Reflectance spectra of iron meteorites: Implications for spectral identification of their parent bodies

Abstract– The 0.35–2.5 μm reflectance spectra of iron meteorite powders and slabs have been studied as a function of composition, surface texture (for slabs), grain size (for powders), and viewing geometry (for powders). Powder spectra are invariably red‐sloped over this wavelength interval and have a narrow range of visible albedos (approximately 10–15% at 0.56 μm). Metal (Fe:Ni) compositional variations have no systematic effect on the powder spectra, increasing grain size results in more red‐sloped spectra, and changes in viewing geometry have variable effects on overall reflectance and spectral slope. Roughened metal slab spectra have a wider, and higher, range of visible albedos than powders (22–74% at 0.56 μm), and are also red‐sloped. Smoother slabs exhibit greater differences from iron meteorite powder spectra, exhibiting wider variations in overall reflectance, spectral slopes, and spectral shapes. No unique spectral parameters exist that allow for powder and slab spectra to be fully separated in all cases. Spectral differences between slabs and powders can be used to constrain possible surface properties, and causes of rotational spectral variations, of M‐asteroids. The magnitude of spectral variations between M‐asteroids and rotational and spectral variability does not necessarily imply a dramatic change in surface properties, as the differences in albedo and/or spectral slope can be accommodated by modest changes in grain size (for powders), small changes in surface roughness (for slabs), or variations in viewing geometry. Since metal powders exhibit much less spectral variability than slabs, M‐asteroid spectral variability requires larger changes in either powder properties or viewing geometry than for slabs for a given degree of spectral variation.     

Siderophile and chalcophile element abundances in shergottites: Implications for Martian core formation

Elemental abundances for volatile siderophile and chalcophile elements for Mars inform us about processes of accretion and core formation. Such data are few for Martian meteorites, and are often lacking in the growing number of desert finds. In this study, we employed laser ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) to analyze polished slabs of 15 Martian meteorites for the abundances of about 70 elements. This technique has high sensitivity, excellent precision, and is generally accurate as determined by comparisons of elements for which literature abundances are known. However, in some meteorites, the analyzed surface is not representative of the bulk composition due to the over‐ or underrepresentation of a key host mineral, e.g., phosphate for rare earth elements (REE). For other meteorites, the range of variation in bulk rastered analyses of REE is within the range of variation reported among bulk REE analyses in the literature. An unexpected benefit has been the determination of the abundances of Ir and Os with a precision and accuracy comparable to the isotope dilution technique. Overall, the speed and small sample consumption afforded by this technique makes it an important tool widely applicable to small or rare meteorites for which a polished sample was prepared. The new volatile siderophile and chalcophile element abundances have been employed to determine Ge and Sb abundances, and revise Zn, As, and Bi abundances for the Martian mantle. The new estimates of Martian mantle composition support core formation at intermediate pressures (14 ± 3 GPa) in a magma ocean on Mars.     

Complexities on the acapulcoite‐lodranite parent body: Evidence from trace element distributions in silicate minerals

Abstract— The trace element distributions of individual minerals from seven acapulcoites and lodranites have been studied. Systematic differences are evident between some members of the two groups. Specifically, pyroxenes from the lodranites MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 88177 and Lewis Cliff (LEW) 88280 exhibit depletions of the rare earth elements (REE) and other incompatible trace elements (Ti, Zr, Y), relative to acapulcoite (Acapulco, Allan Hills (ALH) A81261) pyroxenes, that are consistent with the formation and removal of 15% or more silicate partial melts from these meteorites. Phosphate REE patterns in these lodranites also support this scenario. However, other members of the acapulcoite‐lodranite clan exhibit more complex trace element variations. Elephant Moraine (EET) 84302, which has been classified as transitional between the acapulcoites and lodranites, generally has trace element characteristics similar to the acapulcoites. However, its plagioclase REE compositions suggest a somewhat greater degree of metamorphism than that experienced by acapulcoites such as Acapulco and ALHA81261. Similar and elevated REE abundances in the silicate phases from acapulcoite ALHA81187 and lodranite Graves Nunataks (GRA) 95209 suggest that these two meteorites, in fact, experienced similar thermal histories. This probably included some silicate partial melting, although little melt appears to have been lost from the samples. The observed variations in the trace element abundances of these samples from the acapulcoite‐lodranite clan emphasize the complex and varied processes that have acted on their parent body. The simple bimodal classification of these meteorites based primarily on petrographic criteria, which has been used to date, appears to be inadequate to describe this diverse group of samples, as they represent a range of degrees of partial melting, both with and without accompanying melt migration. In some instances, secondary processes on the parent body, such as cryptic metasomatism, have further modified sample compositions.     

