Trace element distributions in the Yamato 000593000749,NWA 817 and NWA 998 nakhlites: Implications for their petrogenesis and mantle source on Mars

We report here results of ion microprobe analyses of rare earth element abundances in various phases in the new Antarctic (paired) nakhlites Yamato 000593 and Yamato 000749, as well as in two additional nakhlites recovered from the Saharan desert, NWA 817 and NWA 998. Although these nakhlites are all composed predominantly of augite and some olivine, they differ from each other, and from the three previously known nakhlites, in the abundance and degree of crystallinity of the interstitial mesostasis. Trace element abundances in various phases in these new nakhlites indicate that they are petrogenetically related to (and comagmatic with) each other and the previously known nakhlites. The calculated parent melt compositions (in equilibrium with augite core compositions) are LREE-enriched and have REE patterns parallel to those of their whole rocks. This suggests that subsequent to accumulation of the olivine and augite, the intercumulus trapped melt evolved in a closed system. The similarity in the estimated parent melt compositions and trace element zonation in the augites of the various nakhlites indicates that these rocks are likely to have formed within a single lithologic unit on Mars. In this scenario, the differences among these nakhlites may be explained in terms of differences in the depth of crystallization within the cumulus pile, represented by different horizons within the same lithologic unit. Based on the partitioning of Eu in their augite cores, the magmatic redox conditions for the nakhlites are estimated to be relatively oxidizing (QFM), implying an oxidized source reservoir in the martian mantle. Late metasomatism of their mantle source by LREE-enriched, oxidizing fluids is suggested to be responsible for the LREE-enrichment and oxidation condition of the nakhlite parent melts

Trace element distributions in Yamato-793605, a chip off the "martian lherzolite" block

In situ ion microprobe analyses of various phases in Yamato-793605 (Y79) confirm that it is very similar to the other two lherzolitic shergottites, ALHA77005 and LEW88516. Differences in absolute REE abundances between bulk samples of these meteorites can be largely accounted for by sample heterogeneity. The three lherzolites were formed by essentially identical processes and they may even have originated from the same lithological unit on Mars. Preservation of major element zonation in olivines of Y79 indicates that it is less equilibrated than the other lherzolitic shergottites, and may have crystallized at shallower depth. The parent magmas of lherzolitic shergottites, like those of other shergottites, were derived by partial melting of a partly depleted martian mantle

TUNGSTEN NUCLEAR ANOMALIES IN PLANETESIMAL CORES

Use of the extinct 182 Hf- 182 W chronometer to constrain the timing of planetary accretion and differentiation rests ontheassumptionthatthesolarnebulahadhomogeneoustungstenisotopiccomposition.Here,wereportdeficiencies of � 0.1 part in 10,000 in the abundance of 184 Win group IVB iron meteorites relative to the silicate Earth. These are mostlikelyduetoincompletemixingattheplanetesimalscale(2Y4kmradiusbodies)oftheproductsof slow(s-)and rapid (r-) neutron-capture nucleosynthesis in the solar nebula. The correction that must be applied to the 182 Hf- 182 W model age of core formation in IVB irons due to the presence of these nuclear anomalies is � 0.5 Myr. Subject headingg minor planets, asteroids — nuclear reactions, nucleosynthesis, abundances — solar system: formation — stars: abundance

Using VSWIR Microimaging Spectroscopy to Explore the Mineralogical Diversity of HED Meteorites

We use VSWIR microimaging spectroscopy to survey the spectral diversity of HED meteorites at 80-μm/pixel spatial scale. Our goal in this work is both to explore the emerging capabilities of microimaging VSWIR spectroscopy and to contribute to understanding the petrologic diversity of the HED suite and the evolution of Vesta. Using a combination of manual and automated hyperspectral classification techniques, we identify four major classes of materials based on VSWIR absorptions that include pyroxene, olivine, Fe-bearing feldspars, and glass-bearing/featureless materials. Results show microimaging spectroscopy is an effective method for rapidly and non-destructively characterizing small compositional variations of meteorite samples and for locating rare phases for possible follow-up investigation. Future work will include incorporating SEM/EDS results to quantify sources of spectral variability and placing observations within a broader geologic framework of the differentiation and evolution of Vesta

The relationship between CM and CO chondrites: Insights from combined analyses of titanium, chromium, and oxygen isotopes in CM, CO, and ungrouped chondrites

