History of lunar meteorites Queen Alexandra Range 93069, Asuka 881757, and Yamato 793169 based on noble gas isotopic abundances,radionuclide concentrations,and chemical composition

Abstract— We investigated the characteristics and history of lunar meteorites Queen Alexandra Range 93069, Yamato 793169 and Asuka 881757 based on the abundances of all stable noble gas isotopes, the concentrations of the radionuclides ¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al, ³⁶Cl, and ⁸¹Kr, and the abundances of Mg, Al, K, Ca, Fe, Cl, Sr, Y, Zr, Ba, and La. Based on the solar wind and cosmic-ray irradiations, QUE 93069 is the most mature lunar meteorite studied up to now. The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratio of the trapped component is 1.87 ± 0.16. This ratio corresponds to a time when the material was exposed to solar and lunar atmospheric volatiles ～400 Ma ago. On the other hand, Yamato 793169 and Asuka 881757 contain very little or no solar noble gases, which indicates that these materials resided in the top layer of the lunar regolith only briefly or not at all. For all lunar meteorites, we observe a positive correlation of the concentrations of cosmic-ray produced with trapped solar noble gases. The duration of lunar regolith residence for the lunar meteorites was calculated based on cosmic-ray produced ²¹Ne, ³⁸Ar, ⁷⁸Kr, ⁸³Kr, and ¹²⁶Xe and appropriate production rates that were derived based on the target element abundances and the shielding indicator ¹³¹Xe/¹²⁶Xe. For QUE 93069, Yamato 793169, and Asuka 881757, we obtained 1000 ± 400 Ma, 50 ± 10 Ma, and <1 Ma, respectively. Both Asuka 881757 and Yamato 793169 show losses of radiogenic ⁴He from U and Th decay and Yamato 793169 also ⁴⁰Ar loss from K-decay. For Asuka 881757, we calculate a K-Ar gas retention age of 3100 ± 600 Ma and a ²⁴⁴Pu-¹³⁶Xe fission age of 4240 ± 170 Ma. This age is one of the oldest formation ages ever observed for a lunar basalt. The exposure history of QUE 93069 after ejection from the Moon was derived from the radionuclide concentrations: ejection 0.16 ± 0.03 Ma ago, duration of Moon-Earth transit 0.15 ± 0.02 Ma and fall on Earth <0.015 Ma ago. This ejection event is distinguished temporally from those which produced the other lunar meteorites. We conclude that six to eight events are necessary to eject all the known lunar meteorites.     

Exposure history of lunar meteorites Queen Alexandra Range 93069 and 94269

Abstract— Cosmic-ray produced ¹⁴C (t_1/2 = 5730 years), ³⁶Cl (3.01 × 10⁵ years), ²⁶Al (7.05 × 10⁵ years), and ¹⁰Be (1.5 × 10⁶ years) in the recently discovered lunar meteorites Queen Alexandra Range 93069 (QUE 93069) and 94269 (QUE 94269) were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry. The abundance pattern of these four cosmogenic radionuclides and of noble gases indicates QUE 93069 and QUE 94269 were a paired fall and were exposed to cosmic rays near the surface of the Moon for at least several hundred million years before ejection. After the meteorite was launched from the Moon, where it had resided at a depth of 65–80 g/cm², it experienced a short transition time, ～20–50 ka, before colliding with the Earth. The terrestrial age of the meteorite is 5–10 ka. Comparison of the cosmogenic nuclide concentrations in QUE 93069/94269 and MAC 88104/88105 clearly shows that these meteorites were not ejected by a common event from the Moon.     

Exposure history of glass and breccia phases of lunar meteorite EET87521

Abstract— Glass-rich separates were prepared from a sample of the basaltic lunar meteorite EET87521 rich in dark glass. Noble gas isotopic abundances and ²⁶Al and ¹⁰Be activities were measured to find out whether shock effects associated with lunar launch helped to assemble these phases. Similar ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al activities indicate that all materials in EET87521 had a common exposure history in the last few million years before launch. However, the glass contains much higher concentrations of trapped gases and records a much longer cosmic-ray exposure, 100 Ma–150 Ma, in the lunar regolith than does the bulk sample. The different histories show that the glass existed long before the ejection of EET87521. The trapped ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratio of 1.6 ± 0.1 implies that the lunar exposure that produced most of the stable cosmogenic noble gases began 500 Ma ago. Cosmogenic and trapped noble gas components correlate strongly in various temperature-release fractions and phases of EET87521, which is probably because the glass contains most of the gas. The trapped solar ratios, ²⁰Ne/²²Ne = 12.68 ± 0.20 and ³⁶Ar/³⁸Ar = 5.24 ± 0.05 can be understood as resulting from a mixture consisting of ～60% solar wind and 40% solar energetic particles (SEP). All EET87521 phases show a ⁴⁰K-⁴⁰Ar gas retention age of ～3300 Ma, which is in the range of typical lunar mare basalts.     

