Presolar Diamonds Research Articles

Temperature dependent loss of noble gases from insoluble organic matter and presolar grains during hydrothermal alteration

The effects of hydrothermal alteration on primordial noble gases were investigated by analysing noble gases in aliquots of insoluble organic matter (IOM) from the Murchison meteorite (CM2) that were hydrothermally altered for different durations (27–163 days) and at a range of temperatures (250–450 °C). The samples contained Q gases, HL from presolar nanodiamonds, and Ne-E from presolar SiC and graphite. We observed changes in the noble gases that correlated with changes in the experimental reaction temperature. Losses of Ne-E occurred in samples reacted at 250–300 °C (23 % of the Ne-E present in unaltered samples) and in samples reacted at 350–450 °C (72 %). This indicates that temperature drives degassing of Ne-E from presolar SiC and graphite and that Ne-E can be degassed at temperatures below 400 °C under hydrothermal conditions. Elemental ratios of 20Ne/36Ar correlate with reaction temperature. This relationship can be used to estimate the peak hydrothermal alteration temperature experienced, as Ne is predominantly carried in presolar diamonds and Ar in Phase Q, which respond differently to hydrothermal alteration. The calculated temperatures using the correlation between 20Ne/36Ar and temperature with 20Ne/36Ar ratios from previously published data agree well with temperatures in the literature determined by other techniques when ratios are between 0.15 and 0.30. Therefore 20Ne/36Ar ratios have the potential to be used as a parent body hydrothermal alteration thermometer.

The noble gas and nitrogen relationship between Ryugu and carbonaceous chondrites

Carbonaceous chondrites are considered to have originated from C-type asteroids and represent some of the most primitive material in our solar system. Furthermore, since carbonaceous chondrites can contain significant quantities of volatile elements, they may have played a crucial role in supplying volatiles and organic material to Earth and other inner solar system bodies. However, a major challenge of unravelling the volatile composition of chondritic meteorites is distinguishing between which features were inherited from the parent body, and what may be a secondary feature attributable to terrestrial weathering. In December 2020, the Hayabusa2 mission of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully returned surface material from the C-type asteroid (162173) Ryugu to Earth. This material has now been classified as closely resembling CI-type chondrites, which are the most chemically pristine meteorites. The analysis of material from the surface of Ryugu therefore provides a unique opportunity to analyse the volatile composition of material that originated from a CI-type asteroid without the complications arising from terrestrial contamination. Given their highly volatile nature, the noble gas and nitrogen inventories of chondrites are highly sensitive to different alteration processes on the asteroid parent body, and to terrestrial contamination. Here, we investigate the nitrogen and noble gas signature of two pelletized grains collected from the first and second touchdown sites (Okazaki et al., 2022a), to provide an insight into the formation and alteration history of Ryugu. The concentration of trapped noble gas in the Ryugu samples is greater than the average composition of previously measured CI chondrites and are primarily derived from phase Q, although a significant contribution of presolar nanodiamond Xe-HL is noted. The large noble gas concentrations coupled with a significant contribution of presolar nanodiamonds suggests that the Ryugu samples may represent some of the most primitive unprocessed material from the early solar system. In contrast to the noble gases, the abundance of nitrogen and δ15N composition of the two Ryugu pellets are lower than the average CI chondrite value. We attribute the lower nitrogen abundances and δ15N measured in this study to the preferential loss of a 15N-rich phase from our samples during aqueous alteration on the parent planetesimal. The analyses of other grains returned from Ryugu have shown large variations in nitrogen concentrations and δ15N indicating that alteration fluids heterogeneously interacted with material now present on the surface of Ryugu. Finally, the ratio of trapped noble gases to nitrogen is higher than CI chondrites, and is closer to refractory phase Q and nanodiamonds. This indicates that Ryugu experienced aqueous alteration that led to the significant and variable loss of nitrogen, likely from soluble organic matter, without modification of the noble gas budget, which is primarily hosted in insoluble organic matter and presolar diamonds and is therefore more resistant to aqueous alteration.