182Hf‐182W chronometry and the early evolution history in the acapulcoite‐lodranite parent body

Abstract— An acapulcoite, Northwest Africa (NWA) 725, a transitional acapulcoite, Graves Nunataks (GRA) 95209, and a lodranite, NWA 2235, have been studied with the short‐lived chronometer ¹⁸²Hf‐¹⁸²W system in order to better constrain the early evolution history in the acapulcoite‐lodranite parent body. Unlike the more evolved achondrites originating from differentiated asteroids—e.g., eucrites and angrites—bulk rock acapulcoites and lodranite are characterized by distinct ¹⁸²W deficits relative to the terrestrial W, as well as to the undifferentiated chondrites, ε_w varies from ?2.7 to ?2.4. This suggests that live‐¹⁸²Hf was present during the formation of acapulcoites and lodranites, and their parent body probably had never experienced a global melting event. Due to the large uncertainties associated with the isochron for each sample, the bulk isochron that regressed through the mineral separates from all 3 samples has provided the best estimate to date for the timing of metamorphism in the acapulcoite‐lodranite parent body, 5 (+6/‐5) Myr after the onset of the solar system. It is thus inconclusive whether acapulcoites and lodranites have shared the same petrogenetic origin, based on the Hf‐W data of this study. Nevertheless, the formation of acapulcoite‐lodranite clan appears to have post‐dated the metal‐silicate segregation in differentiated asteroids. This can be explained by a slower accretion rate for the acapulcoite‐lodranite parent body, or that it had never accreted to a critical mass that could allow the metal‐silicate segregation to occur naturally.     

Plausible parent bodies for enstatite chondrites and mesosiderites: Implications for Lutetia's fly-by

We present new irradiation experiments performed on the enstatite chondrite Eagle (EL6) and the mesosiderite Vaca Muerta. These experiments were performed with the aims of (a) quantifying the spectral effect of the solar wind on their parent asteroid surfaces and (b) identifying their parent bodies within the asteroid belt. For Vaca Muerta we observe a reddening and darkening of the reflectance spectrum with progressive irradiation, consistent with what is observed in the cases of silicates and silicate-rich meteorites such as OCs and HEDs. For Eagle we observe little spectral variation, and therefore we do not expect to observe a significant spectral difference between EC meteorites and their parent bodies. We evaluated possible parent bodies for both meteorites by comparing their VNIR spectra (before and after irradiation) with those of ∼400 main-belt asteroids. We found that 21 Lutetia (Rosetta's forthcoming fly-by target) and 97 Klotho (both Xc types in the new Bus-DeMeo taxonomy) have physical properties compatible with those of enstatite chondrite meteorites while 201 Penelope, 250 Bettina and 337 Devosa (all three are Xk types in the Bus-DeMeo taxonomy) are compatible with the properties of mesosiderites.     

Numerical models of the thermomechanical evolution of planetesimals: Application to the acapulcoite‐lodranite parent body

The acapulcoite‐lodranite meteorites are members of the primitive achondrite class. The observation of partial melting and resulting partial removal of Fe‐FeS indicates that this meteorite group could be an important link between achondrite and iron meteorites, on the one hand, and chondrite meteorites, on the other. Thus, a better understanding of the thermomechanical evolution of the parent body of this meteorite group can help improve our understanding of the evolution of early planetesimals. Here, we use 2‐D and 3‐D finite‐difference numerical models to determine the formation time, initial radius of the parent body of the acapulcoite‐lodranite meteorites, and their formation depth inside the body by applying available geochronological, thermal, and textural constraints to our numerical data. Our results indicate that the best fit to the data can be obtained for a parent body with 25–65 km radius, which formed around 1.3 Ma after calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions. The 2‐D and 3‐D results considering various initial temperatures and the effect of porosity indicate possible formation depths of the acapulcoite‐lodranite meteorites of 9–19 and 14–25 km, respectively. Our data also suggest that other meteorite classes could form at different depths inside the same parent body, supporting recently proposed models (Elkins‐Tanton et al. 2011 ; Weiss and Elkins‐Tanton 2013 ).     

