Igneous Calcium-aluminum-rich Inclusions Research Articles

Combined mass-dependent and nucleosynthetic isotope variations in refractory inclusions and their mineral separates to determine their original Fe isotope compositions.

Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) are the oldest dated materials that provide crucial information about the isotopic reservoirs present in the early Solar System. For a variety of elements, CAIs have isotope compositions that are uniform yet distinct from later formed solid material. However, despite being the most abundant metal in the Solar System, the isotopic composition of Fe in CAIs is not well constrained. In an attempt to determine the Fe isotopic compositions of CAIs, we combine extensive work from a previously studied CAI sample set with new isotopic work characterizing mass-dependent and mass-independent (nucleosynthetic) signatures in Mg, Ca, and Fe. This investigation includes work on three mineral separates of the Allende CAI Egg 2. For all isotope systems investigated, we find that in general, fine-grained CAIs exhibit light mass-dependent isotopic signatures relative to terrestrial standards, whereas igneous CAIs have heavier isotopic compositions relative to the fine-grained CAIs. Importantly, the mass-dependent Fe isotope signatures of bulk CAIs show a range of both light (fine-grained CAIs) and heavy (igneous CAIs) isotopic signatures relative to bulk chondrites, suggesting that Fe isotope signatures in CAIs largely derive from mass fractionation events such as condensation and evaporation occurring in the nebula. Such signatures show that a significant portion of the secondary alteration experienced by CAIs, particularly prevalent in fine-grained inclusions, occurred in the nebula prior to accretion into their respective parent bodies. Regarding nucleosynthetic Fe isotope signatures, we do not observe any variation outside of analytical uncertainty in bulk CAIs compared to terrestrial standards. In contrast, all three Egg 2 mineral separates display resolved mass-independent excesses in 56Fe compared to terrestrial standards. Furthermore, we find that the combined mass-dependent and nucleosynthetic Fe isotopic compositions of the Egg 2 mineral separates are well correlated, likely indicating that Fe indigenous to the CAI is mixed with less anomalous Fe, presumably from the solar nebula. Thus, these reported nucleosynthetic anomalies may point in the direction of the original Fe isotope composition of the CAI-forming region, but they likely only provide a minimum isotopic difference between the original mass-independent Fe isotopic composition of CAIs and that of later formed solids.

Isotopically uniform, 16O-depleted calcium, aluminum-rich inclusions in CH and CB carbonaceous chondrites

In situ oxygen-isotope measurements of calcium–aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from the metal-rich carbonaceous chondrites Isheyevo (CH/CB-like), Acfer 214 paired with Acfer 182 (CH), QUE 94411 paired with QUE 94627 (CBb), and Hammadah al Hamra 237 (CBb) revealed the presence of a common population of igneous, isotopically uniform, 16O-depleted inclusions: Δ17O (average±2 standard deviations)=−7±4‰, −6±5‰, and −8±3‰, respectively. All CAIs from CBs and a significant fraction of those from CHs and Isheyevo are 16O-depleted. Most of the 16O-depleted CAIs consist of Ti-poor Al-diopside, spinel, melilite, and forsterite and surrounded by a single- and double-layered rim of forsterite±diopside. The 16O-depleted CAIs composed of hibonite, grossite, melilite, and spinel, and surrounded by the multilayered melilite+diopside±forsterite rims are less common. Some of the 16O-depleted refractory igneous inclusions composed of Al-diopside, forsterite, and ±spinel have chondrule-like textures (skeletal or barred). They are mineralogically most similar to Al-diopside-rich chondrules found in metal-rich carbonaceous chondrites and composed of Al-diopside, forsterite, Al-rich low-Ca pyroxene, ±glassy mesostasis, and ±spinel, suggesting there is a continuum between these objects.We suggest that (i) most of the isotopically uniform and 16O-depleted CAIs resulted from remelting of pre-existing, possibly 16O-rich refractory inclusions. The remelting may have occurred during formation of the magnesian, non-porphyritic (cryptocrystalline and skeletal) chondrules in CHs, CBs, and Isheyevo either by an unspecified, late, single-stage, highly-energetic event or in an impact-generated plume previously hypothesized for their origin; both mechanisms probably occurred in the solar nebula (i.e., in the presence of the nebula gas). The forsterite±pyroxene rims around 16O-depleted CAIs may have resulted from evaporation–recondensation of silicon and magnesium during this event. Some of the Al-diopside-rich CAIs may have formed by evaporation of the Al-rich chondrule melts. (ii) In addition to these components, the CHs and Isheyevo contain a high abundance of chondrules and refractory inclusions formed by the commonly inferred nebular processes – evaporation, condensation, and incomplete melting of dust aggregates during multiple transient heating events. These include 16O-rich CAIs, amoeboid olivine aggregates, and ferromagnesian and aluminum-rich chondrules with porphyritic textures. Such components are also present in CB chondrites, but they are exceptionally rare. These observations indicate that there are multiple generations of CAIs in metal-rich carbonaceous chondrites. (iii) Because the isotopically uniform, 16O-depleted, igneous CAIs and the magnesian cryptocrystalline and skeletal olivine–pyroxene chondrules are found almost exclusively in metal-rich carbonaceous chondrites, the hypothesized impact-plume mechanism of chondrule formation and recycling of CAIs are not common processes.