Unusual neon isotopic composition in Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks: Fluorine bearing mineral contribution or trace of an impact event?

Extraterrestrial materials have He and Ne isotopic compositions that are distinct from those of the Earth's surface. In order to track the extraterrestrial material accreted onto Earth during the Ediacaran period, we have analyzed the He and Ne isotopic composition of thirteen sedimentary rocks in the age range ~550–600 Ma, coming from the Huqf supergroup in Oman for which carbon and sulfur isotopic data have been characterized previously.3He/4He ratios range between 0.006 ± 0.003 and 0.27 ± 0.01 RA, with RA being the atmospheric ratio. 3He/4He ratios show a positive relationship with 3He contents ranging between 0.6 and 31 × 10−13 cm3 STP·g−1. The 3He contents are within the literature data for 3 to 480 Myr old samples with evidence of IDP 3He (IDP for interplanetary dust particles), suggesting that extraterrestrial 3He is still retained in such old samples.20Ne/22Ne ratios are close to or below the modern atmospheric ratio of 9.8 with the minimum value equal to 9.05 ± 0.03. 21Ne/22Ne ratios show a high range of variation, going from 0.0345 ± 0.0009 to 0.0935 ± 0.0023. The Ne isotopic compositions follow a nucleogenic trend similar to that of crustal fluids from the literature and predicted continental crust. However, one sample (3404) shows an unusual Ne isotopic composition with a lower 20Ne/22Ne at similar 21Ne/22Ne compared to the other samples.Two hypotheses can explain this singular Ne isotopic composition. First, it could be the result of a particular nucleogenic trend due to the presence of F-bearing minerals in this sample. SEM-EDS elemental mapping showed that although F- and Ca-rich phases, which could correspond to fluorites, are present in sample 3404. However, their abundance of ~0.15% seems too low to explain the unusual Ne isotopic composition. However, due to the high uncertainty of the calculations, we cannot totally rule out this hypothesis. Alternatively, the singular Ne isotopic composition could be due to the presence of a Ne-A component, a component characterizing pre-solar diamonds contained in chondrites. This would indicate that a major object impacted the Earth at the time the sediment was forming, between ~600 and ~550 Ma, which is coherent with the estimated age range of the Acraman impact in Australia.

Primordial and cosmogenic noble gases in the Sutter's Mill CM chondrite

AbstractThe Sutter's Mill (SM) CM chondrite fell in California in 2012. The CM chondrite group is one of the most primitive, consisting of unequilibrated minerals, but some of them have experienced complex processes occurring on their parent body, such as aqueous alteration, thermal metamorphism, brecciation, and solar wind implantation. We have determined noble gas concentrations and isotopic compositions for SM samples using a stepped heating gas extraction method, in addition to mineralogical observation of the specimens. The primordial noble gas abundances, especially the P3 component trapped in presolar diamonds, confirm the classification of SM as a CM chondrite. The mineralogical features of SM indicate that it experienced mild thermal alteration after aqueous alteration. The heating temperature is estimated to be <350 °C based on the release profile of primordial 36Ar. The presence of a Ni‐rich Fe‐Ni metal suggests that a minor part of SM has experienced heating at >500 °C. The variation in the heating temperature of thermal alteration is consistent with the texture as a breccia. The heterogeneous distribution of solar wind noble gases is also consistent with it. The cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) age for SM is calculated to be 0.059 ± 0.023 Myr based on cosmogenic 21Ne by considering trapped noble gases as solar wind, the terrestrial atmosphere, P1 (or Q), P3, A2, and G components. The CRE age lies at the shorter end of the CRE age distribution of the CM chondrite group.

