Lead in Martian Meteorites-- Observations and Inconsistencies: I. Chassigny

The history of Pb isotope analyses of the martian meteorites (SNC) and their interpretations is laden with difficulties. Two different analytical groups have interpreted their ancient ( 4 Ga) shergottite Pb ages as primary [1-5]. A Nakhla age of approximately 4.3 Ga has been interpreted to be primary as well [2]. This is in stark contrast to the young ( 1.4 Ga) crystallization ages defined by the Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, Lu-Hf, and KAr systems [6]. Possibly, a better interpretation for the ancient Pb ages is that they reflect the formation times of the various SNC source regions [7]. A difficulty in dealing with Pb is that terrestrial contamination is ubiquitous, unlike the other chronometer systems noted above. This issue is complicated by the fact that radioactive decay causes localized mineral damage. So washing and leaching to remove Pb contamination tends to remove in situ radiogenic Pb. This issue is further compounded because U and Th are often concentrated in phosphates and other minor phases, so the leaching process tends to remove these, especially phosphates. Another difficulty is that it is not clear whether the observed Pb isotopic variation in leachates, residues, and ion-microprobe analyses is due to terrestrial or to indigenous martian Pb contamination [e.g., 8]. A third difficulty is that the shergottites on the one hand, and the nakhlites and chassignites on the other, appear to have come from separate source regions with different chemical compositions [e.g., 7]. Thus, it is expected that their Pb isotopic characteristics would be different. And even if all these meteorite types came from the same source region, their igneous ages differ considerably. The nakhlites and chassignites are ~1.4 Ga and the shergottites are 600 Ma [e.g., 6]. This age difference alone should assure that the two distinct SNC groups have differing Pb isotopic signatures

Photometric Observations of Star Formation Activity in Early Type Spirals

We observationally study the current star formation activities of early type spiral galaxies. We construct a complete sample of 15 early type spirals having far-infrared (FIR) to optical B band luminosity ratios, L(FIR)/L(B), larger than the average of the type, and make their CCD imaging of the R and H-alpha bands. The equivalent widths of H-alpha emission increase with increasing L(FIR)/L(B), indicating that L(FIR)/L(B) can be an indicator of star formation for such early type spirals with star formation activities higher than the average. For all of the observed early type spirals, the extended HII regions exist at the central regions with some asymmetric features. H-alpha emission is more concentrated to the galactic center than the R band light, and the degree of the concentration increases with the star formation activity. We also analyze the relation between the star formation activities and the existence of companion galaxies in the sample galaxies and other bright early type spirals. No correlation is found and this suggests that the interaction is not responsible for all of the star formation activities of early type spirals.Comment: LaTex, 23 pages (2 tables included), plus 9 Postscript figures & 1 table. To be published in AJ (November issue

Simulation of electromagnetically and magnetically induced transparency in a magnetized plasma

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT), a phenomenon well known in atomic systems, has a natural analogy in a classical magnetized plasma. The magnetized plasma has a resonance for right-hand polarized electromagnetic waves at the electron cyclotron frequency Omega(0), so that a probe wave with frequency omega(1) = Omega(0) cannot propagate through the plasma. The plasma can be made transparent to such a probe by the presence of a pump wave. The pump may be an electromagnetic wave or magnetostatic wiggler. Simulations and theory show that the physical reason for the transparency is that the beating of the probe wave with the pump wave sets up a plasma oscillation, and the upper sideband of the pump wave cancels the resonant plasma current due to the probe. The theory of plasma EIT derived here extends that found in the earlier work to include the effects of the lower sideband of the pump and renormalization of the plasma frequency and an analysis of the transient response. A detailed comparison of theory to one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations is presented and estimates for the performance ion accelerator using the EIT interaction are given. The dispersion relation and estimates for the phase velocity and amplitude of the plasma wave are in good agreement with particle-in-cell simulations.open151