Impact experiments of porous gypsum-glass bead mixtures simulating parent bodies of ordinary chondrites: Implications for re-accumulation processes related to rubble-pile formation

Laboratory impact experiments were conducted for gypsum-glass bead targets simulating the parent bodies of ordinary chondrites. The effects of the chondrules included in the parent bodies on impact disruption were experimentally investigated in order to determine the impact conditions for the formation of rubble-pile bodies after catastrophic disruption. The targets included glass beads with a diameter ranging from 100 μm to 3 mm and the volume fraction was 0.6, similar to that of ordinary chondrites, which is about 0.65-0.75. Nylon projectiles with diameters of 10 mm and 2 mm were impacted at 60-180 m s⁻¹ by a single-stage gas gun and at 4 km s⁻¹ by a two-stage light gas gun, respectively. The impact strength of the gypsum-glass bead target was found to range from 56 to 116 J kg⁻¹ depending on the glass bead size, and was several times smaller than that of the porous gypsum target, 446 J kg⁻¹ in low-velocity collisions. The impact strengths of the 100 μm bead target and the porous gypsum target strongly depended on the impact velocity: those obtained in high-velocity collisions were several times greater than those obtained in low-velocity collisions. The velocities of fragments ejected from two corners on the impact surface of the target, measured in the center of the mass system, were slightly dependent on the target materials, irrespective of impact velocity. These results suggest that chondrule-including planetesimals (CiPs) can reconstruct rubble-pile bodies in catastrophic disruptions at the size of the planetesimal smaller than that of planetesimals without chondrules.     

Sodic plagioclase thermometry of type 6 ordinary chondrites: Implications for the thermal histories of parent bodies

Abstract— The structural states of sodic plagioclase crystals of ～50 μm in size from three H6, two L6, and one LL6 chondritic meteorites have been determined by measuring the Δ131 parameter with a Gandolfi camera after analyzing chemical compositions. The temperature for each sodic plagioclase crystal has been determined by plotting the Δ131 parameter, corrected for the influence of K, on the relation diagram between the Δ131 parameter and the temperature of synthesis of sodic plagioclase by Smith (1972). The temperature obtained is assigned to the crystallization temperature of sodic plagioclase, and the maximum plagioclase temperature for each meteorite can be assumed to correspond to the maximum temperature attained by each meteorite during metamorphism. The maximum metamorphic temperatures estimated are 725–742 °C for the H6 chondrites, 808–820 °C for the L6 chondrites, and 800 °C for the LL6 chondrite. These temperatures are lower than those based on Ca contents of clinopyroxenes (Dodd, 1981; McSween et al., 1988) but are consistent with those based on Ca contents of orthopyroxenes (McSween and Patchen, 1989; Langenhorst et al., 1995; Jones, 1997). The K content of sodic plagioclase correlates with the temperature obtained from the structural state. This positive correlation suggests that sodic plagioclase has formed in the course of equilibration processes of alkali elements in prograde metamorphism (i.e., during heating processes). The results of this study (i.e., the maximum metamorphic temperature of the H6 chondrites is lower than that of the L6 chondrites by ～80 °C, and meteorites of the same chemical group show very similar maximum metamorphic temperatures) are in accordance with the predictions of calculations based on the ²⁶Al heat source and the onion-shell structure model of the parent bodies.     

Spectral properties and mineral compositions of acapulcoite–lodranite clan meteorites: Establishing S‐type asteroid–meteorite connections

Except for asteroid sample return missions, measurements of the spectral properties of both meteorites and asteroids offer the best possibility of linking meteorite groups with their parent asteroid(s). Visible plus near‐infrared spectra reveal distinguishing absorption features controlled mainly by the Fe²⁺ contents and modal abundances of olivine and pyroxene. Meteorite samples provide relationships between spectra and mineralogy. These relationships are useful for estimating the olivine and pyroxene mineralogy of stony (S‐type) asteroid surfaces. Using a suite of 10 samples of the acapulcoite–lodranite clan (ALC), we have developed new correlations between spectral parameters and mafic mineral compositions for partially melted asteroids. A well‐defined relationship exists between Band II center and ferrosilite (Fs) content of orthopyroxene. Furthermore, because Fs in orthopyroxene and fayalite (Fa) content in olivine are well correlated in these meteorites, the derived Fs content can be used to estimate Fa of the coexisting olivine. We derive new equations for determining the mafic silicate compositions of partially melted S‐type asteroid parent bodies. Stony meteorite spectra have previously been used to delineate meteorite analog spectral zones in Band I versus band area ratio (BAR) parameter space for the establishment of asteroid–meteorite connections with S‐type asteroids. However, the spectral parameters of the partially melted ALC overlap with those of ordinary (H) chondrites in this parameter space. We find that Band I versus Band II center parameter space reveals a clear distinction between the ALC and the H chondrites. This work allows the distinction of S‐type asteroids as nebular (ordinary chondrites) or geologically processed (primitive achondrites).     