Characterization of carbonaceous matter in xenolithic clasts from the Sharps (H3.4) meteorite: Constraints on the origin and thermal processing

Primitive xenolithic clasts, often referred to as “dark clasts”, are well known in many regolith breccias. The Sharps H3.4 ordinary chondrite contains unusually large dark clasts up to ∼1cm across. Poorly-graphitized carbon (PGC), with Fe, Ni metal and described as “carbon-rich aggregates”, has been reported in these clasts (Brearley, 1990). We report detailed analyses of carbonaceous matter in several identical Sharps clasts using FTIR, Raman, C-XANES, and TEM that provide insight on the extent of thermal processing and possible origin of such clasts. We also prepared acid residues of the clasts using the HCl/HF method and conducted mass spectrometric analysis of the entrained noble gases.Carbonaceous matter is often used to infer thermal history due to its sensitivity to thermal processes. The FTIR spectra of the acid residue from the Sharps clast suggest that carbonaceous matter in the clast contains less hydrogen and oxygen compared to acid residues from typical type 3.4 ordinary chondrites. The metamorphic temperatures obtained by Raman spectroscopy ranges between ∼380°C and ∼490°C. TEM observations indicate that the clasts experienced a peak temperature of 300°C to 400°C, based on the carbon d002 layer lattice spacing of C-rich aggregates. These estimates are consistent with an earlier estimate of 330±50°C, that is also estimated by the d002 layer lattice spacing (Brearley, 1990). It should be noted that the lattice spacing thermometer is based on terrestrial metamorphose rocks, and thus temperature was probably underestimated. Meanwhile, the C-XANES spectra of the C-rich aggregates show high exciton intensities, indicative of graphene structures that developed at around 700–800°C following an extensive period of time (millions of years), however, the surrounding matrix areas experienced lower temperatures of less than 300–500°C. Noble gas analysis of the acid residue from the Sharps clasts shows that the residue is almost identical with some material reported in carbonaceous chondrites, i.e., heavily enriched in the Q-gas component as well as HL-gas from presolar diamonds and Ne-E(H) from presolar SiC.These results indicate that the C-rich aggregates in the Sharps clasts formed under relatively high temperature conditions, up to 800°C, and were subsequently mixed with lower temperature matrix, probably in a different parent body, before they were incorporated into the final Sharps lithology by collision.

Noble gases in oxidized residue prepared from the Saratov L4 chondrite and Raman spectroscopic study of residues to characterize phase Q

We analyzed noble gases in an oxidized residue prepared from a HF-HCl residue of the Saratov L4 chondrite. The Ar, Kr, and Xe concentrations in the oxidized residue are two orders of magnitude lower than those in the HF-HCl residue, and they are close to concentrations in the bulk. The He and Ne concentrations are similar in the three samples. The Ne isotopic ratios are almost purely cosmogenic, indicating absence of presolar diamonds (the carrier of the HL component). Thus, Saratov contains phase Q without presolar diamond. A study of the Raman spectroscopic parameters for the HF-HCl residue and the oxidized residue shows large changes due to oxidation. The directions of these changes are the same as observed in Allende, except oxidation increased the ID/IG (intensity ratio of the D band to the G band) in Saratov but decreased in Allende. This difference may be attributed to the different crystalline stages of carbon in both meteorites. The shifts in the Raman parameters to a discrete and/or more expanded region suggest that (1) oxidation changes the crystalline condition of graphitic carbon, (2) phase Q is not a dissolved site, and (3) the release of Q-gas is simply related to the rearrangement of the carbon structure during oxidation.