OXYGEN ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF THE SUN AND MEAN OXYGEN ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF THE PROTOSOLAR SILICATE DUST: EVIDENCE FROM REFRACTORY INCLUSIONS

Preliminary analysis of the oxygen isotopic composition of the solar wind recorded by the Genesis spacecraft suggests that the Sun is 16O-rich compared to most chondrules, fine-grained chondrite matrices, and bulk compositions of chondrites, achondrites, and terrestrial planets (Δ17O = –26.5‰ ± 5.6‰ and –33‰ ± 8‰ (2σ) versus Δ17O ~ ±5‰). The inferred 16O-rich composition of the Sun is similar or slightly lighter than the 16O-rich compositions of amoeboid olivine aggregates and typical calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from primitive (unmetamorphosed) chondrites (Δ17O = –24‰ ± 2‰), which are believed to have condensed from and been melted in a gas of approximately solar composition (dust/gas ratio ~ 0.01 by weight) within the first 0.1 Myr of the solar system formation. Based on solar system abundances, 26% of the solar system oxygen must be initially contained in dust and 74% in gas. Because solar oxygen is dominated by the gas component, these observations suggest that oxygen isotopic composition of the solar nebula gas was initially 16O-rich. Due to significant thermal processing of the protosolar molecular cloud silicate dust (primordial dust) in the solar nebula and its possible isotope exchange with the isotopically evolved solar nebula gas, the mean oxygen isotopic composition of the primordial dust is not known. In CO self-shielding models, it is assumed that primordial dust and solar nebula gas had initially identical, 16O-rich compositions, similar to that of the Sun (Δ17O ~ –25‰ or –35‰), and solids subsequently evolved toward the terrestrial value (Δ17O = 0). However, there is no clear evidence that the oxygen isotopic compositions of the solar system solids evolved in the direction of increasing Δ17O with time and no 16O-rich primordial dust have yet been discovered. Here we argue that the assumption of the CO self-shielding models that primordial dust and solar nebula gas had initially identical 16O-rich compositions is incorrect. We show that igneous CAIs with highly fractionated oxygen isotopic compositions, fractionation and unidentified nuclear effects (FUN), and fractionation (F) CAIs, have Δ17O ranging from –0.5‰ to –24.8‰. Within an individual FUN or F CAI, oxygen isotopic compositions of spinel, forsterite, and pyroxene define a mass-dependent fractionation trend with a constant Δ17O value. The degree of mass-dependent fractionation of these minerals correlates with the sequence of their crystallization from the host CAI melt. These observations and evaporation experiments on CAI-like melts indicate that FUN and F CAIs formed by melting of solid precursors with diverse Δ17O values in vacuum (total pressure 50☉) ejecta. The 16O-depleted compositions of chondrules, fine-grained matrices, chondrites, and achondrites compared to the Sun's value reflect their formation in the protoplanetary disk regions with enhanced dust/gas ratio (up to 105× solar).

