Shifted Excitation Raman Difference Spectroscopy applied to extraterrestrial particles returned from the asteroid Itokawa

U.Böttger et al. (>10)*
Planetary and Space Science (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2017.05.004]
1Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Rutherfordstr. 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany
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Infrared absorption spectra of plagioclase feldspar: Dependencies of composition and temperature

1Hiroki Chihara, 2Chiyoe Koike
Planetary and Space Science (in Press) Link to Article [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2017.06.003]
1Department of General Education, Osaka Sangyo University, 3-1-1, Nakagaito, Daito, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
2Department of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Japan

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Mineralogy and petrogenesis of lunar magnesian granulitic meteorite Northwest Africa 5744

1Jeremy J. Kent,2Alan D. Brandon,3Katherine H. Joy,4Anne H. Peslier,2Thomas J. Lapen,5Anthony J. Irving,6Daniel M. Coleff
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [DOI: 10.1111/maps.12898]
1GeoControl Systems, Jacobs J.E.T.S. Contract, NASA-Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
2University of Houston, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Houston, Texas, USA
3School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
4Jacobs, NASA-Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
5University of Washington, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Seattle, Washington, USA
6HX5, Jacobs J.E.T.S. Contract, NASA-Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, USA
Published by arrangement with john Wiley & Sons

Lunar meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 5744 is a granulitic breccia with an anorthositic troctolite composition that may represent a distinct crustal lithology not previously described. This meteorite is the namesake and first-discovered stone of its pairing group. Bulk rock major element abundances show the greatest affinity to Mg-suite rocks, yet trace element abundances are more consistent with those of ferroan anorthosites. The relatively low abundances of incompatible trace elements (including K, P, Th, U, and rare earth elements) in NWA 5744 could indicate derivation from a highlands crustal lithology or mixture of lithologies that are distinct from the Procellarum KREEP terrane on the lunar nearside. Impact-related thermal and shock metamorphism of NWA 5744 was intense enough to recrystallize mafic minerals in the matrix, but not intense enough to chemically equilibrate the constituent minerals. Thus, we infer that NWA 5744 was likely metamorphosed near the lunar surface, either as a lithic component within an impact melt sheet or from impact-induced shock.

Petrogenesis of Miller Range 07273, a new type of anomalous melt breccia: Implications for impact effects on the H chondrite asteroid

1Alex M. Ruzicka,1Melinda Hutson,2,3Jon M. Friedrich,4Mark L. Rivers,3,5Michael K. Weisberg,3Denton S. Ebel,6Karen Ziegler,7Douglas Rumble III,2,8Alyssa A. Dolan
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [DOI: 10.1111/maps.12901]
1Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory, Department of Geology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
2Department of Chemistry, Fordham University, Bronx, New York, USA
3Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York, USA
4Consortium for Advanced Radiation Sources, University of Chicago, Argonne, Illinois, USA
5Department of Physical Sciences, Kingsborough College and Graduate School of the City University of New York, Brooklyn, New York, USA
6Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
7Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D.C., USA
8Georgetown Law Center, Washington, D.C., USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

Miller Range 07273 is a chondritic melt breccia that contains clasts of equilibrated ordinary chondrite set in a fine-grained (<5 μm), largely crystalline, igneous matrix. Data indicate that MIL was derived from the H chondrite parent asteroid, although it has an oxygen isotope composition that approaches but falls outside of the established H group. MIL also is distinctive in having low porosity, cone-like shapes for coarse metal grains, unusual internal textures and compositions for coarse metal, a matrix composed chiefly of clinoenstatite and omphacitic pigeonite, and troilite veining most common in coarse olivine and orthopyroxene. These features can be explained by a model involving impact into a porous target that produced brief but intense heating at high pressure, a sudden pressure drop, and a slower drop in temperature. Olivine and orthopyroxene in chondrule clasts were the least melted and the most deformed, whereas matrix and troilite melted completely and crystallized to nearly strain-free minerals. Coarse metal was largely but incompletely liquefied, and matrix silicates formed by the breakdown during melting of albitic feldspar and some olivine to form pyroxene at high pressure (>3 GPa, possibly to ~15–19 GPa) and temperature (>1350 °C, possibly to ≥2000 °C). The higher pressures and temperatures would have involved back-reaction of high-pressure polymorphs to pyroxene and olivine upon cooling. Silicates outside of melt matrix have compositions that were relatively unchanged owing to brief heating duration.