Maribo—A new CM fall from Denmark

Abstract– Maribo is a new Danish CM chondrite, which fell on January 17, 2009, at 19:08:28 CET. The fall was observed by many eye witnesses and recorded by a surveillance camera, an all sky camera, a few seismic stations, and by meteor radar observatories in Germany. A single fragment of Maribo with a dry weight of 25.8 g was found on March 4, 2009. The coarse‐grained components in Maribo include chondrules, fine‐grained olivine aggregates, large isolated lithic clasts, metals, and mineral fragments (often olivine), and rare Ca,Al‐rich inclusions. The components are typically rimmed by fine‐grained dust mantles. The matrix includes abundant dust rimmed fragments of tochilinite with a layered, fishbone‐like texture, tochilinite–cronstedtite intergrowths, sulfides, metals, and carbonates often intergrown with tochilinite. The oxygen isotopic composition: (δ17O = −1.27‰; δ18O = 4.96‰; Δ17O = −3.85‰) plots at the edge of the CM field, close to the CCAM line. The very low Δ17O and the presence of unaltered components suggest that Maribo is among the least altered CM chondrites. The bulk chemistry of Maribo is typical of CM chondrites. Trapped noble gases are similar in abundance and isotopic composition to other CM chondrites, stepwise heating data indicating the presence of gas components hosted by presolar diamond and silicon carbide. The organics in Maribo include components also seen in Murchison as well as nitrogen‐rich components unique to Maribo.

Ionized nitrogen mono‐hydride bands are identified in the presolar and carbonado diamond spectra

Abstract– None of the well‐established nitrogen‐related IR absorption bands, common in synthetic and terrestrial diamonds, have been identified in the presolar diamond spectra. In the carbonado diamond spectra, only the single nitrogen impurity (C center) is identified and the assignments of the rest of the nitrogen‐related bands are still debated. It is speculated that the unidentified bands in the nitrogen absorption region are not induced by nitrogen, but rather by nitrogen‐hydrides because in the interstellar environment, nitrogen reacts with hydrogen and forms NH+; NH; NH2; NH3. Among these hydrides, the electronic configuration of NH+ is the closest to carbon. Thus, this ionized nitrogen‐mono‐hydride is the best candidate to substitute carbon in the diamond structure. The bands of the substitutional NH+ defect are deduced by redshifting the irradiation‐induced N+ bands due to the mass of the additional hydrogen. The six bands of the NH+ defects are identified in both the presolar and the carbonado diamond spectra. The new assignments identify all of the nitrogen‐related bands in the spectra, indicating that presolar and carbonado diamonds contain only single nitrogen impurities.

Noble gas record and cosmic‐ray exposure history of the new CO3 chondrite Moss––Comparison with Lancé and other CO chondrite falls

Abstract– The Moss meteorite is the first CO chondrite fall after a time period of 70 yr and the least terrestrially contaminated member of its group. Its cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) age (T3 ∼ 13.5 Ma; T21 ∼ 14.6 Ma) is distinct among CO chondrites and, within witnessed falls is the shortest after Lancé, which we have reanalyzed. Gas retention ages are approximately 3.95 × 109 yr (U/Th‐He) and approximately 4.43 × 109 yr (K/Ar), respectively. Trapped Ar, Kr, and Xe are present in Moss in abundances typical for CO chondrites, with “planetary” elemental and isotopic compositions. Presence of HL‐xenon from presolar diamonds is observed in the stepwise release analysis of Lancé. It may also be present in Moss, but it is difficult to ascertain in single‐step bulk analyses. It follows from our new data combined with a survey of the literature that the abundance of trapped gases in CO chondrites is not a good indicator of their petrological subtype.

Trapped nitrogen in individual chondrules: Nature of chondrule precursors and clues to formation mechanisms

Nitrogen amount and isotopic composition have been measured in individual chondrules of six ordinary chondrites (OC) and two each of carbonaceous (CC) and enstatite chondrites (EC). The [N (ppm), δ15Nt (‰) {corrected for cosmogenic contribution}] for the chondrules have ranges of [0.8 to 61, −97 to +164], [19 to 140, −21 to –31], and [2 to 77, −27 to +116] among OC, EC, and CC, respectively. For OC, while N contents of chondrules fall in the range of bulk OC, δ15N spans a wide range, in contrast to the narrow range (−25 to +14‰) for bulk. For CC chondrules, N contents are lower, while δ15N is different and heavier than bulk. In contrast, EC chondrules and bulk have comparable N and δ15N values. Neither N nor δ15Nt of OC and CC chondrules show any size (expected for nebular exchange) or chemical/mineralogical dependence, ruling out the dominance of secondary effects of nebular or parent body origin. The range of δ15Nt among OC and CC chondrules represents δ15Nt heterogeneity of chondrule precursors and their survival after a high‐temperature chondrule‐forming event. On the basis of δ15N of the chondrules, we propose the presence of at least three N components carried by phase Q, presolar diamonds (HL), and insoluble organic matter (IOM). The precursors of chondrules from OC and CC are different than the bulk OC and CC, which represents the different environment for their formation, compared to the bulk OC and CC. However, for EC chondrules, precursors as well as the formation environment are the same as those of enstatite chondrites.

