Multiple formation mechanisms of ferrous olivine in CV carbonaceous chondrites during fluid-assisted metamorphism

The CV carbonaceous chondrites experienced alteration that resulted in formation of secondary ferrous olivine (Fa40-100), salite-hedenbergite pyroxenes (Fs10-50Wo45-50), wollastonite, andradite, nepheline, sodalite, phyllosilicates, magnetite, Fe,Ni-sulfides and Ni-rich metal in their Ca,Al-rich inclusions, amoeboid olivine ag-gregates, chondrules, and matrices. It has previously been suggested that fibrous ferrous olivine in dark inclusions in CV chondrites formed by dehydration of phyllosilicates during thermal metamorphism (T. Kojima and K. Tomeoka, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 60, 2651, 1996; A.N. Krot et al., Meteoritics, 30, 748, 1995). This mechanism has been subsequently applied to explain the origin of ferrous olivine in the CV chondrules and matrices (A.N. Krot et al., Meteoritics, 32, 31, 1997). It is, however, inconsistent with the lack of significant fractionation of bulk oxygen isotope compositions of the CV chondrites and the Allende dark inclusions and the common occurrences of ferrous olivine in the aqueously-altered and virtually unmetamorphosed oxidized CV chondrites of the Bali-like subgroup. Based on the petrographic observations and the isotopic compositions of ferrous olivine and coexisting Ca,Fe-rich silicates in CV chondrites and their dark inclusions, we infer that ferrous olivine formed during a fluid-assisted metamorphism by several mechanisms: (i) replacement of Fe,Ni-metal±sulfide nodules, (ii) replacement of magnesian olivine and low-Ca pyroxene, and (iii) direct precipitation from an aqueous solution. Dehydration of phyllosilicates appear to have played only a minor (if any) role. Although our model does not address specifically the origin of ferrous olivine rims around forsterite grains in Allende, the observed homogenization of matrix olivines (which have comparable sizes to thicknesses of the ferrous olivine rims in Allende) from Kaba to Allende suggests that compositions of ferrous olivine rims in Allende cannot be primary and must have been modified by asteroidal alteration

Chalcogen isotopes reveal limited volatile contribution from late veneer to Earth

The origin of Earth's volatile elements is highly debated. Comparing the chalcogen isotope ratios in the bulk silicate Earth (BSE) to those of its possible building blocks, chondritic meteorites, allows constraints on the origin of Earth's volatiles; however, these comparisons are complicated by potential isotopic fractionation during protoplanetary differentiation, which largely remains poorly understood. Using first-principles calculations, we find that core-mantle differentiation does not notably fractionate selenium and tellurium isotopes, while equilibrium evaporation from early planetesimals would enrich selenium and tellurium in heavy isotopes in the BSE. The sulfur, selenium, and tellurium isotopic signatures of the BSE reveal that protoplanetary differentiation plays a key role in establishing most of Earth's volatile elements, and a late veneer does not substantially contribute to the BSE's volatile inventory

Dust Condensation in Evolving Discs and the Composition of Planetary Building Blocks

Partial condensation of dust from the Solar nebula is likely responsible for the diverse chemical compositions of chondrites and rocky planets/planetesimals in the inner Solar system. We present a forward physical–chemical model of a protoplanetary disc to predict the chemical compositions of planetary building blocks that may form from such a disc. Our model includes the physical evolution of the disc and the condensation, partial advection, and decoupling of the dust within it. The chemical composition of the condensate changes with time and radius. We compare the results of two dust condensation models: one where an element condenses when the mid-plane temperature in the disc is lower than the 50 per cent condensation temperature (⁠T50T50⁠) of that element and the other where the condensation of the dust is calculated by a Gibbs free energy minimization technique assuming chemical equilibrium at local disc temperature and pressure. The results of two models are generally consistent with some systematic differences of ∼10 per cent depending upon the radial distance and an element’s condensation temperature. Both models predict compositions similar to CM, CO, and CV chondrites provided that the decoupling time-scale of the dust is of the order of the evolution time-scale of the disc or longer. If the decoupling time-scale is too short, the composition deviates significantly from the measured values. These models may contribute to our understanding of the chemical compositions of chondrites, and ultimately the terrestrial planets in the Solar system, and may constrain the potential chemical compositions of rocky exoplanets