The CR chondrite clan: Implications for early solar system processes

Abstract— In this paper, we review the mineralogy and chemistry of calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs), chondrules, FeNi‐metal, and fine‐grained materials of the CR chondrite clan, including CR, CH, and the metal‐rich CB chondrites Queen Alexandra Range 94411, Hammadah al Hamra 237, Bencubbin, Gujba, and Weatherford. The members of the CR chondrite clan are among the most pristine early solar system materials, which largely escaped thermal processing in an asteroidal setting (Bencubbin, Weatherford, and Gujba may be exceptions) and provide important constraints on the solar nebula models. These constraints include (1) multiplicity of CAI formation; (2) formation of CAIs and chondrules in spatially separated nebular regions; (3) formation of CAIs in gaseous reservoir(s) having ¹⁶O‐rich isotopic compositions; chondrules appear to have formed in the presence of ¹⁶O‐poor nebular gas; (4) isolation of CAIs and chondrules from nebular gas at various ambient temperatures; (5) heterogeneous distribution of ²⁶Al in the solar nebula; and (6) absence of matrix material in the regions of CAI and chondrule formation.     

Collisional modification of the acapulcoite/lodranite parent body revealed by the iodine‐xenon system in lodranites

Abstract— The I‐Xe system of three lodranites has been investigated. Samples of Gibson yielded no isochrons, and late model ages are attributed to late addition of iodine. Two metal and one silicate separate from the transitional lodranite Graves Nunataks (GRA) 95209 gave ages that are consistent with each other and with the literature I‐Xe age of Acapulco feldspar. These yield a mean closure age 4.19 ± 0.53 Ma after the Shallowater enstatite reference age (4562.3 ± 0.4 Ma). Such identical I‐Xe ages from distinct phases imply that the parent material underwent a period of rapid cooling, the absolute age of this event being 4558.1 ± 0.7 Ma. Such rapid cooling indicates an increase in the rate at which heat could be conducted away, requiring a significant modification of the parent body. We suggest the parent body was modified by an impact at or close to the time recorded by the I‐Xe system. An age of 10.4 ± 2.3 Ma after Shallowater has been determined for one whole‐rock sample of Lewis Cliff (LEW) 88280. Since the release pattern is similar to that of GRA 95209 this hints that the larger grain size of this sample may reflect slower cooling due to deeper post impact burial.     

Vesta as the howardite,eucrite and diogenite parent body: Implications for the size of a core and for large-scale differentiation

Abstract— If Vesta is the parent body of the howardite, eucrite, and diogenite (HED) meteorites, then geo-chemical and petrologic constraints for the meteorites may be used in conjunction with astronomical constraints for the size and mass of Vesta to (1) determine the size of a possible metal core in Vesta and (2) model the igneous differentiation and internal structure of Vesta. The density of Vesta and petrologic models for HED meteorites together suggest that the amount of metal in the parent body is <25 mass%, with a best estimate of ～5%, assuming no porosity. For a porosity of up to 5% in the silicate fraction of the asteroid, the permissible metal content is <30%. These results suggest that any metal core in the HED parent body and Vesta is not unusually large. A variety of geochemical and other data for HED meteorites are consistent with the idea that they originated in a magma ocean. It appears that diogenites formed by crystal accumulation in a magma ocean cumulate pile and that most noncumulate eucrites (excepting such eucrites as Bouvante and Statinem) formed by subsequent crystallization of the residual melts. Modelling results suggest that the HED parent body is enriched in rare earth elements by a factor of ～2.5–3.5 relative to CI-chondrites and that it has approximately chondritic Mg/Si and Al/Sc ratios. Stokes settling calculations for a Vesta-wide, nonturbulent magma ocean suggest that early-crystallizing magnesian olivine, orthopyroxene, and pigeonite would have settled relatively quickly, permitting fractional crystallization to occur, but that later-crystallizing phases would have settled (or floated) an order of magnitude more slowly, allowing, instead, a closer approach to equilibrium crystallization for the more evolved (eucritic) melts. This would have inhibited the formation of a plagioclase-flotation crust on Vesta. Plausible models for the interior of Vesta, which are consistent with the data for HED meteorites and Vesta, include a metal core (<130 km radius), an olivine-rich mantle (～65–220 km thick), a lower crustal unit (～12–43 km thick) composed of pyroxenite, from which diogenites were derived, and an upper crustal unit (～23–42 km thick), from which eucrites originated. The present shape of Vesta (with ～60 km difference in the maximum and minimum radius) suggests that all of the crustal materials, and possibly some of the underlying olivine from the mantle, could have been locally excavated or exposed by impact cratering.     