Cosmic‐ray exposure histories of the lunar meteorites AaU 012 and Shişr 166

We measured the concentrations and isotopic compositions of the stable isotopes of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe in the two lunar impact‐melt breccias Abar al’ Uj (AaU) 012 and Shi?r 166 to obtain information on their cosmic‐ray exposure histories and possible launch pairing; the latter was suggested because of their similar chemical composition. AaU 012 has higher gas concentrations than Shi?r 166 and clearly contains implanted solar wind gases, indicating a shallow to moderate shielding for this meteorite in the lunar regolith. The maximum shielding depth of AaU 012 was most likely ≤310 g cm^?2 and its lunar regolith residence time was ≥420 ± 70 Ma. Our results indicate that in Shi?r 166 the trapped component is a mixture of air and solar wind. The low concentration of cosmogenic and solar wind gases indicate substantial diffusive gas loss and a shielding depth of <700 g cm^?2 on the Moon for Shi?r 166. All differences seen in the concentrations and isotopic compositions of the noble gases suggest that AaU 012 and Shi?r 166 are most likely not launch pairs, although a different exposure history on the Moon does not exclude the possibility that the two meteorites were ejected by a single, large impact event.     

The antiquity indicator argon‐40/argon‐36 for lunar surface samples calibrated by uranium‐235‐xenon‐136 dating

Abstract— Several solar gas rich lunar soils and breccias have trapped ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios >10, although solar Ar is expected to yield a ratio of <0.01. Radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar produced in the lunar crust from ⁴⁰K decay was outgassed into the lunar atmosphere, ionized, accelerated in the electromagnetic field of the solar wind, and reimplanted into lunar surface material. The ⁴⁰Ar loss rate depends on the decreasing abundance of ⁴⁰K. In order to calibrate the time dependence of the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratio in lunar surface material, the period of reimplantation of lunar atmospheric ions and of solar wind Ar was determined using the ²³⁵U‐¹³⁶Xe dating method that relies on secondary cosmic‐ray neutron‐induced fission of ²³⁵U. We identified the trapped, fissiogenic, and cosmogenic noble gases in lunar breccia 14307 and lunar soils 70001‐8, 70181, 74261, and 75081. Uranium and Th concentrations were determined in the 74261 soil for which we obtain the ²³⁵U‐¹³⁶Xe time of implantation of 3.25^+0.38_‐0.60 Ga ago. On the basis of several cosmogenic noble gas signatures we calculate the duration of this near surface exposure of 393 ± 45 Ma and an average shielding depth below the lunar surface of 73 ± 7 g/cm². A second, recent exposure to solar and cosmic‐ray particles occurred after this soil was excavated from Shorty crater 17.2 ± 1.4 Ma ago. Using a compilation of all lunar data with reliable trapped Ar isotopic ratios and pre‐exposure times we infer a calibration curve of implantation times, based on the trapped⁴⁰ Ar/³⁶Ar ratio. A possible trend for the increase with time of the solar ³He/⁴He and ²⁰Ne/²²Ne ratios of about 12%/Ga and about 2%/Ga, respectively, is also discussed.     

Regolith history of lunar meteorites

Abstract— The regolith evolution of the lunar meteorites Dhofar (Dho) 081, Northwest Africa (NWA) 032, NWA 482, NWA 773, Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 169, and Yamato (Y‐) 981031 was investigated by measuring the light noble gases He, Ne, and Ar. The presence of trapped solar neon in Dho 081, NWA 773, and Y‐981031 indicates an exposure at the lunar surface. A neon three‐isotope diagram for lunar meteorites yields an average solar ²⁰Ne/²²Ne ratio of 12.48 ± 0.07 representing a mixture of solar energetic particles neon at a ratio of 11.2 and solar wind neon at a ratio of 13.8. Based on the production rate ratio of ²¹Ne and ³⁸Ar, the shielding depth in the lunar regolith of NWA 032, NWA 482, SaU 169, and Y‐981031 was obtained. The shielding depth of these samples was between 10.5 g/cm² and >500 g/cm². Based on spallogenic Kr and Xe, the shielding depth of Dho 081 was estimated to be most likely between 120 and 180 g/cm². Assuming a mean density of the lunar regolith of 1.8 g/cm³, 10.5 g/cm² corresponds to a depth of 5.8 cm and 500 g/cm² to 280 cm below the lunar surface. The range of regolith residence time observed in this study is 100 Ma up to 2070 Ma.     