Provenance and Concentration of Water in the Shergottite Mantle

The water content of the martian mantle is controversial. In particular, the role of water in the petrogenesis of the shergottites has been much debated. Although the shergottites, collectively, contain very little water [e.g., 1,2], some experiments have been interpreted to show that percent levels of water are required for the petrogenesis of shergottites such as Shergotty and Zagami [3]. In this latter interpretation, the general paucity of water in the shergottites and their constituent minerals is attributed to late-stage degassing. Y980459 (Y98) is a very primitive, perhaps even parental, martian basalt, with a one-bar liquidus temperature of approx.1400 C. Olivine is the liquidus phase, and olivine core compositions are in equilibrium with the bulk rock [e.g., 4]. Petrogenetically, therefore, Y98 has had a rather simple history and can potentially help constrain the role of water in martian igneous processes. In particular, once trapped, melt inclusions should not be affected by subsequent degassing

Effect of Sulfur on Siderophile Element Partitioning Between Olivine and Martian Primary Melt

Since olivine is a common early crystallizing phase in basaltic magmas that have produced planetary and asteroidal crusts, a number of experimental studies have investigated elemental partitioning between olivine and silicate melt [e.g., 1, 2, 3]. In particular, olivine/melt partition coefficients of Ni and Co (DNi and DCo) have been intensively studied because these elements are preferentially partitioned into olivine and thus provide a uniquely useful insight into the basalt petrogenesis [e.g., 4, 5]. However, none of these experimental studies are consistent with incompatible signatures of Co [e.g., 6, 7, 8] and Ni [7] in olivines from Martian meteorites. Chemical analyses of undegassed MORB samples suggest that S dissolved in silicate melts can reduce DNi up to 50 % compared to S-free experimental systems [9]. High S solubility (up to 4000 ppm) for primitive shergottite melts [10] implies that S might have significantly influenced the Ni and Co partitioning into shergottite olivines. This study conducts melting experiments on Martian magmatic conditions to investigate the effect of S on the partitioning of siderophile elements between olivine and Martian primary melt

Evidence from Olivine-Hosted Melt Inclusions that the Martian Mantle has a Chondritic D/H Ratio and that Some Young Basalts have Assimilated Old Crust

Magmatic degassing of volatile elements affects the climate and near-surface environment of Mars. Telescopic and meteorite studies have revealed that the Martian atmosphere and near-surface materials have D/H ratios ~5-6 times terrestrial values [e.g., 1, 2]. Such high D/H ratios are interpreted to result from the preferential loss of H relative to heavier D from the Martian atmosphere, assuming that the original Martian water inventory had a D/H ratio similar to terrestrial values and to H in primitive meteorites [e.g., 1, 3]. However, the primordial Martian D/H ratio has, until now, not been well constrained. The uncertainty over the Martian primordial D/H ratio has arisen both from the scarcity of primitive Martian meteorites and as a result of contamination by terrestrial and, perhaps, Martian surface waters that obscure the signature of the Martian mantle. This study reports a comprehensive dataset of magmatic volatiles and D/H ratios in Martian primary magmas based on low-contamination, in situ ion microprobe analyses of olivine-hosted melt inclusions from both depleted [Yamato 980459 (Y98)] and enriched [Larkman Nunatak 06319 (LAR06)] Martian basaltic meteorites. Analyses of these primitive melts provide definitive evidence that the Martian mantle has retained a primordial D/H ratio and that young Martian basalts have assimilated old Martian crust