Feldspar in type 4–6 ordinary chondrites: Metamorphic processing on the H and LL chondrite parent bodies

Abstract– We have carried out a study of feldspar compositions in a suite of H and LL ordinary chondrites, of petrologic types 4, 5, and 6, in order to examine the process of recrystallization and equilibration of feldspar as the degree of metamorphism increases. In the H chondrites, there is little variation in feldspar compositions among the petrologic types, suggesting that homogenization of chondrule mesostasis, from which feldspar is presumed to have crystallized, occurred before feldspar crystallization began. The LL chondrites we studied are more complex. In Bjurböle (L/LL4), plagioclase in individual relict chondrules has distinct compositions, with a range of An/Ab ratios and low Or contents. This heterogeneity is most likely attributable to original compositional heterogeneity among chondrule mesostases: localized recrystallization of mesostasis must have occurred before diffusional equilibration took place. In Tuxtuac (LL5), the An/Ab ratio of plagioclase is more homogeneous, and plagioclase includes a significant Or component. In addition, we observe what appears to be exsolution of K‐feldspar from albitic host grains. In Saint Séverin (LL6), the An/Ab ratio of plagioclase is homogeneous, but plagioclase compositions show a range of Or contents, corresponding to a patchy distribution of K in individual feldspar grains. The observations in these LL chondrites are difficult to interpret with a simple model of progressive equilibration with increasing petrologic type. We suggest that the current criteria for assigning petrologic types are poorly defined: it is possible that the assigned petrologic types of these chondrites do not correlate with their peak temperatures. We propose that feldspar compositions might record conditions during the heating stage of metamorphism, and that the early stages of metamorphism may have occurred in the presence of fluids, rather than under the dry conditions that are commonly assumed.     

The problem of linking minor meteor showers to their parent bodies: initial considerations

Efforts to link minor meteor showers to their parent bodies have been hampered both by the lack of high-accuracy orbits for weak showers and the incompleteness of our sample of potential parent bodies. The Canadian Meteor Orbital Radar (CMOR) has accumulated over one million meteor orbits. From this large data set, the existence of weak showers and the accuracy of the mean orbits of these showers can be improved. The ever-growing catalogue of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) provides the complimentary data set for the linking procedure. By combining a detailed examination of the background of sporadic meteors near the orbit in question (which the radar data makes possible) and by computing the statistical significance of any shower association (which the improved NEA sample allows) any proposed shower–parent link can be tested much more thoroughly than in the past. Additional evidence for the links is provided by a single-station meteor radar at the CMOR site which can be used to dispel confusion between very weak showers and statistical fluctuations in the sporadic background. The use of these techniques and data sets in concert will allow us to confidently link some weak streams to their parent bodies on a statistical basis, while at the same time showing that previously identified minor showers have little or no activity and that some previously suggested linkages may simply be chance alignments.     

