¹Pang, R.-L.,¹Zhang, A.-C.,¹Wang, S.-Z.,¹Wang, R.-C., ²Yurimoto, H.
Scientific Reports 6, Article number 26063 Link to Article [DOI: 10.1038/srep26063]
¹State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
²Department of Natural History Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan

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¹Ruzié-Hamilton, L., ¹Clay, P.L., ¹Burgess, R., ^2,3Joachim, B.,²Ballentine, C.J., ¹Turner, G.
Chemical Geology 437, 77-87 Link to Article [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.05.003]
¹School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Rd, Manchester, United Kingdom
²Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
³Institute of Mineralogy and Petrography, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, Innsbruck, Austria

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¹Kenny, G.G.,²Whitehouse, M.J.,¹Kamber, B.S.
Geology 44, 435-438 Kink to Article [DOI: 10.1130/G37898.1]
¹Department of Geology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
²Department of Geosciences, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden

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¹Andreas Morlok, ¹Aleksandra Stojic, ¹Iris Weber, ¹Harald Hiesinger, ²Michael Zanetti, ³Joern Helbert
Icarus (in Press) Link to Article [doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2016.06.013]
¹Institut für Planetologie, Wilhelm-Klemm-Str. 10, 48149 Münster, Germany
²University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 3K7
³Institute for Planetary Research, DLR, Rutherfordstrasse 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Copyright Elsevier

We have analyzed 14 impact melt glass samples, covering the compositional range from highly felsic to mafic/basaltic, as part of our effort to provide mid-infrared spectra (7-14 µm) for MERTIS (Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer), an instrument onboard of the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission.

Since Mercury was exposed to many impacts in its history, and impact glasses are also common on other bodies, powders of tektites (Irghizite, Libyan Desert Glass, Moldavite, Muong Nong, Thailandite) and impact glasses (from the Dellen, El’gygytgyn, Lonar, Mien, Mistastin, and Popigai impact structures) were analyzed in four size fractions of (0-25, 25-63, 93-125 and 125-250 µm) from 2.5-19 µm in bi-directional reflectance. The characteristic Christiansen Feature (CF) is identified between 7.3 µm (Libyan Desert Glass) and 8.2 µm (Dellen). Most samples show mid-infrared spectra typical of highly amorphous material, dominated by a strong Reststrahlen Band (RB) between 8.9 µm (Libyan Desert Glass) and 10.3 µm (Dellen). Even substantial amounts of mineral fragments hardly affect this general band shape.

Comparisons of the SiO2 content representing the felsic/mafic composition of the samples with the CF shows felsic/intermediate glass and tektites forming a big group, and comparatively mafic samples a second one. An additional sign of a highly amorphous state is the lack of features at wavelengths longer than ∼15 µm. The tektites and two impact glasses, Irghizite and El’gygytgyn respectively, have much weaker water features than most of the other impact glasses.

For the application in remote sensing, spectral features have to be correlated with compositional characteristics of the materials. The dominating RB in the 7-14 µm range correlates well with the SiO2 content, the Christiansen Feature shows similar dependencies. To distinguish between glass and crystalline phases of the same chemical composition, a comparison between CF the SCFM index (SiO2/(SiO2+CaO+FeO+MgO)) (Walter and Salisbury, 1989) is useful, if chemical compositional data are also available.