Noble gases in presolar diamonds III: Implications of ion implantation experiments with synthetic nanodiamonds

Abstract— A series of experiments carried out by Koscheev et al. (1998, 2001, 2004, 2005) showed that the bimodal release of heavy noble gases from meteoritic nanodiamonds can be reproduced by a single implanted component. This paper investigates the implications of this result for interpreting the noble gas compositions of meteoritic nanodiamonds and for their origin and history. If the bimodal release exhibited by meteorite diamonds reflects release of the P3 noble gas component, then the composition inferred for the pure Xe‐HL end member changes slightly, the excesses of heavy krypton isotopes that define Kr‐H become less extreme, evidence appears for a Kr‐L component, and the nucleosynthetic contribution to argon becomes much smaller. After correction for cosmogenic neon inherited from the host meteorites, the neon in presolar diamonds shows evidence for pre‐irradiation, perhaps in interstellar space, and a nucleosynthetic component perhaps consistent with a supernova source. After a similar correction, helium also shows evidence for presolar irradiation and/or a nucleosynthetic component. For the case of presolar irradiation, due to the small size of the diamonds, a large entity must have been irradiated and recoiling product nuclei collected by the nanodiamonds. The high 3He/21Ne ratio (˜43) calls for a target with a (C + O)/heavier‐element ratio higher than in chondritic abundances. Bulk gas + dust (cosmic abundances) meet this criteria, as would solids enriched in carbonaceous material. The long recoil range of cosmogenic 3He argues against a specific phase. The excess 3He in presolar diamonds may represent trapped cosmic rays rather than cosmogenic 3He produced in the vicinity of the diamond crystals.

Noble gas content and isotope abundances in phases of the Saint‐Aubin (UNGR) iron meteorite

Abstract— We analyzed the noble gas isotopes in the Fe‐Ni metal and inclusions of the Saint‐Aubin iron meteorite, utilizing the stepwise heating technique to separate the various components of noble gases.The light noble gases in all samples are mostly cosmogenic, with some admixture from the terrestrial atmosphere. Total abundances of noble gases in metal are one of the lowest found so far in iron meteorites and the 4He/21Ne ratio is as high as 503, suggesting that the Saint‐Aubin iron meteorite was derived from a very large meteoroid in space. The exposure ages obtained from cosmogenic 3He were 9–16 Ma.Saint‐Aubin is very peculiar because it contains very large chromite crystals, which—like the metal—contain only cosmogenic and atmospheric noble gases. The noble gases in all the samples do not reveal any primordial components. The only exception is the 1000 °C fraction of schreibersite which contained about 5% of the Xe‐HL component. The Xe‐Q and the El Taco Xe components were not found and only the Xe‐HL is present in this fraction. Some presolar diamond, the only carrier for the HL component known today, must have been available during growth of the schreibersite. However, it is also possible that this excess is due to the addition of cosmogenic and fission components. In this case, all the primordial components are masked (or lost) by the later events such as cosmic‐ray irradiation, heating, and radioactive decay.