Evidence for common breakup events of the acapulcoites‐lodranites and chondrites

Abstract— Acapulcoites and lodranites are believed to originate on a common parent body and to represent some of the earliest events in the differentiation of the chondritic asteroids. We have conducted isotopic studies of the noble gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe, and determinations of the concentrations of the major elements and of the radionuclides ¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al, and ³⁶Cl in an attempt to constrain the cosmic‐ray exposure history of two members of the acapulcoite‐lodranite clan recovered in Antarctica: Frontier Mountain (FRO) 95029 and Graves Nunataks (GRA) 95209. From cosmic‐ray‐produced ³He, ²¹Ne, and ³⁸Ar and appropriate production rates, we derive parent‐body breakup times of 4.59 ± 0.60 and 6.82 ± 0.60 Ma for FOR 95029 and GRA 95209, respectively. These times are consistent with those obtained from the pairs ¹⁰Be‐²¹Ne and ²⁶Al‐²¹Ne; whereas the times inferred from the pair ³⁶Cl‐³⁶Ar are slightly longer, perhaps because the ³⁶Cl activities decreased as a result of decay on Earth. Terrestrial ages up to ～50 ka for the two meteorites are consistent with the measured ³⁶Cl activities of the metal phases. All acapulcoites and lodranites dated until now show cosmic‐ray exposure ages in the range of 4–10 Ma. This is the same range as that found for the major exposure age cluster of the H chondrites. As a common parent body is improbable on the basis of the O‐isotopic systematics, a common set of impactors might have affected the asteroid belt 4–10 Ma ago.     

Impact processing of chondritic planetesimals: Siderophile and volatile element fractionation in the Chico L chondrite

Abstract— A large impact event 500 Ma ago shocked and melted portions of the L‐chondrite parent body. Chico is an impact melt breccia produced by this event. Sawn surfaces of this 105 kg meteorite reveal a dike of fine‐grained, clast‐poor impact melt cutting shocked host chondrite. Coarse (1–2 cm diameter) globules of FeNi metal + sulfide are concentrated along the axis of the dike from metal‐poor regions toward the margins. Refractory lithophile element abundance patterns in the melt rock are parallel to average L chondrites, demonstrating near‐total fusion of the L‐chondrite target by the impact and negligible crystal‐liquid fractionation during emplacement and cooling of the dike. Significant geochemical effects of the impact melting event include fractionation of siderophile and chalcophile elements with increasing metal‐silicate heterogeneity, and mobilization of moderately to highly volatile elements. Siderophile and chalcophile elements ratios such as Ni/Co, Cu/Ga, and Ir/Au vary systematically with decreasing metal content of the melt. Surprisingly small (?10²) effective metal/silicate‐melt distribution coefficients for highly siderophile elements probably reflect inefficient segregation of metal despite the large degrees of melting. Moderately volatile lithophile elements such K and Rb were mobilized and heterogeneously distributed in the L‐chondrite impact breccias whereas highly volatile elements such as Cs and Pb were profoundly depleted in the region of the parent body sampled by Chico. Volatile element variations in Chico and other L chondrites are more consistent with a mechanism related to impact heating rather than condensation from a solar nebula. Impact processing can significantly alter the primary distributions of siderophile and volatile elements in chondritic planetesimals.     

Highly siderophile element and osmium isotope evidence for postcore formation magmatic and impact processes on the aubrite parent body

Abstract– Aubrites exhibit a wide range of highly siderophile element (HSE—Re, Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Pt, Pd, Au) concentrations and ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os compositions. Their HSE concentrations are one to three orders of magnitude less than chondrites, with the exception of the Shallowater and Mt. Egerton samples. While most aubrites show chondritic HSE abundance ratios, significant enrichments of Pd and Re relative to Os, Ir, and Ru are observed in 12 of 16 samples. Present‐day ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios range from subchondritic values of 0.1174 to superchondritic values of up to 0.2263. Half of the samples have ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios of 0.127 to 0.130, which is in the range of enstatite chondrites. Along with the brecciated nature of aubrites, the HSE and Re‐Os isotope systematics support a history of extensive postaccretion processing, including core formation, late addition of chondritic material and/or core material and potential breakup and reassembly. Highly siderophile element signatures for some aubrites are consistent with a mixing of HSE‐rich chondritic fragments with a HSE‐free aubrite matrix. The enrichments in incompatible HSE such as Pd and Re observed in some aubrites, reminiscent of terrestrial basalts, suggest an extensive magmatic and impact history, which is supported by both the ¹⁸⁷Re‐¹⁸⁷Os isotope system and silicate‐hosted isotope systems (Rb‐Sr, K‐Ar) yielding young formation ages of 1.3–3.9 Ga for a subset of samples. Compared with other differentiated achondrites derived from small planetary bodies, aubrites show a wide range in HSE concentrations and ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os, most similar to angrites. While similarities exist between the diverse groups of achondrites formed early in solar system history, the aubrite parent body(ies) clearly underwent a distinct evolution, different from angrites, brachinites, ureilites, howardites, eucrites, and diogenites.     