The Monahans chondrite and halite: Argon‐39/argon‐40 age,solar gases,cosmic‐ray exposure ages,and parent body regolith neutron flux and thickness

Abstract— The Monahans H‐chondrite is a regolith breccia containing light and dark phases and the first reported presence of small grains of halite. We made detailed noble gas analyses of each of these phases. The ³⁹Ar‐⁴⁰Ar age of Monahans light is 4.533 ± 0.006 Ma. Monahans dark and halite samples show greater amounts of diffusive loss of ⁴⁰Ar and the maximum ages are 4.50 and 4.33 Ga, respectively. Monahans dark phase contains significant concentrations of He, Ne and Ar implanted by the solar wind when this material was extant in a parent body regolith. Monahans light contains no solar gases. From the cosmogenic ³He, ²¹Ne, and ³⁸Ar in Monahans light we calculate a probable cosmic‐ray, space exposure age of 6.0 ± 0.5 Ma. Monahans dark contains twice as much cosmogenic ²¹Ne and ³⁸Ar as does the light and indicates early near‐surface exposure of 13–18 Ma in a H‐chondrite regolith. The existence of fragile halite grains in H‐chondrites suggests that this regolith irradiation occurred very early. Large concentrations of ³⁶Ar in the halite were produced during regolith exposure by neutron capture on ³⁵Cl, followed by decay to ³⁶Ar. The thermal neutron fluence seen by the halite was (2–4) × 10¹⁴ n/cm². The thermal neutron flux during regolith exposure was ～0.4‐0.7 n/cm²/s. The Monahans neutron fluence is more than an order of magnitude less than that acquired during space exposure of several large meteorites and of lunar soils, but the neutron flux is lower by a factor of ≤5. Comparison of the ³⁶Ar_n/²¹Ne_cos ratio in Monahans halite and silicate with the theoretically calculated ratio as a function of shielding depth in an H‐chondrite regolith suggests that irradiation of Monahans dark occurred under low shielding in a regolith that may have been relatively shallow. Late addition of halite to the regolith can be ruled out. However, irradiation of halite and silicate for different times at different depths in an extensive regolith cannot be excluded.     

On unfractionated solar noble gases in the H3–6 meteorite Acfer 111

Abstract Solar noble gases He, Ne, Ar and Kr implanted in the H3–6 meteorite regolith breccia Acfer 111 agree in their elemental composition with that in present-day solar wind and, except for a 25% deficit of ⁴He, also with adopted solar abundances. The presence of such unfractionated solar gases makes Acfer 111 unique (until now). Closed system stepped etching releases noble gases that can be explained as mixtures of two distinct types of He, Ne, and Kr of isotopic compositions as they have been derived previously from meteorites and lunar samples that contain heavily fractionated solar gases. Since the same putative end members, ascribed to the solar wind (SW) and supra-thermal solar energetic particles (SEP), are also present in Acfer 111, we argue that these end members represent two truly independent components. We discount the possibility that one isotopic composition derived from the other by diffusion of the gases within, or upon their release from, their host phases. The isotopic signatures of noble gases in Acfer 111 agree with those in a lunar ilmenite of young antiquity ?100 Ma) but are in disagreement with the noble gases in lunar ilmenite 79035 of 1–2 Ga antiquity. Systematic changes are discussed of the nuclide abundance ratios as etching proceeds; they are ascribed to differences in trapping efficiency and in penetration depth of the different noble gas ion species upon their implantation.     