Magnetite in Comet Wild 2: Evidence for parent body aqueous alteration

1L. J. Hicks, 1J. L. Macarthur, 1J. C. Bridges, 2M. C. Price, 2J. E. Wickham-Eade, 2M. J. Burchell, 1G. M. Hansford, 3A. L. Butterworth, 1S. J. Gurman, 1S. H. Baker
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [DOI: 10.1111/maps.12909]
1Department of Physics & Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
2School of Physical Sciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
3Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

The mineralogy of comet 81P/Wild 2 particles, collected in aerogel by the Stardust mission, has been determined using synchrotron Fe-K X-ray absorption spectroscopy with in situ transmission XRD and X-ray fluorescence, plus complementary microRaman analyses. Our investigation focuses on the terminal grains of eight Stardust tracks: C2112,4,170,0,0; C2045,2,176,0,0; C2045,3,177,0,0; C2045,4,178,0,0; C2065,4,187,0,0; C2098,4,188,0,0; C2119,4,189,0,0; and C2119,5,190,0,0. Three terminal grains have been identified as near pure magnetite Fe3O4. The presence of magnetite shows affinities between the Wild 2 mineral assemblage and carbonaceous chondrites, and probably resulted from hydrothermal alteration of the coexisting FeNi and ferromagnesian silicates in the cometary parent body. In order to further explore this hypothesis, powdered material from a CR2 meteorite (NWA 10256) was shot into the aerogel at 6.1 km s−1, using a light-gas gun, and keystones were then prepared in the same way as the Stardust keystones. Using similar analysis techniques to the eight Stardust tracks, a CR2 magnetite terminal grain establishes the likelihood of preserving magnetite during capture in silica aerogel.

Determination of the equilibrium fO2 in bulk samples of H, L, and LL ordinary chondrites by solid-state electrochemistry

1,2Valentin O. Osadchii, 3Mark V. Fedkin, 2Evgeniy G. Osadchii
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [DOI: 10.1111/maps.12919]
1Department of Geochemistry, The Faculty of Geology, Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
2Laboratory of High Temperature Electrochemistry, The Institute of 3Experimental Mineralogy, The Russian Academy of Science, Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, Russia
4Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennyslvania, USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

High-temperature solid-state electrochemistry techniques (EMF method) were used to measure the oxygen fugacity (fO2) of the ordinary chondrites Ochansk (H4), Savtschenskoje (LL4), Elenovka (L5), Vengerovo (H5), and Kharkov (L6). The fO2 results are presented in the form of the following equations:

[not displayed here due to technical reasons]

It was found that fO2 regularly increases from H chondrites to LL chondrites. Measured fO2 are ~1.5 higher than those previously calculated from mineral assemblages. Kharkov (L6) is a little more oxidized than Elenovka (L5) in agreement with the progressive oxidation model. At the same time, Ochansk (H4) is more oxidized than Vengerovo (H5) and exhibits a slightly different slope compared to other chondrites and at T > 1200 K, becomes more reduced than Kharkov (L6) or Elenovka (L5). Measured oxygen fugacity values of meteorites fall within (0.1–1.0)·log fO2 of one another. The possible explanation of discrepancies between measured and calculated values is discussed.