A Moderate D/H Ratio for a Surficial Water Reservoir on Mars

Martian surface morphology implies that Mars was once warm enough to maintain persistent liquid water on its surface and that water played a significant role in the formation of weathered/altered terrains [e.g., 1, 2, 3]. Volatiles exhaled by volcanic activity would have been the dominant greenhouse gases and would have significantly affected the Martian climate. The enrichment of some volatile elements in the atmosphere, which would have dissolved in surface water, could also have influenced water chemistry (e.g., acidity) and played a significant role in weathering and aqueous alteration processes. While much of this picture is qualitative, Martian meteorites contain records of major Martian volatile reservoirs. This study characterizes Martian surficial volatile reservoirs based on in situ ion microprobe analyses of volatile abundances and H-isotopes of glassy phases (groundmass glass [GG] and impact melt [IM]) in Martian basalts (shergottites). Although these meteorites are of igneous origin, some glassy phases underwent impact-induced modification that trapped surficial and atmospheric volatile components [4, 5]; e.g., inert gases contained in IMs from EETA79001 (EETA79) match the relative abundances of modern Martian atmosphere [6]. Analyses of these glassy phases demonstrate that surficial volatile reservoirs have distinct D/H ratios from their magmatic volatiles

Lead Isotope Compositions of Acid Residues from Olivine-Phyric Shergottite Tissint: Implications for Heterogeneous Shergottite Source Reservoirs

Geochemical studies of shergottites suggest that their parental magmas reflect mixtures between at least two distinct geochemical source reservoirs, producing correlations between radiogenic isotope compositions and trace element abundances. These correlations have been interpreted as indicating the presence of a reduced, incompatible element- depleted reservoir and an oxidized, incompatible- element-enriched reservoir. The former is clearly a depleted mantle source, but there is ongoing debate regarding the origin of the enriched reservoir. Two contrasting models have been proposed regarding the location and mixing process of the two geochemical source reservoirs: (1) assimilation of oxidized crust by mantle derived, reduced magmas, or (2) mixing of two distinct mantle reservoirs during melting. The former requires the ancient Martian crust to be the enriched source (crustal assimilation), whereas the latter requires isolation of a long-lived enriched mantle domain that probably originated from residual melts formed during solidification of a magma ocean (heterogeneous mantle model). This study conducts Pb isotope and trace element concentration analyses of sequential acid-leaching fractions (leachates and the final residues) from the geochemically depleted olivine-phyric shergottite Tissint. The results suggest that the Tissint magma is not isotopically uniform and sampled at least two geochemical source reservoirs, implying that either crustal assimilation or magma mixing would have played a role in the Tissint petrogenesis

Lead Isotopes in Olivine-Phyric Shergottite Tissint: Implications for the Geochemical Evolution of the Shergottite Source Mantle

Geochemically-depleted shergottites are basaltic rocks derived from a martian mantle source reservoir. Geochemical evolution of the martian mantle has been investigated mainly based on the Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, and Lu-Hf isotope systematics of the shergottites [1]. Although potentially informative, U-Th- Pb isotope systematics have been limited because of difficulties in interpreting the analyses of depleted meteorite samples that are more susceptible to the effects of near-surface processes and terrestrial contamination. This study conducts a 5-step sequential acid leaching experiment of the first witnessed fall of the geochemically-depleted olivinephyric shergottite Tissint to minimize the effect of low temperature distrubence. Trace element analyses of the Tissint acid residue (mostly pyroxene) indicate that Pb isotope compositions of the residue do not contain either a martian surface or terrestrial component, but represent the Tissint magma source [2]. The residue has relatively unradiogenic initial Pb isotopic compositions (e.g., 206Pb/204Pb = 10.8136) that fall within the Pb isotope space of other geochemically-depleted shergottites. An initial -value (238U/204Pb = 1.5) of Tissint at the time of crystallization (472 Ma [3]) is similar to a time-integrated mu- value (1.72 at 472 Ma) of the Tissint source mantle calculated based on the two-stage mantle evolution model [1]. On the other hand, the other geochemically-depleted shergottites (e.g., QUE 94201 [4]) have initial -values of their parental magmas distinctly lower than those of their modeled source mantle. These results suggest that only Tissint potentially reflects the geochemical signature of the shergottite mantle source that originated from cumulates of the martian magma ocea