Isotopic composition of trapped and cosmogenic noble gases in several Martian meteorites

Abstract— Isotopic abundances of the noble gases were measured in the following Martian meteorites: two shock glass inclusions from Elephant Moraine (EET) 79001, shock vein glass from Shergotty and Yamato (Y) 793605, and whole-rock samples of Allan Hills (ALH) 84001 and Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 94201. These glass samples, when combined with literature data on a separate single glass inclusion from EET 79001 and a glass vein from Zagami, permit examination in greater detail of the isotopic composition of Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe trapped from the Martian atmosphere. The isotopic composition of Martian Ne, if actually present in these glasses, remains poorly defined. The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratio of trapped Martian atmospheric Ar is probably considerably lower than the nominal ratio of 3000 measured by Viking, and data on impact glasses suggest a value of ～1900. The atmospheric ³⁶Ar/³⁸Ar ratio is ≤4.0. Martian atmospheric Kr may be enriched in lighter isotopes by ～0.5%/amu compared to both solar-wind Kr and to the Martian composition previously reported. The isotopic composition of Xe in these glasses agrees with that previously reported in the literature. The Martian atmospheric ³⁶Ar/¹³²Xe and ⁸⁴Kr/¹³²Xe elemental ratios are higher than those reported by Viking by factors of ～2.5–1.6 (depending on the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratio adopted) and ～1.8, respectively, and are discussed in a separate paper. Cosmogenic gases indicate space exposure ages of 2.7 ± 0.6 Ma for QUE 94201 and Shergotty and 14 ± 1 Ma for ALH 84001. Small amounts of ²¹Ne produced by energetic solar protons may be present in QUE 94201 but are not present in ALH 84001 or Y-793605. The space exposure age for Y-793605 is 4.9 ± 0.6 Ma and appears to be distinctly older than the ages for basaltic shergottites. However, uncertainties in cosmogenic production rates still makes somewhat uncertain the number of Martian impact events required to produce the exposure ages of Martian meteorites.     

Comparison of cosmic‐ray exposure ages and trapped noble gases in chondrule and matrix samples of ordinary,enstatite, and carbonaceous chondrites

Abstract— We performed a comprehensive study of the He, Ne, and Ar isotopic abundances and of the chemical composition of bulk material and components of the H chondrites Dhajala, Bath, Cullison, Grove Mountains 98004, Nadiabondi, Ogi, and Zag, of the L chondrites Grassland, Northwest Africa 055, Pavlograd, and Ladder Creek, of the E chondrite Indarch, and of the C chondrites Hammadah al Hamra 288, Acfer 059, and Allende. We discuss a procedure and necessary assumptions for the partitioning of measured data into cosmogenic, radiogenic, implanted, and indigenous noble gas components. For stone meteorites, we derive a cosmogenic ratio ²⁰Ne/²²Ne of 0.80 ± 0.03 and a trapped solar ⁴He/³He ratio of 3310 ± 130 using our own and literature data. Chondrules and matrix from nine meteorites were analyzed. Data from Dhajala chondrules suggest that some of these may have experienced precompaction irradiation by cosmic rays. The other chondrules and matrix samples yield consistent cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) ages within experimental errors. Some CRE ages of some of the investigated meteorites fall into clusters typically observed for the respective meteorite groups. Only Bath's CRE age falls on the 7 Ma double‐peak of H chondrites, while Ogi's fits the 22 Ma peak. The studied chondrules contain trapped ²⁰Ne and ³⁶Ar concentrations in the range of 10^?6–10^?9 cm³ STP/g. In most chondrules, trapped Ar is of type Q (ordinary chondritic Ar), which suggests that this component is indigenous to the chondrule precursor material. The history of the Cullison chondrite is special in several respects: large fractions of both CR‐produced ³He and of radiogenic ⁴He were lost during or after parent body breakup, in the latter case possibly by solar heating at small perihelion distances. Furthermore, one of the matrix samples contains constituents with a regolith history on the parent body before compaction. It also contains trapped Ne with a ²⁰Ne/²²Ne ratio of 15.5 ± 0.5, apparently fractionated solar Ne.     

Noble gas studies in CAIs from CV3 chondrites: No evidence for primordial noble gases

