1Zahia Djouadi,2Vassilissa Vinogradoff,1Zelia Dionnet,2Coline Serra,3Douchka Dimitrijevic,4Alexandra Malnuit,1Cateline Lantz,5Philippe Claeys,5Steven Goderis,2Louis Le Sergeant d’Hendecourt
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Open Access Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70017]
1CNRS, Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
2UMR CNRS 7345, PIIM, Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France
3École Centrale de Lyon, Écully, France
4Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
5Archaeology, Environmental Changes & Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons
Carbonaceous chondrites are meteorites originating from undifferentiated objects of the Solar System, which may retain signatures of primitive matter. Here, we present a comparative study between two CM chondrites Asuka 12236 and Paris, both considered among the most primitive in the carbonaceous chondrite meteorite collection. This work is based on the combination of infrared and Raman micro-spectroscopy, aiming to compare the spectral characteristics of these two peculiar chondrites. We present an average infrared spectrum from the mid to far infrared of Asuka 12236, which has never been reported yet in the literature. Contrary to the average spectrum of Paris, the Asuka 12236 spectrum shows signatures of anhydrous minerals (olivine and or pyroxene) as well as the presence of amorphous phases. These findings are in agreement with the low degree of alteration reported for Asuka 12236. Aromatic primary amines and imines are also detected in Asuka 12236, heterogeneously distributed within the meteorite. In addition, the comparison of the Raman signatures of the two meteorites highlights different carbon structuration and thus thermal histories. Our spectroscopic investigations confirm that Asuka 12236 can be considered more primitive than the Paris carbonaceous chondrite.
Author: Administrator
Origin of metal nodules, veins, and fine-grained metal in several L and H chondrites
1Svetlana N. Teplyakova,1Cyril A. Lorenz,1Marina A. Ivanova
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70013]
1Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons
We investigated the metal nodules, veins, fine-grained particles of ordinary chondrites (OC) Ash Creek (L6), Ghubara (L5), NWA 6096 (L6), Tsarev (L5), Kunya-Urgench (H5), NWA 1588 (H3.8), Tamdakht (H5) and Timochin (H5) using optical microscopy, SEM, and LA-ICP-MS to determine trace element distributions and understand the origin of these metal components. The metal nodules have a fractionated siderophile element composition differing from OC metal, indicating the elements were distributed during melting. Most nodules and veins are depleted in Cu and the highly refractory siderophile elements (HRSE) Re, Os, Ir, Ru, Pt, and Rh. Nodules and veins are enriched in W, Mo, Ni, Co, Au, As, and Sb compared to OC metal. Kunya-Urgench metal shows progressive depletion of refractory siderophile elements, likely due to in situ fractionation of liquid metal injected into the chondrite host. We modeled crystallization of L and H chondrite metal melts, producing results similar to the observed compositions, supporting the hypothesis that the metal components may have originated from unfractionated melted in situ primary metal of chondrites. Variations between modeled and observed W, Fe, and Ga abundances suggest varying redox conditions during melting or metamorphism. Tsarev nodule has a unique HRSE zoning recording its high-temperature thermal history, with modeled cooling to 1300°C in ~1 year, suggesting crystallization in a thermally insulated environment, possibly under a hot layer of impact ejecta. The low-temperature thermal histories (660–200°C) of investigated meteorites’ metal suggest that shock compression and re-heating may have resulted in a subsolidus decomposition/recrystallization of the metal.