Extraterrestrial, terrestrial and laboratory diamonds — Differences and similarities

Characterization tools such as confocal Raman micro-spectroscopy, Laser Ablation (LA-ICP-TOF-MS) and SEM-EDS were used to characterize meteorites: primitive achondrite — not classified NWA XXX ureilite found in 2006 in Morocco and the graphite nodula from the Canyon Diablo iron meteorite. The presence of diamond was confirmed in both samples. There are two kinds of meteoritic diamonds: diamonds of the sizes of microns up to millimeters are most probably of impact origin, nanodiamonds of the sizes of 1–3 nm, called presolar diamonds because of the isotopic anomalies, are believed to be formed before our Solar System was formed. There are many theories concerning presolar diamonds formation, among them: impact shock metamorphism driven by supernovae or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from stellar outflows. We examined the properties of diamond nanopowders obtained by the PA CVD and detonation methods. Nanodiamonds obtained by the detonation method, called ultradispersed detonation diamonds (UDD), are of the same range of sizes as presolar diamonds. The results show both differences and similarities among meteoritic, terrestrial and laboratory diamonds. The comparison will help to understand the processes during presolar nanodiamonds formation.

Measuremets of presolar grain in meteorite using neutron activation analysis with multi-parameter coincidence method

Neutron activation analysis with multi-parameter coincidence method was developed at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and a non-destructive, ultra-high sensitive multi-elemental determination has been realized. The multi-parameter coincidence method is carried out with an array of 19 germanium detectors, GEMINI-II. Using this system, very weak γ-rays emitted from trace amounts of elements can be detected. The presolar grains were extracted from the Allende meteorite. Trace elements in the presolar diamonds were measured by neutron activation analysis with multi-parameter coincidence method.

Infrared Absorption Investigations Confirm the Extraterrestrial Origin of Carbonado Diamonds

The first complete infrared FTIR absorption spectra for carbonado-diamond confirm the interstellar origin for the most enigmatic diamonds known as carbonado. All previous attempts failed to measure the absorption of carbonado-diamond in the most important IR-range of 1000-1300 cm-1 (10.00-7.69 micro-m.) because of silica inclusions. In our investigation, KBr pellets were made from crushed silica-free carbonado-diamond and thin sections were also prepared. The 100 to 1000 times brighter synchrotron infrared radiation permits a greater spatial resolution. Inclusions and pore spaces were avoided and/or sources of chemical contamination were removed. The FTIR spectra of carbonado-diamond mostly depict the presence of single nitrogen impurities, and hydrogen. The lack of identifiable nitrogen aggregates in the infrared spectra, the presence of features related to hydrocarbon stretch bonds, and the resemblance of the spectra to CVD and presolar diamonds indicate that carbonado-diamonds formed in a hydrogen-rich interstellar environment. This is consistent with carbonado-diamond being sintered and porous, with extremely reduced metals, metal alloys, carbides and nitrides, light carbon isotopes, surfaces with glassy melt-like patinas, deformation lamellae, and a complete absence of primary, terrestrial mineral inclusions. The 2.6-3.8 billion year old fragmented body was of asteroidal proportions.

Carbon, Nitrogen, and Noble Gases in the Diamond Fractions of the Novo Urei Ureilite

We measured the contents and isotopic compositions for C, N, and noble gases in the diamond fractions separated in a heavy liquid (ρ = 2.9 g/cm3) from a sample enriched with diamond from the Novo Urei ureilite. The results show that the concentrations of nitrogen and noble gases in the diamond fraction isolated from the supernatant (the fraction is named DNU-1) are more than a factor of 1.5 higher than those in the diamond fraction from the residue (DNU-2). This difference is probably caused by smaller sizes of grains and (or) clusters of smaller grains as well as by larger defectiveness of the crystal lattice of the diamond in the DNU-1 fraction as compared to DNU-2. Both fractions are similar in the isotopic composition of C and N and in the ratios of trapped chemical elements. The results obtained and the published data concerning C, N, and noble gases in different fractions of other ureilites allow us to conclude the following. (1) The ureilite diamond was most likely formed from graphite and the fine-grained crystalline (or semiamorphous) carbonaceous phase as a result of shock transformation in the parent bodies. (2) The negative result in the search for the isotopically light component of nitrogen (δ15N is about –100‰) in the Antarctic unshocked ureilite ALH 78019 (Rai et al., 2002), which introduced serious difficulties for explaining the origin of the ureilite diamond in the parent bodies during the impact, is most likely caused by the absorption of atmospheric nitrogen by the carbonaceous material in the processes of terrestrial weathering. (3) The source of light nitrogen (δ15N ∼ –100‰) in the ureilite diamond was probably the presolar diamond in the initial carbonaceous material of the ureilite parent bodies, because the impurity elements, including nitrogen (δ15N < –350‰), in this diamond could be trapped in the magmatic processes by the carbonaceous material, which became a precursor of the ureilite diamond in the shock event.