Valence of Ti, V, and Cr in Apollo 14 aluminous basalts 14053 and 14072

1,2,3Steven B. Simon, 1,4Stephen R. Sutton
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [DOI: 10.1111/maps.12908]
1Department of the Geophysical Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
2The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, USA
3Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
4Center for Advanced Radiation Sources (CARS), The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

The valences of Ti, V, and Cr in olivine and pyroxene, important indicators of the fO2 of the source region of their host rocks, can be readily measured nondestructively by XANES (X-ray absorption near edge structure) spectroscopy, but little such work has been done on lunar rocks, and there is some uncertainty regarding the presence of Ti3+ in lunar silicates and the redox state of the lunar mantle. This is the first study involving direct XANES measurement of valences of multivalent cations in lunar rocks. Because high alumina activity facilitates substitution of Ti cations into octahedral rather than tetrahedral sites in pyroxene and Ti3+ only enters octahedral sites, two aluminous basalts from Apollo 14, 14053 and 14072, were studied. Most pyroxene contains little or no detectable Ti3+, but in both samples relatively early, magnesian pyroxene was found that has Ti valences that are not within error of 4; in 14053, this component has an average Ti valence of 3.81 ± 0.06 (i.e., Ti3+/[Ti3+ + Ti4+ = 0.19]). This pyroxene has relatively low atomic Ti/Al ratios (<0.4) due to crystallization before plagioclase, contrary to the long-held belief that lunar pyroxene with Ti/Al > 0.5 contains Ti3+ and pyroxene with lower ratios does not. Later pyroxene, with lower Mg/Fe and higher Ti/Al ratios, has higher proportions of Ti (all Ti4+) in tetrahedral sites. All pyroxene analyzed contains divalent Cr, ranging from 15 to 30% of the Cr present, and all but one analysis spot contains divalent V, accounting for 0 to 40% (typically 20–30%) of the V present. Three analyses of olivine in 14053 do not show any Ti3+, but Ti valences in 14072 olivine range from 4 down to 3.70 ± 0.10. In 14053 olivine, ~50% of the Cr and 60% of the V are divalent. In 14072 olivine, the divalent percentages are ~20% for Cr and 20–60% for V. These results indicate significant proportions of divalent Cr and V and limited amounts of trivalent Ti in the parental melts, especially when crystal/liquid partitioning preferences are taken into account. These features are consistent with an fO2 closer to IW − 2 than to IW − 1. Apollo 15 basalt 15555, analyzed for comparison with A-14 materials, has olivine with strongly reduced Cr (Cr2+/(Cr2+ + Cr3+) ~0.9). Basalts from different sites may record redox differences between source regions.

High-pressure minerals in shocked meteorites

1Naotaka Tomioka,2Masaaki Miyahara
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [DOI: 10.1111/maps.12902]
1Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Nankoku, Kochi, Japan
2Department of Earth and Planetary Systems Science, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

Heavily shocked meteorites contain various types of high-pressure polymorphs of major minerals (olivine, pyroxene, feldspar, and quartz) and accessory minerals (chromite and Ca phosphate). These high-pressure minerals are micron to submicron sized and occur within and in the vicinity of shock-induced melt veins and melt pockets in chondrites and lunar, howardite–eucrite–diogenite (HED), and Martian meteorites. Their occurrence suggests two types of formation mechanisms (1) solid-state high-pressure transformation of the host-rock minerals into monomineralic polycrystalline aggregates, and (2) crystallization of chondritic or monomineralic melts under high pressure. Based on experimentally determined phase relations, their formation pressures are limited to the pressure range up to ~25 GPa. Textural, crystallographic, and chemical characteristics of high-pressure minerals provide clues about the impact events of meteorite parent bodies, including their size and mutual collision velocities and about the mineralogy of deep planetary interiors. The aim of this article is to review and summarize the findings on natural high-pressure minerals in shocked meteorites that have been reported over the past 50 years.