OXYGEN ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS OF SOLAR CORUNDUM GRAINS

Oxygen is one of the major rock-forming elements in the solar system and the third most abundant element of the Sun. Oxygen isotopic composition of the Sun, however, is not known due to a poor resolution of astronomical spectroscopic measurements. Several ?17O values have been proposed for the composition of the Sun based on (1) the oxygen isotopic measurements of the solar wind implanted into metallic particles in lunar soil (< ?20? by Hashizume & Chaussidon and ~ +26? by Ireland et al.), (2) the solar wind returned by the Genesis spacecraft (?27? ? 6? by McKeegan et al.), and (3) the mineralogically pristine calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) (?23.3? ? 1.9? by Makide et al. and ?35? by Gounelle et al.). CAIs are the oldest solar system solids, and are believed to have formed by evaporation, condensation, and melting processes in hot nebular region(s) when the Sun was infalling (Class 0) or evolved (Class 1) protostar. Corundum (Al2O3) is thermodynamically the first condensate from a cooling gas of solar composition. Corundum-bearing CAIs, however, are exceptionally rare, suggesting either continuous reaction of the corundum condensates with a cooling nebular gas and their replacement by hibonite (CaAl12O19) or their destruction by melting together with less refractory condensates during formation of igneous CAIs. In contrast to the corundum-bearing CAIs, isolated micrometer-sized corundum grains are common in the acid-resistant residues from unmetamorphosed chondrites. These grains could have avoided multistage reprocessing during CAI formation and, therefore, can potentially provide constraints on the initial oxygen isotopic composition of the solar nebula, and, hence, of the Sun. Here we report oxygen isotopic compositions of ~60 micrometer-sized corundum grains in the acid-resistant residues from unequilibrated ordinary chondrites (Semarkona (LL3.0), Bishunpur (LL3.1), Roosevelt County 075 (H3.2)) and unmetamorphosed carbonaceous chondrites (Orgueil (CI1), Murray (CM2), and Alan Hills A77307 (CO3.0)) measured with a Cameca ims-1280 ion microprobe. All corundum grains, except two, are 16O-rich (?17O = ?22.7? ? 8.5?, 2?), and compositionally similar to the mineralogically pristine CAIs from the CR carbonaceous chondrites (?23.3? ? 1.9?, 2?), and solar wind returned by the Genesis spacecraft (?27? ? 6?, 2?). One corundum grain is highly 17O-enriched (?17O ~ +60?, ?18O ~ ?40?) and is probably of the presolar origin; the origin of another 17O-rich grain (?17O ~ ?15?, ?18O ~ ?35?) is unclear. We conclude that the 16O-rich corundum grains in the acid-resistant residues from unequilibrated ordinary and unmetamorphosed carbonaceous chondrites recorded initial oxygen isotopic composition of the solar nebula, and, hence, of the Sun. Our inferred oxygen isotopic composition of the Sun is inconsistent with the more extreme 16O-rich value (?17O ~ ?35?) proposed by Gounelle et al. on the basis of two extremely 16O-rich CAIs from the CH/CB-like chondrite Isheyevo and with the 16O-poor value observed as a component of the solar wind implanted into the metallic particles in lunar soil (Ireland et al.).

EXTREME 16 O ENRICHMENT IN CALCIUM-ALUMINUM-RICH INCLUSIONS FROM THE ISHEYEVO (CH/CB) CHONDRITE

Calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) from the metal-rich (CH/CB-like) carbonaceous chondrite Isheyevo are mineralogically pristine and show no evidence for postcrystallization alteration. Many of them are composed of very refractory minerals, such as hibonite (CaAl12O19), grossite (CaAl4O7), aluminum-rich pyroxene, and perovskite (CaTiO3). Twenty-eight out of 35 studied CAIs from Isheyevo have oxygen isotopic compositions similar to those of CAIs from the CM and CR carbonaceous chondrites (?17O ~ ?20?). Five igneous CAIs are 16O-depleted to a level observed in Isheyevo chondrules (?17O ?10?), suggesting remelting and isotope exchange in an 16O-poor gaseous reservoir. Two CAIs, WA9 and B1, show the highest enrichment in 16O (?17O ~ ?68?, ?18O ~ ?66?, ?17O ~ ?34?) ever observed among refractory inclusions. In the context of the self-shielding model for the evolution of oxygen isotopes in the solar accretion disk, these CAIs may have recorded the initial oxygen isotopic composition of the solar system, and hence of the Sun.