Noble gases in chondrules and associated metal‐sulfide‐rich samples: Clues on chondrule formation and the behavior of noble gas carrier phases

Abstract— Chondrules are generally believed to have lost most or all of their trapped noble gases during their formation. We tested this assumption by measuring He, Ne, and Ar in chondrules of the carbonaceous chondrites Allende (CV3), Leoville (CV3), Renazzo (CR2), and the ordinary chondrites Semarkona (LL3.0), Bishunpur (LL3.1), and Krymka (LL3.1). Additionally, metalsulfide‐rich chondrule coatings were measured that probably formed from chondrule metal. Low primordial 20Ne concentrations are present in some chondrules, while even most of them contain small amounts of primordial 36Ar. Our preferred interpretation is that‐in contrast to CAIs‐the heating of the chondrule precursor during chondrule formation was not intense enough to expel primordial noble gases quantitatively. Those chondrules containing both primordial 20Ne and 36Ar show low presolar‐diamond‐like 36Ar/20Ne ratios. In contrast, the metal‐sulfide‐rich coatings generally show higher gas concentrations and Q‐like 36Ar/20Ne ratios. We propose that during metalsilicate fractionation in the course of chondrule formation, the Ar‐carrying phase Q became enriched in the metal‐sulfide‐rich chondrule coatings. In the silicate chondrule interior, only the most stable Ne‐carrying presolar diamonds survived the melting event leading to the low observed 36Ar/20Ne ratios. The chondrules studied here do not show evidence for substantial amounts of fractionated solar‐type noble gases from a strong solar wind irradiation of the chondrule precursor material as postulated by others for the chondrules of an enstatite chondrite.

Presolar diamond, silicon carbide, and graphite in carbonaceous chondrites: implications for thermal processing in the solar nebula

We have determined abundances of presolar diamond, silicon carbide, graphite, and Xe-P1 (Q-Xe) in eight carbonaceous chondrites by measuring the abundances of noble gas tracers in acid residues. The meteorites studied were Murchison (CM2), Murray (CM2), Renazzo (CR2), ALHA77307 (CO3.0), Colony (CO3.0), Mokoia (CV3 ox), Axtell (CV3 ox), and Acfer 214 (CH). These data and data obtained previously by Huss and Lewis (1995) provide the first reasonably comprehensive database of presolar-grain abundances in carbonaceous chondrites. Evidence is presented for a currently unrecognized Ne-E(H) carrier in CI and CM2 chondrites. After accounting for parent-body metamorphism, abundances and characteristics of presolar components still show large variations across the classes of carbonaceous chondrites. These variations correlate with the bulk compositions of the host meteorites and imply that the same thermal processing that was responsible for generating the compositional differences between the various chondrite groups also modified the initial presolar-grain assemblages. The CI chondrites and CM2 matrix have the least fractionated bulk compositions relative to the sun and the highest abundances of most types of presolar material, particularly the most fragile types, and thus are probably most representative of the material inherited from the sun's parent molecular cloud. The other classes can be understood as the products of various degrees of heating of bulk molecular cloud material in the solar nebula, removing the volatile elements and destroying the most fragile presolar components, followed by chondrule formation, metal-silicate fractionation in some cases, further nebula processing in some cases, accretion, and parent body processing. If the bulk compositions and the characteristics of the presolar-grain assemblages in various chondrite classes reflect the same processes, as seems likely, then differential condensation from a nebula of solar composition is ruled out as the mechanism for producing the chondrite classes. Presolar grains would have been destroyed if the nebula had been completely vaporized. Our analysis shows that carbonaceous chondrites reflect all stages of nebular processing and thus are no more closely related to one another than they are to ordinary and enstatite chondrites.