A close relationship between CM and CO chondrites has been suggested by previous petrologic and isotopic studies, leading to the suggestion that they may originate from similar precursor materials or even a common parent body. In this study, we evaluate the genetic relationship between CM and CO chondrites using Ti, Cr, and O isotopes. We first provide additional constraints on the ranges of ε50Ti and ε54Cr values of bulk CM and CO chondrites by reporting the isotopic compositions of CM2 chondrites Murchison, Murray, and Aguas Zarcas and the CO3.8 chondrite Isna. We then report the ε50Ti and ε54Cr values for several ungrouped and anomalous carbonaceous chondrites that have been previously reported to exhibit similarities to the CM and CO chondrite groups, including Elephant Moraine (EET) 83226, EET 83355, Grosvenor Mountains (GRO) 95566, MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 87300, MAC 87301, MAC 88107, and Northwest Africa (NWA) 5958, and the oxygen isotope compositions of a subset of these samples. We additionally report the ε50Ti, ε54Cr, and O isotopic compositions of additional ungrouped chondrites LaPaz Ice Field (LAP) 04757, LAP 04773, Lewis Cliff (LEW) 85332, and Coolidge to assess their potential relationships with known carbonaceous and ordinary chondrite groups. LAP 04757 and LAP 04773 exhibit isotopic compositions indicating they are low-FeO ordinary chondrites. The isotopic compositions of Murchison, Murray, Aguas Zarcas, and Isna extend the compositional ranges defined by the CM and CO chondrites in ε50Ti versus ε54Cr space. The majority of the ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites with documented similarities to the CM and/or CO chondrites plot outside the CM and CO group fields in plots of ε50Ti versus ε54Cr,Δ17O versus ε50Ti, and Δ17O versus ε54Cr. Therefore, based on differences in their Ti, Cr, and O-isotopic compositions, we conclude that the CM, CO, and ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites likely represent samples of multiple distinct parent bodies. We also infer that these parent bodies formed from precursor materials that shared similar isotopic compositions, which may indicate formation in regions of the protoplanetary disk that were in close proximity to each other

Water circulation in Ryugu asteroid affected the distribution of nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies in returned sample

Studies of material returned from Cb asteroid Ryugu have revealed considerable mineralogical and chemical heterogeneity, stemming primarily from brecciation and aqueous alteration. Isotopic anomalies could have also been affected by delivery of exogenous clasts and aqueous mobilization of soluble elements. Here, we show that isotopic anomalies for mildly soluble Cr are highly variable in Ryugu and CI chondrites, whereas those of Ti are relatively uniform. This variation in Cr isotope ratios is most likely due to physicochemical fractionation between 54Cr-rich presolar nanoparticles and Cr-bearing secondary minerals at the millimeter-scale in the bulk samples, likely due to extensive aqueous alteration in their parent bodies that occurred 5:2þ11::84 Ma after Solar System birth. In contrast, Ti isotopes were marginally affected by this process. Our results show that isotopic heterogeneities in asteroids are not all nebular or accretionary in nature but can also reflect element redistribution by water

Preliminary Planning for Mars Sample Return (MSR) Curation Activities in a Sample Receiving Facility

The Mars Sample Return Planning Group 2 (MSPG2) was tasked with identifying the steps that encompass all the curation activities that would happen within the MSR Sample Receiving Facility (SRF) and any anticipated curation-related requirements. An area of specific interest is the necessary analytical instrumentation. The SRF would be a Biosafety Level-4 facility where the returned MSR flight hardware would be opened, the sample tubes accessed, and the martian sample material extracted from the tubes. Characterization of the essential attributes of each sample would be required to provide enough information to prepare a sample catalog used in guiding the preparation of sample-related proposals by the world’s research community and informing decisions by the sample allocation committee. The sample catalog would be populated with data and information generated during all phases of activity, including data derived concurrent with Mars 2020 sample-collecting rover activity, sample transport to Earth, and initial sample characterization within the SRF. We conclude that initial sample characterization can best be planned as a set of three sequential phases, which we have called Pre-Basic Characterization (Pre-BC), Basic Characterization (BC), and Preliminary Examination (PE), each of which requires a certain amount of instrumentation. Data on specific samples and subsamples obtained during sample safety assessments and time-sensitive scientific investigations would also be added to the catalog. There are several areas where future work would be beneficial to prepare for the receipt of samples, which would include the design of a sample tube isolation chamber and a strategy for opening the sample tubes and removing dust from the tube exteriors

Science and Curation Considerations for the Design of a Mars Sample Return (MSR) Sample Receiving Facility

The most important single element of the “ground system” portion of a Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign is a facility referred to as the Sample Receiving Facility (SRF), which would need to be designed and equipped to receive the returned spacecraft, extract and open the sealed sample container, extract the samples from the sample tubes, and implement a set of evaluations and analyses of the samples. One of the main findings of the first MSR Sample Planning Group (MSPG, 2019a) states that “The scientific community, for reasons of scientific quality, cost, and timeliness, strongly prefers that as many sample-related investigations as possible be performed in PI-led laboratories outside containment.” There are many scientific and technical reasons for this preference, including the ability to utilize advanced and customized instrumentation that may be difficult to reproduce inside in a biocontained facility, and the ability to allow multiple science investigators in different labs to perform similar or complementary analyses to confirm the reproducibility and accuracy of results. It is also reasonable to assume that there will be a desire for the SRF to be as efficient and economical as possible, while still enabling the objectives of MSR to be achieved. For these reasons, MSPG concluded, and MSPG2 agrees, that the SRF should be designed to accommodate only those analytical activities that could not reasonably be done in outside laboratories because they are time- or sterilization-sensitive, are necessary for the Sample Safety Assessment Protocol (SSAP), or are necessary parts of the initial sample characterization process that would allow subsamples to be effectively allocated for investigation. All of this must be accommodated in an SRF, while preserving the scientific value of the samples through maintenance of strict environmental and contamination control standards