Refractory solid condensation detected in an embedded protoplanetary disk
1M. K. McClure et al. (>10)
Nature 643, 649-653 Link to Article [DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09163-z]
1Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
We currently do not have a copyright agreement with this publisher and cannot display the abstract here
A JWST Study of the Remarkable Oort Cloud Comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS)
1Charles E. Woodward,2Dominique Bockélee-Morvan,3David E. Harker,4Michael S. P. Kelley,5,6Nathan X. Roth,7Diane H. Wooden,8Stefanie N. Milam
The Planetary Science Journal 6, 139 Open Access Link to Article [DOI 10.3847/PSJ/add1d5]
1Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, 116 Church Street SE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
2Observatoire de Paris, France
3Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, MC 0424, La Jolla, CA 92093-0424, USA
4University of Maryland, Department of Astronomy, 4254 Stadium Drive, College Park, MD 20742-2421, USA
5Solar System Exploration Division, Astrochemistry Laboratory Code 691, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
6Department of Physics, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA
7NASA Ames Research Center, SpaceScience Division, MS 245-1, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000, USA
8NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA
We currently do not have a copyright agreement with this publisher and cannot display the abstract here
Surface Ages for the Sample Return Asteroids Bennu, Ryugu, and Itokawa
1William F. Bottke,2Alex J. Meyer,3David Vokrouhlický,1David Nesvorný,4Edward B. Bierhaus,5Daniella N. DellaGiustina,1Rachael Hoover,6Harold C. Connolly,5Dante S. Lauretta
The Planetary Science Journal 6, 150 Open Access Link to Article [DOI 10.3847/PSJ/add46a]
1Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut St., Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
2University of Colorado Boulder, 3775 Discovery Dr., Boulder, CO 80309, USA
3Institute of Astronomy, Charles University, V Holešovičkách 2, CZ-18000, Prague 8, Czech Republic
4Lockheed Martin Space, Littleton, CO 80127, USA
5Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
6Department of Geology, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
We currently do not have a copyright agreement with this publisher and cannot display the abstract here
The evolution of planetesimal reservoirs revealed by Fe-Ni isotope anomalies in differentiated meteorites
1,2Fridolin Spitzer,1,3Timo Hopp,1,2Christoph Burkhardt,3Nicolas Dauphas,1,2Thorsten Kleine
Earth and Planetary Science Letters 667, 119530 Open Access Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2025.119530]
1Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3 37077, Göttingen, Germany
2Institut für Planetologie, University of Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Str. 10 48149, Münster, Germany
3Origins Laboratory, Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago 60637, USA
Copyright Elsevier
Differentiated meteorites sample planetesimals formed earlier than the parent bodies of chondritic meteorites. To evaluate whether these two generations of planetesimals formed from the same or distinct materials, we have analyzed the Fe and Ni isotopic compositions for a large set of differentiated meteorites, representing approximately 26 distinct parent bodies. Most of these samples are genetically related to the carbonaceous chondrite (CC)-type reservoir, which is thought to represent some portion of the outer disk. The new data reveal that early and late CC planetesimals cover a similar range of Fe and Ni isotopic compositions, indicating that all these bodies accreted from the same mixture of dust components, either in a long-lived pressure structure of the disk or in different substructures containing the same materials. Many differentiated meteorites have an isotopic composition similar to the late-formed CR chondrites, indicating that the CR chondrite reservoir was established early and remained isolated for essentially the entire disk lifetime. Finally, CI chondrites are the only CC chondrites whose isotopic composition is not represented among differentiated meteorites. Thus, planetesimals with CI chondrite-like isotopic compositions represent a late burst of planetesimal formation and possibly formed by a distinct mechanism and/ or in a different location from the other CC planetesimals.
A New Experimental Setup for High-Temperature Dielectric Characterization of Venus Analogs
1Jamaledin Baniamerian,1Sebastian E. Lauro,1Barbara Cosciotti,1Alessandro Brin,2Carlo Lefevre,1Elisabetta Mattei,1Elena Pettinelli
Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets)(in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JE008545]
1Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università degli studi Roma Tre, Rome, Italy
2Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali di Roma, (INAF/IAPS), Rome, Italy
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons
Radar sounder investigations of Venus’ crust are particularly challenging, due to the expected high loss character of the rocks at temperatures of hundreds of degrees. The dielectric behavior of hot planetary analogues is poorly understood, as the procedure to measure such samples is difficult, especially in the frequency range of 1–100 MHz typical of planetary radar sounders. In this paper a new experimental setup capable of measuring the complex dielectric permittivity of rock slices at temperatures as high as
C, in a large frequency range is presented. The measurements are based on the open-ended coaxial transmission line approach, where the sample is kept inside an oven to reach thermal equilibrium, and the probe tip is placed in contact with the rock and rapidly removed to limit heat propagation along the probe. The dielectric quantities (real part of permittivity and loss tangent) are computed by inverting the scattering parameters measured with a Vector Network Analyzer. Experimental data are compared with electromagnetic simulations, to define the probe characteristics and its criticalities. To assess the reliability of the setup, the results are validated using Macor ceramic samples for which dielectric properties have been measured and certified at different temperatures and frequencies. The methodology is then applied to a basaltic rock sample to demonstrate its applicability to potential Venusian analogues. The proposed technique instills confidence in the possibility of exploring the complex permittivity parameter space of many igneous and sedimentary rocks at high temperatures.