Abstract— Calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs) were among the first solids in the solar system and were, similar to chondrules, created at very high temperatures. While in chondrules, trapped noble gases have recently been detected, the presence of trapped gases in CAIs is unclear but could have important implications for CAI formation and for early solar system evolution in general. To reassess this question, He, Ne, and Ar isotopes were measured in small, carefully separated and, thus, uncontaminated samples of CAIs from the CV3 chondrites Allende, Axtell, and Efremovka. The ²⁰Ne/²²Ne ratios of all CAIs studied here are <0.9, indicating the absence of trapped Ne as, e.g., Ne‐HL, Ne‐Q, or solar wind Ne. The ²¹Ne/²²Ne ratios range from 0.86 to 0.72, with fine‐grained, more altered CAIs usually showing lower values than coarse‐grained, less altered CAIs. This is attributed to variable amounts of cosmogenic Ne produced from Na‐rich alteration phases rather than to the presence of Ne‐G or Ne‐R (essentially pure ²²Ne) in the samples. Our interpretation is supported by model calculations of the isotopic composition of cosmogenic Ne in minerals common in CAIs. The ³⁶Ar/³⁸Ar ratios are between 0.7 and 4.8, with fine‐grained CAIs within one meteorite showing higher ratios than the coarse‐grained ones. This agrees with higher concentrations of cosmogenic ³⁶Ar produced by neutron capture on ³⁵Cl with subsequent β^?‐decay in finer‐grained, more altered, and thus, more Cl‐rich CAIs than in coarser‐grained, less altered ones. Although our data do not strictly contradict the presence of small amounts of Ne‐G, Ne‐R, or trapped Ar in the CAIs, our noble gas signatures are most simply explained by cosmogenic production, mainly from Na‐, Ca‐, and Cl‐rich minerals.     

Petrology,chemistry, and isotopic compositions of the lunar highland regolith breccia Dar al Gani 262

Abstract— Lunar meteorite Dar al Gani 262 (DG 262)—found in the Libyan part of the Sahara—is a mature, anorthositic regolith breccia with highland affinities. The origin from the Moon is undoubtedly indicated by its bulk chemical composition; radionuclide concentrations; noble gas, N, and O isotopic compositions; and petrographic features. Dar al Gani 262 is a typical anorthositic highland breccia similar in mineralogy and chemical composition to Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 93069. About 52 vol% of the studied thin sections of Dar al Gani 262 consist of fine-grained(100 μm) constituents, and 48 vol% is mineral and lithic clasts and impact-melt veins. The most abundant clast types are feldspathic fine-grained to microporphyritic crystalline melt breccias (50.2 vol%; includes recrystallized melt breccias), whereas mafic crystalline melt breccias are extremely rare (1.4 vol%). Granulitic lithologies are 12.8 vol%, intragranularly recrystallized anorthosites and cataclastic anorthosites are 8.8 and 8.2 vol%, respectively, and (devitrified) glasses are 2.7 vol%. Impact-melt veins (5.5 vol% of the whole thin sections) cutting across the entire thin section were probably formed subsequent to the lithification process of the bulk rock at pressures below 20 GPa, because the bulk rock never experienced a higher peak shock pressure. Mafic crystalline melt breccias are very rare in Dar al Gani 262 and are similar in abundance to those in QUE 93069. The extremely low abundance of mafic components and the bulk composition may constrain possible areas of the Moon from which the breccia was derived. The source area of Dar al Gani 262 must be a highland terrain lacking significant mafic impact melts or mare components. On the basis of radionuclide activities, an irradiation position of DG 262 on the Moon at a depth of 55–85 g/cm³and a maximum transit time to Earth <0.15 Ma is suggested. Dar al Gani 262 contains high concentrations of solar-wind-implanted noble gases. The isotopic abundance ratio ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar < 3 is characteristic of lunar soils. The terrestrial weathering of DG 262 is reflected by the occurrence of fractures filled with calcite and by high concentrations of Ca, Ba, Cs, Br, and As. There is also a large amount of terrestrial C and some N in the sample, which was released at low temperatures during stepped heating. High concentrations of Ni, Co, and Ir indicate a significant meteoritic component in the lunar surface regolith from which DG 262 was derived.     

Lunar meteorite Queen Alexandra Range 93069: A lunar highland regolith breccia with very low abundances of mafic components

Abstract— Lunar meteorite QUE 93069 found in Antarctica is a mature, anorthitic regolith breccia with highland affinities that was ejected from the Moon <0.3 Ma ago. The frequency distribution of mineral and lithic clasts gives information about the nature of the regolith and subregolith basement near the ejection site as well as about the abundances of rock types shocked to different degrees prior to the breccia formation. Thin section QUE 93069,37 consists of 67.5 vol% fine-grained (<～130 μm) constituents and 32.5 vol% mineral and lithic clasts and an impact melt vein. The most abundant types of these clasts are intragranularly recrystallized anorthosites and plagioclases (together 26.3 vol%) and feldspathic fine-grained to microporphyritic crystalline melt breccias (21.9 vol%). Mafic crystalline melt breccias are extremely rare (1.3 vol%). Granulitic lithologies are 10.4 vol%, recrystallized feldspathic melt breccias are 15.0 vol%, and glasses are 3.5 vol%. The impact melt vein cutting across the entire thin section was probably formed subsequent to the lithification process of the bulk rock at pressures below 20 GPa, because the bulk rock never experienced a higher peak shock pressure. Lunar meteorite QUE 93069 has a higher abundance of clear glass, occurring within melt spherules, glassy fragments, and an impact melt vein than lunar meteorites ALHA81005, Y-791197, Y-82192/3, Y-86032, or MAC 88104/5. The high abundance of melt spherules indicates that this lunar meteorite contains the highest content of typical regolith components. Mafic crystalline melt breccias are much rarer in QUE 93069 than in all other lunar highland regolith breccias. The extremely low abundance of mafic components may constrain possible areas of the Moon, from which the breccia was derived. The source area of QUE 93069 must be a highland terrain lacking significant mafic impact melts or mare components.     