Mineralogy and noble-gas signatures of the carbonate-rich lithology of the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite: evidence for an accretionary breccia

The carbonate-rich lithology of the Tagish Lake carbonaceous chondrite was characterized by noble-gas mass spectrometry, synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis, and transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Noble-gas analysis was performed on two samples and the results showed that primordial noble gases are abundant and solar noble gases are absent in the samples of carbonate-rich lithology. The concentrations of Ne-A2 and -E in both samples are at the maximum level observed for CI and CM chondrites, suggesting high abundances of presolar diamonds and SiC/graphite, respectively. The cosmic-ray exposure age cannot be determined precisely, because the shielding depth of our Tagish Lake samples is unknown, but the minimum exposure age was determined to be 5.5±0.7 Myr on the basis of cosmogenic 21Ne concentrations and the highest 21Ne production rate. X-ray and electron-microscopic study showed that the carbonate-rich lithology is dominated by loosely packed porous matrix that consists mainly of fine-grained saponite and ferromagenesian carbonate. The matrix contains very few chondrules, but many fine-grained clasts having angular shape with longest dimensions up to 1 mm. The clasts differ from host matrix in both texture and mineralogy. They are massive, compacted material with porosity much lower than matrix and contain abundant magnetite and a coherent intergrowth of serpentine and saponite that is rare in matrix. The presence of texturally and mineralogically distinct clasts indicates that the carbonate-rich lithology is a breccia, but the absence of solar noble gases and impact-induced deformational features in host matrix distinguish it from an asteroid regolith breccia. Our results instead indicate that it is an accretionary breccia formed by simultaneous accretion of diverse objects in a massive dust cloud. The clasts often enclose chondrules and anhydrous silicate fragments such as low-iron-manganese-enriched olivines. This observation and their highly compacted, angular morphology suggests that the clasts derive from earlier-formed chondritic materials which have experienced compression and fragmentation due to mild impacts and from which they were excavated and incorporated into the final rock. It is thus suggested that, in the course of planetesimal formation, agglomeration and disagglomeration of small parent bodies occurred repeatedly in a dense dust cloud where solar wind from the infant sun was shielded. The fine-grained ferromagnesian carbonates must have precipitated from aqueous solutions after the assembly of the Tagish Lake asteroid from recycled materials from previous bodies, because the carbonates coat the surfaces of pores and fill in veins in the clasts.

History of trace gases in presolar diamonds inferred from ion-implantation experiments.

Diamond grains are the most abundant presolar grains found in primitive meteorites. They formed before the Solar System, and therefore provide a record of nuclear and chemical processes in stars and in the interstellar medium. Their origins are inferred from the unusual isotopic compositions of trace elements-mainly xenon-which suggest that they came from supernovae. But the exact nature of the sources has been enigmatic, as has the method by which noble gases were incorporated into the grains. One observation is that different isotopic components are released at different temperatures when the grains are heated, and it has been suggested that these components have different origins. Here we report results of a laboratory study that shows that ion implantation (previously suggested on other grounds) is a viable mechanism for trapping noble gases. Moreover, we find that ion implantation of a single isotopic composition can produce both low- and high-temperature release peaks from the same grains. We conclude that both isotopically normal and anomalous gases may have been implanted by multiple events separated in space and/or time, with thermal processing producing an apparent enrichment of the anomalous component in the high-temperature release peak. The previous assumption that the low- and high-temperature components were not correlated may therefore have led to an overestimate of the abundance of anomalous argon and krypton, while obscuring an enhancement of the light-in addition to the heavy-krypton isotopes.