Melting of Phyllosilicates and Evolution of Impact Glasses in Simulated Cratering Events
1,2,3Qi Sun,4,5Yu-Yan Sara Zhao,6,7Kesong Ni,6,7Zonghao Wang,8Wen Yu,9Wenqi Luo,9Wenbin Yu,9Xin Nie,9Zonghua Qin,9,2,5Quan Wan
Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009023]
1State Key Laboratory of Critical Mineral Research and Exploration, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
3School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
4Research Center for Planetary Science, College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China
5CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Hefei, China
6Hypervelocity Aerodynamics Institute, China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center, Mianyang, China
7National Key Laboratory of Aerospace Physics in Fluids, Mianyang, China
8Center for Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
9State Key Laboratory of Critical Mineral Research and Exploration, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons
Impact events involving phyllosilicates, whether present in targets or impactors, are highly probable on various celestial bodies. While impact melting is considered the most important metamorphic feature in shocked phyllosilicates, lack of understanding of this process represents a substantial impediment to constraining shock conditions from melted phyllosilicates and to inferring surface evolution of celestial bodies. To investigate shock metamorphism of phyllosilicates, cratering experiments were conducted on clinochlore targets using a light-gas gun at impact velocities ranging from 0.8 to 7.0 km·s−1, and the shocked fragments were characterized with electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and near-infrared spectroscopy. Clinochlore underwent melting at a low velocity of 0.8 km·s−1 due to localized energy concentration at the micron-scale projectile-target interface. With increasing velocity up to 7.0 km·s−1, the shock-generated glasses evolved from semi-parallel nanofilaments to complex agglutinate-like layers, within which abundant vesicles were present due to shock-induced dehydroxylation. Submicroscopic metallic particles were pervasive in the agglutinate-like layers, possibly owing to melting and solidification of micro-jetted metallic fragments. In line with the morphological characterization results, XRD patterns, near-infrared reflectance spectra and Raman spectra of the shocked fragments also collectively reflect the presence and evolution of the impact glasses. Beneath the impact glasses, shock metamorphism may be indicated by decreased basal spacings of clinochlore in the unmelted matrices. Additionally, olivine bearing exogenous iron composition from projectiles crystallized from high-temperature melts during secondary impacts. This work may provide important constraints for regolith evolution and impact history of extraterrestrial bodies.
Crystalline Ferroan Anorthosite Identified in the Lunar Apollo Basin
1Dijun Guo,1,2Yeming Bao,1Xing Wu,3Shuai Li,1,2,4Yang Liu,1Yazhou Yang,1Yuchen Xu,1Feng Zhang,4,5Jianzhong Liu,1Yongliao Zou
Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets)(in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JE008690]
1State Key Laboratory of Solar Activity and Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
2University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China
3Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
4Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China
5Center for Lunar and Planetary Science, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons
Ferroan anorthosite, the dominant component of the primordial lunar crust, provides valuable evidence for the lunar magma ocean (LMO) theory. Despite its adjacency to the feldspathic highlands terrane, the identification of pure anorthosite in the Apollo basin has been scarce. Through a comprehensive investigation with high-resolution Kaguya Multiband Imager data over the Apollo basin, we identified numerous outcrops exhibiting definitive diagnostic absorption indicative of the presence of ferroan anorthosite. These anorthosite exposures suggest that crustal material remained after the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin impact and that the mafic-rich SPA ejecta was thin in the area, providing significant insights into the excavation process of the SPA impact and subsequent evolution. Our results suggest that the Chang’e-6 mission could potentially bring back the primordial crustal anorthosite from the Apollo basin and offer valuable insights into the LMO theory, alongside the mantle material excavated by the massive SPA impact.
The azimuthal distribution of ejecta mass from oblique impacts into sand
1Alice C. Quillen,1Sean Doran
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.70006]
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons
We measure ejecta mass as a function of azimuthal and impact angle for 104 m/s oblique impacts into sand. We find that the ejecta mass distribution is strongly sensitive to azimuthal angle, with as high as eight times more mass in ejecta on the downrange side compared to the uprange side. Crater radii, measured from the impact point, are measured at different impact and azimuthal angles. Crater ejecta scaling laws are modified to depend on azimuthal and impact angle. We find that crater radii are sensitive to both impact and azimuthal angle, but the ejecta mass as a function of both angles can be estimated from the cube of the crater radius without an additional angular dependent function. The ejecta distributions are relevant for processes that depend upon the integrated properties of approximately 100 m/s impacts occurring in the outer solar system and possibly during planetesimal formation.