Growth Model Interpretation of Planet Size Distribution

The radii and orbital periods of 4000+ confirmed/candidate exoplanets have been precisely measured by the Kepler mission. The radii show a bimodal distribution, with two peaks corresponding to smaller planets (likely rocky) and larger intermediate-size planets, respectively. While only the masses of the planets orbiting the brightest stars can be determined by ground-based spectroscopic observations, these observations allow calculation of their average densities placing constraints on the bulk compositions and internal structures. Yet an important question about the composition of planets ranging from 2 to 4 Earth radii still remains. They may either have a rocky core enveloped in a H2-He gaseous envelope (gas dwarfs) or contain a significant amount of multi-component, H2O-dominated ices/fluids (water worlds). Planets in the mass range of 10-15 Earth masses, if half-ice and half-rock by mass, have radii of 2.5 Earth radii, which exactly match the second peak of the exoplanet radius bimodal distribution. Any planet in the 2-4 Earth radii range requires a gas envelope of at most a few mass percentage points, regardless of the core composition. To resolve the ambiguity of internal compositions, we use a growth model and conduct Monte Carlo simulations to demonstrate that many intermediate-size planets are water worlds.Comment: PNAS link: https://www.pnas.org/content/116/20/9723 Complete data and mass-radius tables are available at: https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~lzeng/planetmodels.htm

LA-ICP-MS Study of Trace Elements in the Chanuskij Metal

This progress report covers work done during the second year of the 3-year proposal. During this year we resolved many issues relevant to the analytical technique developed by us for measuring trace elements in meteoritic metals. This technique was used to measure concentrations of Fe, Ni, Co, Cr, Cu, Ga, Ge, As, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Sb, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, and Au in eight large (120 - 160 microns) metal grains from both "igneous" and "metamorphic" lithologies of the Chanuskij silicate inclusions. The first application of OUT technique to metal grains from thin sections showed some limitations. Small thickness of metal grains in the thin section limited the signal to 3-4 time-slices instead of 10- 1 1 ones in polished sections of iron meteorites studied before

Kumdykolite, a high-temperature feldspar from an enstatite chondrite

We report the first occurrence of kumdykolite in a meteorite (Sahara 97072, EH3). This orthorhombic form of albite occurs in the core of a concentrically zoned metal-sulfide nodule. In contrast to the terrestrial kumdykolite, the meteoritic sample has a domain structure that is consistent with either orthorhombic (Pmnn) or monoclinic (P21) space groups. The two symmetries are indicated by the presence or lack, respectively, of h + k = 2n + 1 reflections in [001] selected-area electron diffraction patterns, effects that likely result from different Si-Al ordering. Pmnn kumdykolite has only one tetrahedral site for Si and Al, whereas P21 kumdykolite would have three tetrahedral sites for Si and one for Al. We propose that kumdykolite formed above 1300 K and cooled rapidly enough to preserve its unique structure. Apparently, the cooling rate varied on the scale of nanometers allowing the local development of Si-Al ordering

Stellar Outbursts and Chondrite Composition

The temperatures of observed protoplanetary disks are not sufficiently high to produce the accretion rate needed to form stars, nor are they sufficient to explain the volatile depletion patterns in CM, CO, and CV chondrites and terrestrial planets. We revisit the role that stellar outbursts, caused by high-accretion episodes, play in resolving these two issues. These outbursts provide the necessary mass to form the star during the disk lifetime and provide enough heat to vaporize planet-forming materials. We show that these outbursts can reproduce the observed chondrite abundances at distances near 1 au. These outbursts would also affect the growth of calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions and the isotopic compositions of carbonaceous and noncarbonaceous chondrites