Cosmogenic nuclides in the solar gas‐rich H3–6 chondrite breccia Frontier Mountain 90174

Abstract— We re‐evaluated the cosmic‐ray exposure history of the H3‐6 chondrite shower Frontier Mountain (FRO) 90174, which previously was reported to have a simple exposure history, an irradiation time of about 7 Ma, and a pre‐atmospheric radius of 80–100 cm (Welten et al. 2001). Here we measured the concentrations and isotopic compositions of He, Ne, and Ar in 8 aliquots of 6 additional fragments of this shower, and ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al in the stone fractions of seven fragments. The radionuclide concentrations in the stone fractions, combined with those in the metal fractions, confirm that all samples are fragments of the FRO 90174 shower. Four of the fragments contain solarwind‐implanted noble gases with a solar ²⁰Ne/²²Ne ratio of ?12.0, indicating that FRO 90174 is a regolith breccia. The concentrations of solar gases and cosmogenic ²¹Ne in the samples analyzed by us and by Welten et al. (2001) overlap with those of the FRO H‐chondrites from the 1984 season, suggesting that many of these samples are also part of the large FRO 90174 chondrite shower. The cosmogenic ²¹Ne concentrations in FRO 90174 show no simple correlation with ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al activities. We found ²¹Ne excesses between 0.3‐1.1 × 10^?8cm³STP/g in 6 of the 17 samples. Since excess ²¹Ne and trapped solar gases are not homogeneously distributed, i.e., we found in one fragment aliquots with and without excess ²¹Ne and solar ²⁰Ne, we conclude that excess ²¹Ne is due to GCR irradiation of the regolith before compaction of the FRO 90174 object. Therefore, the chondrite shower FRO 90174 did not simply experience an exposure history, but some material was already irradiated at the surface of an asteroid leading to excess ²¹Ne. This excess ²¹Ne is correlated to implanted solar gases, clearly indicating that both processes occurred on the regolith.     

Protracted storage of CR chondrules in a region of the disk transparent to galactic cosmic rays

Renazzo‐type carbonaceous (CR) chondrites are accretionary breccias that formed last. As such they are ideal samples to study precompaction exposures to cosmic rays. Here, we present noble gas data for 24 chondrules and 3 dark inclusion samples (DIs) from Shi?r 033 (CR2). The meteorite was selected based on the absence of implanted solar wind noble gases and an anomalous oxygen isotopic composition of the DIs; the oxygen isotopes match those in CV3 and CO3 chondrites. Our samples contain variable mixtures of galactic cosmic ray (GCR)‐produced cosmogenic noble gases and trapped noble gases of presolar origin. Remarkably, all chondrules have cosmogenic ³He and ²¹Ne concentrations up to 4.3 and 7.1 times higher than the DIs, respectively. We derived an average ³He‐²¹Ne cosmic ray exposure (CRE) age for Shi?r 033 of 2.03 ± 0.20 Ma (2 SD) and excesses in cosmogenic ³He and ²¹Ne in chondrules (relative to the DIs) in the range (in 10^?8 cm³STP/g) 3.99–7.76 and 0.94–1.71, respectively. Assuming present‐day GCR flux density, the excesses translate into average precompaction ³He‐²¹Ne CRE ages of 3.1–27.3 Ma depending on the exposure geometry. The data can be interpreted assuming a protracted storage of a single chondrule generation prior to the final assembly of the Shi?r 033 parent body in a region of the disk transparent to GCRs.     