^1,2,3Bezaeva, N.S.,^2,4Chareev, D.A.,⁵Rochette, P.,⁶Kars, M.,⁶Gattacceca, J.,⁷Feinberg, J.M.,⁸Sadykov, R.A.,³Kuzina, D.M.,⁸Axenov, S.N.
Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 257, 79-90     Link to Article [DOI: 10.1016/j.pepi.2016.05.009]
¹Faculty of Physics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, Moscow, Russian Federation
²Ural Federal University, 19 Mira Str., Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation
³Kazan Federal University, 18 Kremlyovskaya Str., Kazan, Russian Federation
⁴Institute of Experimental Mineralogy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, Russian Federation
⁵Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, CEREGE UM34, Technopôle de l’Environnement Arbois-Mediterranée, BP80, Aix-en-Provence, France
⁶Center for Advanced Marine Core Research, Kochi University, B200 Monobe, Nankoku, Japan
⁷Institute for Rock Magnetism, Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States
⁸Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt 60-letiya Oktiabria 7a, Moscow, Russian Federation

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¹Bellucci, J.J.,¹Whitehouse, M.J.,^1,2Nemchin, A.A.,¹Snape, J.F.,²Pidgeon, R.T.,²Grange, M.,²Reddy, S.M.,²Timms, N.
Chemical Geology 438, 112-122  Link to Article [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.05.022]
¹Department of Geosciences, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
²Department of Applied Geology, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia

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¹Fabien Kenig, ¹Luoth Chou, ²Christopher P. McKay, ³W. Andrew Jackson, ^1,4Peter T. Doran, ⁵Alison E. Murray, ⁵Christian H. Fritsen
Journal of Geophysical Research Planets (in Press) Link to Article [DOI: 10.1002/2015JE004964]
¹Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
²Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
³Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
⁴Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
⁵Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada, USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

The cold (-13.4 ˚C), cryoencapsulated, anoxic, interstitial brine of the >27 m-thick ice of Lake Vida (Victoria Valley, Antarctica) contains 49 µg · L^-1 of perchlorate and 11 µg · L^-1 of chlorate. Lake Vida brine (LVBr) may provide an analog for potential oxychlorine-rich subsurface brine on Mars. LVBr volatiles were analyzed by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with two different SPME fibers. With the exception of volatile organic sulfur compounds, most other volatiles observed were artifacts produced in the GC injector when the thermal decomposition products of oxychlorines reacted with reduced carbon derived from LVBr and the SPME fiber phases. Analysis of MilliQ water with perchlorate (40 µg · L^-1) showed low level of organic artifacts, reflecting carbon limitation. In order to observe sample-derived organic compounds, both in analog samples and on Mars, the molar abundance of reduced carbon in a sample must exceed those of O₂ and Cl₂ produced during decomposition of oxychlorines. This suggests that the abundance of compounds observed by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instruments in Sheepbed samples (CB-3, CB5, and CB6) may be controlled by an increase in the reduced-carbon/oxychlorine ratio of these samples. To increase chances of in situ detection of Martian organics during pyrolysis-GC-MS, we propose that the derivatization agents stored on SAM may be used as an external source of reduced carbon, increasing artificially the reduced-carbon to perchlorate ratio during pyrolysis, allowing the expression of more abundant and perhaps more diverse Martian organic matter.

¹M. Millan et al. (>10)*
Planetary and Space Science (in Press)   Link to Article [doi:10.1016/j.pss.2016.06.007]
¹LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France, 11 Blvd. d’Alembert, 78280 Guyancourt, France
*Find the extensive, full author and affiliation list on the publishers website

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¹Lydie Bonal, ¹Eric Quirico, ¹Laurène Flandinet, ²Gilles Montagnac
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (in Press) Link to Article [doi:10.1016/j.gca.2016.06.017]
¹Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble – Observatoire des Sciences de l’Univers de Grenoble, Bât. D de Physique, 38041 Grenoble France
²Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon Terre, Planètes, Environnement – ENS Lyon – Lyon France
Copyright Elsevier