Complex origins of silicate veinlets in HED meteorites: A case study of Northwest Africa 1109

1Run-Lian Pang,1,2Ai-Cheng Zhang,1Ru-Cheng Wang
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [DOI: 10.1111/maps.12920]
1State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
2Lunar and Planetary Science Institute, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
Published by agreement with John Wiley & Sons

We report on the petrography and mineralogy of three types of silicate veinlets in the brecciated eucrite Northwest Africa (NWA) 1109. These include Fe-rich olivine, Mg-rich olivine, and pyroxene veinlets. The Fe-rich olivine veinlets mainly infill fractures in pyroxene and also occur along grain boundaries between pyroxene and plagioclase crystals, in both nonequilibrated and equilibrated lithic clasts. The host pyroxene of Fe-rich olivine veinlets shows large chemical variations between and within grains. The Fe-rich olivine veinlets also contain fine-grained Fe3+-bearing chromite, highly calcic plagioclase, merrillite, apatite, and troilite. Based on texture and mineral chemistry, we argue that the formation of Fe-rich olivine was related to fluid deposition at relatively high temperatures. However, the source of Fe-rich olivine in the veinlets remains unclear. Magnesium-rich olivine veinlets were found in three diogenitic lithic clasts. In one of these, the Mg-rich olivine veinlets only occur in one of the fine-grained interstitial regions and extend into fractures within surrounding coarse-grained orthopyroxene. Based on the texture of the interstitial materials, we suggest that the Mg-rich olivine veinlets formed by shock-induced localized melting and recrystallization. Pyroxene veinlets were only observed in one clast where they infill fractures within large plagioclase grains and are associated with fine-grained pyroxene surrounding coarse-grained pyroxene. The large chemical variations in pyroxene and the fracture-filling texture indicate that the pyroxene veinlets might also have formed by shock-induced localized melting and rapid crystallization. Our study demonstrates that silicate veinlets formed by a range of different surface processes on the surface of Vesta.

Geochemical and oxygen isotope perspective of a new R chondrite Dhofar 1671: Affinity with ordinary chondrites

1,2Arshad Ali,1Sobhi J. Nasir,2Iffat Jabeen,3Ahmed Al Rawas,2Neil R. Banerjee,
2,4Gordon R. Osinski
Meteoritics & Planetary Science (in Press) Link to Article [DOI: 10.1111/maps.12903]
1Earth Sciences Research Centre, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Sultanate of Oman
2Department of Earth Sciences & Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
3Department of Physics, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Sultanate of Oman
4Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons

Dhofar 1671 is a relatively new meteorite that previous studies suggest belongs to the Rumuruti chondrite class. Major and REE compositions are generally in agreement with average values of the R chondrites (RCs). Moderately volatile elements such as Se and Zn abundances are lower than the R chondrite values that are similar to those in ordinary chondrites (OCs). Porphyritic olivine pyroxene (POP), radial pyroxene (RP), and barred olivine (BO) chondrules are embedded in a proportionately equal volume of matrix, one of the characteristic features of RCs. Microprobe analyses demonstrate compositional zoning in chondrule and matrix olivines showing Fa-poor interior and Fa-rich outer zones. Precise oxygen isotope data for chondrules and matrix obtained by laser-assisted fluorination show a genetic isotopic relationship between OCs and RCs. On the basis of our data, we propose a strong affinity between these groups and suggest that OC chondrule precursors could have interacted with a 17O-rich matrix to form RC chondrules (i.e., ∆17O shifts from ~1‰ to ~3‰). These interactions could have occurred at the same time as “exotic” clasts in brecciated samples formed such as NWA 10214 (LL3–6), Parnallee (LL3), PCA91241 (R3.8–6), and Dhofar 1671 (R3.6). We also infer that the source of the oxidation and 17O enrichment is the matrix, which may have been enriched in 17O-rich water. The abundance of matrix in RCs relative to OCs, ensured that these rocks would be apparently more oxidized and appreciably 17O-enriched. In situ analysis of Dhofar 1671 is recommended to further strengthen the link between OCs and RCs.