Microimpact phenomena on Australasian microtektites: Implications for ejecta plume characteristics and lunar surface processes

Abstract— Detailed investigations of the microimpact phenomena on Australasian microtektites from four samples from the Central Indian Basin reveal an array of features, such as very low-velocity captured droplets, welded projectiles, angular fragments and dust, craters generated by projectiles defining an oblique trajectory, high-velocity “pitless” craters, and the conventional hypervelocity craters with well-defined central pits and radial and concentric cracks—found commonly on lunar surface materials. The microimpacts are a consequence of interparticle collisions within the ejecta plume (as suggested by their chemistry) subsequent to a major impact and, therefore, reveal processes inherent in an impact-generated plume. All the impact phenomena observed here have taken place while the targets and projectiles were in flight and are therefore secondary impacts in lunar terms. However, some of the resultant features are analogous to lunar micro-craters attributed to primary impacts by cosmic dust. Therefore, ballistic sedimentation on the Moon is likely to contain plume collisional debris as well.     

39Ar‐40Ar chronology of the enstatite chondrite parent bodies

Ar‐Ar isochron ages of EL chondrites suggest closure of the K‐Ar system at 4.49 ± 0.01 Ga for EL5 and 6 chondrites, and 4.45 ± 0.01 Ga for EL3 MAC 88136. The high‐temperature release regimes contain a mixture of radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar* and trapped primordial argon (solar or Q‐type) with ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar_TR ~ 0 , which does not affect the ⁴⁰Ar budget. The low‐temperature extractions show evidence of an excess ⁴⁰Ar component. The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar is 180–270; it is defined by intercept values of isochron regression. Excess ⁴⁰Ar is only detectable in petrologic types >4/5. These lost most of their primordial ³⁶Ar from low‐temperature phases during metamorphism and retrapped excess ⁴⁰Ar. The origin of this excess ⁴⁰Ar component is probably related to metamorphic Ar mobilization, homogenization of primordial and in situ radiogenic Ar, and trapping of Ar by distinct low‐temperature phases. Ar‐Ar ages of EH chondrites are more variable and show clear evidence of a major impact‐induced partial resetting at about 2.2 Ga ago or alternatively, prolonged metamorphic decomposition of major K carrier phases. EH impact melt LAP 02225 displayed the highest Ar‐Ar isochron age of 4.53 ± 0.01 Ga. This age sets a limit of about 25–45 Ma for the age bias between the K‐Ar and U‐Pb decay systems.     

The Kapoeta howardite: Implications for the regolith evolution of the howardite-eucrite-diogenite parent body

Abstract— A large hand sample and numerous polished thin sections, made from the hand sample, of the Kapoeta howardite and its many diverse lithic clasts were studied in detail by optical microscopy and electron microprobe techniques in an attempt to understand the surface processes that operated on the howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) parent body (most likely the asteroid 4 Vesta). Four unique, unusually large clasts, designated A (mafic breccia), B (granoblastic eucrite), D (howardite) and H (melt-coated breccia), were selected for detailed study (modal analysis, mineral microprobe analysis, and noble gas measurements). Petrographic studies reveal that Kapoeta consists of a fine-grained matrix made mostly of minute pyroxene and plagioclase fragments, into which are embedded numerous different lithic and mineral clasts of highly variable sizes. The lithic clasts include pyroxene-plagioclase (eucrite), orthopyroxenite (diogenite), howardite, impact-melt, metal-sulfide-rich, and carbonaceous chondrite clasts. The howardite clasts include examples of lithic clasts that constitute breccias-within-breccias, suggesting that at least two regolith generations are represented in the Kapoeta sample we studied. The clast assemblage suggests that repeated shock lithification was an important process during regolith evolution. Noble gas analyses of clast samples fall into two populations: (a) solar-gas-rich clasts H (rim only) and D and (b) clasts A and B, which are essentially free of solar gases. The concentrations of solar noble gases in the two matrix samples differ by a factor of ～40. It appears that clast D is a true regolith breccia within the Kapoeta howardite (breccia-within-breccia), while clast H is a regolith breccia that has been significantly impact reworked. Our data indicate that the Kapoeta howardite is an extraordinarily heterogeneous rock in modal mineral and lithic clast abundances, grain size distributions, solar-wind noble gas concentrations and cosmic-ray exposure ages. These results illustrate the repetitive nature of impact comminution and lithification in the regolith of the HED parent body.