Al/27Al &lt; 8 × 10−6. Two hibonite‐melilite spherules are indistinguishable from each other in terms of chemistry and mineralogy but have different Mg isotopic compositions. Hibonite and melilite in one of them display positive 26Mg excesses (up to 25‰) that are correlated with Al/Mg with an inferred 26Al/27Al of (5.5 ± 0.6) × 10−5. The other one contains normal Mg isotopes with an inferred 26Al/27Al &lt; 3.4 × 10−6. Hibonite in a hibonite‐spinel fragment displays large 26Mg excesses (up to 38‰) that correlate with Al/Mg, with an inferred 26Al/27Al of (4.5 ± 0.8) × 10−5. Prolonged formation duration and thermal alteration of hibonite‐bearing CAIs seem to be inconsistent with petrological and isotopic observations of Ningqiang. Our results support the theory of formation of 26Al‐free/poor hibonite‐bearing CAIs prior to the injection of 26Al into the solar nebula from a nearby stellar source.

53Mn– 53Cr and 26Al– 26Mg ages of a feldspathic lithology in polymict ureilites

We report 53Mn– 53Cr and 26Al– 26Mg isotopic data, obtained by in-situ SIMS analysis, for feldspathic clasts in polymict ureilites DaG 319 and DaG 165. The analyzed clasts belong to the “albitic lithology,” the most abundant population of indigenous feldspathic materials in polymict ureilites, and are highly fractionated igneous assemblages of albitic plagioclase, Fe-rich pyroxenes, phosphates, ilmenite, silica, and Fe(Mn, K, P, Ti)-enriched glass. Glass in DaG 165 clast 19 has extremely high and variable 55Mn/ 52Cr ratios (500–58,000) and shows correlated 53Cr excesses up to ∼ 1500‰, clearly indicating the presence of live 53Mn at the time of formation. The slope of the well-correlated isochron defined by glass and pyroxenes from this clast corresponds to ( 53Mn/ 55Mn) = (2.84 ± 0.10) × 10 − 6 (2 σ). Data for less 55Mn/ 52Cr-enriched glasses from DaG 319 clast B1, as well as phosphates from several other clasts, are consistent with this isochron. The 53Mn/ 55Mn ratio obtained from the isochron implies that these clasts are 0.70 ± 0.18 Ma younger than the D'Orbigny angrite, corresponding to the absolute age of 4563.72 ± 0.22 Ma. Plagioclase in DaG 319 clast B1 has a fairly constant 27Al/ 24Mg ratio of ∼ 900 and shows resolvable 26Mg excesses of ∼ 2‰. The slope of the isochron defined by pyroxene and plagioclase in this clast is (3.0 ± 1.1) × 10 − 7 (2 σ), corresponding to a time difference of 5.4 (− 0.3/+0.5) Ma after CAI (assuming the canonical initial 26Al/ 27Al ratio of 5 × 10 − 5 ) and an age 0.5 (− 0.3/+0.5) Ma younger than D'Orbigny. Its absolute age (relative to D'Orbigny) is 4563.9 (+ 0.4/−0.5) Ma, in agreement with the 53Mn– 53Cr age from clast 19. These data provide the first high-precision age date, ∼ 5.4 Ma after CAI, for ureilites, giving a minimum estimate for the age of differentiation of their parent asteroid. Interpretation of this age for the thermal and physical history of that asteroid depends on a number of currently unknown or model-dependent parameters, including its size, bulk composition, and oxidation state, and the petrologic relationship between the feldspathic clasts and main group ureilites.