This paper is focused on the characterization of the thermal history of 151 CV, CO and Unequilibrated Ordinary Chondrites (UOCs) from the NASA Antarctic meteorite collection, using an approach based on the structure of the included polyaromatic carbonaceous matter determined by Raman spectroscopy. 114 out of these 151 chondrites provided Raman spectra of carbonaceous matter and allowing to assign a petrologic type, which mostly reflects the peak temperature experienced by the rock on the parent body. A thorough review of literature shows however that it is not possible to deduce a peak temperature because accurate calibration is not available. Twenty three new weakly metamorphosed chondrites have been identified: MIL 07671 (CV3.1); DOM 08006 (CO3.0); DOM 03238, MIL 05024, MIL 05104, MIL 07193 (CO3.1); TIL 82408, LAR 06279 (LL3.05-3.1); EET 90628 (L3.0); GRO 06054, QUE 97008 (L3.05), ALHA 77176, EET 90066, LAR 04380, MET 96515, MIL 05050 (L3.1); ALHA 78133, EET 87735, EET 90909, LEW 87208, PRE 95401 (L3.05-3.1); MCY 05218 (H3.05-3.1) and MET 00506 (H3.1). This study confirms that the width of the D band (FWHMD) and the ratio of the peak intensity of the D and G bands (ID/IG) are the most adapted tracers of the extent of thermal metamorphism in type 3 chondrites. It also unambiguously shows, thanks to the large number of samples, that the width of the G band (FWHMG) does not correlate with the maturity of polyaromatic carbonaceous matter. This parameter is nevertheless very valuable because it shows that Raman spectra of CV chondrites preserve memory of either the metamorphic conditions (possibly oxidation controlled by aqueous alteration) or the nature of the organic precursor. Oxidation memory is our preferred interpretation, however an extensive petrologic characterization of this CV series is required to get firm conclusions. Pre-graphitic carbonaceous matter is reported in seven chondrites and is even the only carbonaceous material detected in the chondrites ALHA 78119 and DAV 92302. This pre-graphitic carbonaceous matter cannot be formed through radiogenic thermal metamorphism without metal catalysis. Shock metamorphism is another possible process for accounting its formation, but it appears less plausible.

^1,2José C. Aponte, ^1,2Hannah L. McLain, ¹Jason P. Dworkin, ¹Jamie E. Elsila
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (in Press) Link to Article [doi:10.1016/j.gca.2016.06.018]
¹Solar System Exploration Division, Code 691, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA
²Department of Chemistry, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USA
Copyright Elsevier

Meteoritic water-soluble organic compounds provide a unique record of the processes that occurred during the formation of the solar system and the chemistry preceding the origins of life on Earth. We have investigated the molecular distribution, compound-specific δ13C isotopic ratios and enantiomeric compositions of aliphatic monoamines present in the hot acid-water extracts of the carbonaceous chondrites LAP 02342 (CR2), GRA 95229 (CR2), LON 94101 (CM2), LEW 90500 (CM2), and ALH 83100 (CM1/2). Analyses of the concentration of monoamines in these meteorites revealed: a) the CR2 chondrites studied here contain higher concentrations of monoamines relative to the analyzed CM2 chondrites; b) the concentration of monoamines decreases with increasing carbon number; and c) isopropylamine is the most abundant monoamine in these CR2 chondrites, while methylamine is the most abundant amine species in these CM2 and CM1/2 chondrites. The δ13C values of monoamines in CR2 chondrite do not correlate with the number of carbon atoms; however, in CM2 and CM1/2 chondrites, the 13C enrichment decreases with increasing monoamine carbon number. The δ13C values of methylamine in CR2 chondrites ranged from –1 to +10‰, while in CM2 and CM1/2 chondrites the δ13C values of methylamine ranged from +41 to +59‰. We also observed racemic compositions of sec-butylamine, 3-methyl-2-butylamine, and sec-pentylamine in the studied carbonaceous chondrites. Additionally, we compared the abundance and δ13C isotopic composition of monoamines to those of their structurally related amino acids. We found that monoamines are less abundant than amino acids in CR2 chondrites, with the opposite being true in CM2 and CM1/2 chondrites. We used these collective data to evaluate different primordial synthetic pathways for monoamines in carbonaceous chondrites and to understand the potential common origins these molecules may share with meteoritic amino acids.