Interior textures,chemical compositions,and noble gas signatures of Antarctic cosmic spherules: Possible sources of spherules with long exposure ages

Abstract– The interior texture and chemical and noble gas composition of 99 cosmic spherules collected from the meteorite ice field around the Yamato Mountains in Antarctica were investigated. Their textures were used to classify the spherules into six different types reflecting the degree of heating: 13 were cryptocrystalline, 40 were barred olivine, 3 were porphyritic A, 24 were porphyritic B, 9 were porphyritic C, and 10 were partially melted spherules. While a correlation exists between the type of spherule and its noble gas content, there is no significant correlation between its chemical composition and noble gas content. Fifteen of the spherules still had detectable amounts of extraterrestrial He, and the majority of them had ³He/⁴He ratios that were close to that of solar wind (SW). The Ne isotopic composition of 28 of the spherules clustered between implantation‐fractionated SW and air. Extraterrestrial Ar, confirmed to be present because it had a ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratio lower than that of terrestrial atmosphere, was found in 35 of the spherules. An enigmatic spherule, labeled M240410, had an extremely high concentration of cosmogenic nuclides. Assuming 4π exposure to galactic and solar cosmic rays as a micrometeoroid and no exposure on the parent body, the cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) age of 393 Myr could be computed using cosmogenic ²¹Ne. Under these model assumptions, the inferred age suggests that the particle might have been an Edgeworth‐Kuiper Belt object. Alternatively, if exposure near the surface of its parent body was dominant, the CRE age of 382 Myr can be estimated from the cosmogenic ³⁸Ar using the production rate of the 2π exposure geometry, and implies that the particle may have originated in the mature regolith of an asteroid.     

Noble gases in the Martian meteorite Northwest Africa 2737: A new chassignite signature

Abstract— We report noble gas data for the second chassignite, Northwest Africa (NWA) 2737, which was recently found in the Moroccan desert. The cosmic ray exposure (CRE) age based on cosmogenic ³He, ²¹Ne, and ³⁸Ar around 10–11 Ma is comparable to the CRE ages of Chassigny and the nakhlites and indicates ejection of meteorites belonging to these two families during a discrete event, or a suite of discrete events having occurred in a restricted interval of time. In contrast, U‐Th/He and K/Ar ages <0.5 Ga are in the range of radiometric ages of shergottites, despite a Sm‐Nd signature comparable to that of Chassigny and the nakhlites (Misawa et al. 2005). Overall, the noble gas signature of NWA 2737 resembles that of shergottites rather than that of Chassigny and the nakhlites: NWA 2737 does not contain, in detectable amount, the solar‐like xenon found in Chassigny and thought to characterize the Martian mantle nor apparently fission xenon from ²⁴⁴Pu, which is abundant in Chassigny and some of the nakhlites. In contrast, NWA 2737 contains Martian atmospheric noble gases trapped in amounts comparable to those found in shergottite impact glasses. The loss of Martian mantle noble gases, together with the trapping of Martian atmospheric gases, could have occurred during assimilation of Martian surface components, or more likely during shock metamorphism, which is recorded in the petrology of this meteorite.     

Noble gas compositions of Antarctic micrometeorites collected at the Dome Fuji Station in 1996 and 1997

Abstract— The noble gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe were measured in 27 individual Antarctic micrometeorites (AMMs) in the size range 60 to 250 μm that were collected at the Dome Fuji Station. Eleven of the AMMs were collected in 1996 (F96 series) and 16 were collected in 1997 (F97 series). One of the F97 AMMs is a totally melted spherule, whereas all other particles are irregular in shape. Noble gases were extracted using a Nd‐YAG continuous wave laser with an output power of 2.5‐3.5 W for ?5 min. Most particles released measurable amounts of noble gases. ³He/⁴He ratios are determined for 26 AMMs ((0.85‐9.65) × 10^?4). Solar energetic particles (SEP) are the dominant source of helium in most AMMs rather than solar wind (SW) and cosmogenic He. Three samples had higher ³He/⁴He ratios compared to that of SW, showing the presence of spallogenic ³He. The Ne isotopic composition of most AMMs resembled that of SEP as in the case of helium. Spallogenic ²¹Ne was detected in three samples, two of which had extremely long cosmic‐ray exposure ages (> 100 Ma), calculated by assuming solar cosmic‐ray (SCR) + galactic cosmic‐ray (GCR) production. These two particles may have come to Earth directly from the Kuiper Belt. Most AMMs had negligible amounts of cosmogenic ²¹ Ne and exposure ages of <1 Ma. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios for all particles (3.9–289) were lower than that of the terrestrial atmosphere (296), indicating an extraterrestrial origin of part of the Ar with a very low ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratio plus some atmospheric contamination. Indeed, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios for the AMMs are higher than SW, SEP, and Q‐Ar values, which is explained by the presence of atmospheric ⁴⁰Ar. The average ³⁸Ar/³⁶Ar ratio of 24 AMMs (0.194) is slightly higher than the value of atmospheric or Q‐Ar, suggesting the presence of SEP‐Ar which has a relatively high ³⁸Ar/³⁶Ar ratio. According to the elemental compositions of the heavy noble gases, Dome Fuji AMMs can be classified into three groups: chondritic (eight particles), air‐affected (nine particles), and solar‐affected (eight particles). The eight AMMs classified as chondritic preserve the heavy noble gas composition of primordial trapped component due to lack of atmospheric adsorption and solar implantation. The average of ¹²⁹Xe/¹³²Xe ratio for the 16 AMMs not affected by atmospheric contamination (1.05) corresponds to the values in matrices of carbonaceous chondrites (?1.04). One AMM, F96DK038, has high ¹²⁹Xe/¹³²Xe in excess of this ratio. Our results imply that most Dome Fuji AMMs originally had chondritic heavy noble gas compositions, and carbonaceous chondrite‐like objects are appropriate candidate sources for most AMMs.     

