A search for ^(70)Zn anomalies in meteorites

No ^(70)Zn isotopic anomalies have been detected in primitive meteorites to a level of precision of less than 40 parts per million (2σ). Any pre-existing nucleosynthetic anomaly on ^(70)Zn was averaged out by mixing in the solar nebula before planetary accretion in the solar system. Because neutron-rich nuclides ^(70)Zn and ^(60)Fe are produced by similar nucleosynthetic processes in core-collapse supernovae, the homogeneity of ^(70)Zn in meteorites limits the possible heterogeneity of extinct 60Fe radioactivity in the early solar system. Assuming that Fe and Zn have not been decoupled during incorporation into the solar system, the homogeneity of the ^(70)Zn/^(64)Zn ratio measured here implies that the ^(60)Fe/^(56)Fe ratio was homogenized to less than 15% dispersion before the formation of planetary bodies. The lack (Zn, Ni, Fe) or presence (Ti, Cr) of neutron-rich isotopic anomalies in the iron mass region may be controlled by the volatility of presolar carriers in the nebula

Low 60Fe abundance in Semarkona and Sahara 99555

Iron-60 (t1/2=2.62 Myr) is a short-lived nuclide that can help constrain the astrophysical context of solar system formation and date early solar system events. A high abundance of 60Fe (60Fe/56Fe= 4x10-7) was reported by in situ techniques in some chondrules from the LL3.00 Semarkona meteorite, which was taken as evidence that a supernova exploded in the vicinity of the birthplace of the Sun. However, our previous MC-ICPMS measurements of a wide range of meteoritic materials, including chondrules, showed that 60Fe was present in the early solar system at a much lower level (60Fe/56Fe=10-8). The reason for the discrepancy is unknown but only two Semarkona chondrules were measured by MC-ICPMS and these had Fe/Ni ratios below ~2x chondritic. Here, we show that the initial 60Fe/56Fe ratio in Semarkona chondrules with Fe/Ni ratios up to ~24x chondritic is 5.4x10-9. We also establish the initial 60Fe/56Fe ratio at the time of crystallization of the Sahara 99555 angrite, a chronological anchor, to be 1.97x10-9. These results demonstrate that the initial abundance of 60Fe at solar system birth was low, corresponding to an initial 60Fe/56Fe ratio of 1.01x10-8.Comment: The Astrophysical Journal, in press. 28 pages, 2 tables, 3 figure

Origin of uranium isotope variations in early solar nebula condensates

High-temperature condensates found in meteorites display uranium isotopic variations (^(235)U/^(238)U), which complicate dating the solar system’s formation and whose origin remains mysterious. It is possible that these variations are due to the decay of the short-lived radionuclide ^(247)Cm (t_(1/2) = 15.6 My) into ^(235)U, but they could also be due to uranium kinetic isotopic fractionation during condensation. We report uranium isotope measurements of meteoritic refractory inclusions that reveal excesses of ^(235)U reaching ~+6% relative to average solar system composition, which can only be due to the decay of ^(247)Cm. This allows us to constrain the ^(247)Cm/^(235)U ratio at solar system formation to (7.0 ± 1.6) × 10^(−5). This value provides new clues on the universality of the nucleosynthetic r-process of rapid neutron capture

Distinct ^(238)U/^(235)U ratios and REE patterns in plutonic and volcanic angrites: Geochronologic implications and evidence for U isotope fractionation during magmatic processes

Angrites are differentiated meteorites that formed between 4 and 11 Myr after Solar Systemformation, when several short-lived nuclides (e.g., ^(26)Al-^(26)Mg, ^(53)Mn-^(53)Cr, ^(182)Hf-^(182)W) were still alive. As such, angrites are prime anchors to tie the relative chronology inferred from these short-lived radionuclides to the absolute Pb-Pb clock. The discovery of variable U isotopic composition (at the sub-permil level) calls for a revision of Pb-Pb ages calculated using an “assumed” constant ^(238)U/^(235)U ratio (i.e., Pb-Pb ages published before 2009–2010). In this paper, we report high-precision U isotope measurement for six angrite samples (NWA 4590, NWA 4801, NWA 6291, Angra dos Reis, D’Orbigny, and Sahara 99555) using multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry and the IRMM-3636 U double-spike. The age corrections range from −0.17 to −1.20 Myr depending on the samples. After correction, concordance between the revised Pb-Pb and Hf-W and Mn-Cr ages of plutonic and quenched angrites is good, and the initial (^(53)Mn/^(55)Mn)_0 ratio in the Early Solar System (ESS) is recalculated as being (7 ± 1) × 10^(−6) at the formation of the Solar System (the error bar incorporates uncertainty in the absolute age of Calcium, Aluminum-rich inclusions – CAIs). An uncertainty remains as to whether the Al-Mg and Pb-Pb systems agree in large part due to uncertainties in the Pb-Pb age of CAIs. A systematic difference is found in the U isotopic compositions of quenched and plutonic angrites of +0.17‰. A difference is also found between the rare earth element (REE) patterns of these two angrite subgroups. The δ^(238)U values are consistent with fractionationduring magmatic evolution of the angrite parent melt. Stable U isotope fractionation due to a change in the coordination environment of U during incorporation into pyroxene could be responsible for such a fractionation. In this context, Pb-Pb ages derived from pyroxenes fraction should be corrected using the U isotope composition measured in the same pyroxene fraction