Geochemistry and 40Ar‐39Ar geochronology of impact‐melt clasts in feldspathic lunar meteorites: Implications for lunar bombardment history

Abstract— We studied 42 impact‐melt clasts from lunar feldspathic regolith breccias MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 88105, Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 93069, Dar al Gani (DaG) 262, and DaG 400 for texture, chemical composition, and/or chronology. Although the textures are similar to the impactmelt clasts identified in mafic Apollo and Luna samples, the meteorite clasts are chemically distinct from them, having lower Fe, Ti, K, and P, thus representing previously unsampled impacts. The ⁴⁰Ar‐³⁹Ar ages on 31 of the impact melts, the first ages on impact‐melt samples from outside the region of the Apollo and Luna sampling sites, range from ～4 to ～2.5 Ga. We interpret these samples to have been created in at least six, and possibly nine or more, different impact events. One inferred impact event may be consistent with the Apollo impact‐melt rock age cluster at 3.9 Ga, but the meteorite impact‐melt clasts with this age are different in chemistry from the Apollo samples, suggesting that the mechanism responsible for the 3.9 Ga peak in lunar impact‐melt clast ages is a lunar‐wide phenomenon. No meteorite impact melts have ages more than 1s? older than 4.0 Ga. This observation is consistent with, but does not require, a lunar cataclysm.     

He and Ne in individual chromite grains from the regolith breccia Ghubara (L5): Exploring the history of the L chondrite parent body regolith

We analyzed He and Ne in chromite grains from the regolith breccia Ghubara (L5), to compare it with He and Ne in sediment‐dispersed extraterrestrial chromite (SEC) grains from mid‐Ordovician sediments. These SEC grains arrived on Earth as micrometeorites in the aftermath of the L chondrite parent body (LCPB) breakup event, 470 Ma ago. A significant fraction of them show prolonged exposure to galactic cosmic rays for up to several 10 Ma. The majority of the cosmogenic noble gases in these grains were probably acquired in the regolith of the LCPB (Meier et al. 2010 ). Ghubara, an L chondritic regolith breccia with an Ar‐Ar shock age of 470 Ma, is a sample of that regolith. We find cosmic‐ray exposure ages of up to several 10 Ma in some Ghubara chromite grains, confirming for the first time that individual chromite grains with such high exposure ages indeed existed in the LCPB regolith, and that the >10 Ma cosmic‐ray exposure ages found in recent micrometeorites are thus not necessarily indicative of an origin in the Kuiper Belt. Some Ghubara chromite grains show much lower concentrations of cosmogenic He and Ne, indicating that the 4π (last‐stage) exposure age of the Ghubara meteoroid lasted only 4–6 Ma. This exposure age is considerably shorter than the 15–20 Ma suggested before from bulk analyses, indicating that bulk samples have seen regolith pre‐exposure as well. The shorter last‐stage exposure age probably links Ghubara to a small peak of ⁴⁰Ar‐poor L5 chondrites of the same exposure age. Furthermore, and quite unexpectedly, we find a Ne component similar to presolar Ne‐HL in the chromite grains, perhaps indicating that some presolar Ne can be preserved even in meteorites of petrologic type 5.