The irradiation history of the Ghubara (L5) regolith breccia

Abstract— We measured cosmic‐ray products—noble gases, radionuclides, thermoluminescence, and nuclear tracks—and trace element contents and mineralogy of samples of three orthogonal and mutually intersecting cores (41–46 cm long) of a 101.6 kg Ghubara individual (1958,805) at The Natural History Museum, London. The xenoliths, like the host, have high concentrations of trapped solar gases and are heavily shocked. While contents of noble gases and degree of shock‐loading in this individual and three others differ somewhat, the data indicate that Ghubara is a two‐generation regolith breccia. Contents of cosmogenic ²⁶Al and ¹⁰Be and low track densities indicate that the Ghubara individuals were located more than 15 cm below the surface of an 85 cm meteoroid. Because of its large size, Ghubara's cosmic‐ray exposure age is poorly defined to be 15–20 Ma from cosmogenic nuclides. Ghubara's terrestrial age, based on ¹⁴C data, is 2–3 ka. Not only is Ghubara the first known case of a two‐generation regolith breccia on the macroscale, it also has a complicated thermal and irradiation history.     

Orbit and origin of the LL7 chondrite Dishchii'bikoh (Arizona)

The trajectory and orbit of the LL7 ordinary chondrite Dishchii'bikoh are derived from low‐light video observations of a fireball first detected at 10:56:26 UTC on June 2, 2016. Results show a relatively steep ~21° inclined orbit and a short 1.13 AU semimajor axis. Following entry in Earth's atmosphere, the meteor luminosity oscillated corresponding to a meteoroid spin rate of 2.28 ± 0.02 rotations per second. A large fragment broke off at 44 km altitude. Further down, mass was lost to dust during flares at altitudes of 34, 29, and 25 km. Surviving meteorites were detected by Doppler weather radar and several small 0.9–29 g meteorites were recovered under the radar reflection footprint. Based on cosmogenic radionuclides and ground‐based radiometric observations, the Dishchii'bikoh meteoroid was 80 ± 20 cm in diameter assuming the density was 3.5 g/cm³. The meteoroid's collisional history confirms that the unusual petrologic class of LL7 does not require a different parent body than three previously observed LL chondrite falls. Dishchii'bikoh was ejected 11 Ma ago from parent body material that has a 4471 ± 6 Ma U‐Pb age, the same as that of Chelyabinsk (4452 ± 21 Ma). The distribution of the four known pre‐impact LL chondrite orbits is best matched by dynamical modeling if the source of LL chondrites is in the inner asteroid belt in a low inclined orbit, with the highly inclined Dishchii'bikoh being the result of interactions with Earth before impacting.     

Mineralogy,petrology, chronology,and exposure history of the Chelyabinsk meteorite and parent body

Three masses of the Chelyabinsk meteorite have been studied with a wide range of analytical techniques to understand the mineralogical variation and thermal history of the Chelyabinsk parent body. The samples exhibit little to no postentry oxidation via Mössbauer and Raman spectroscopy indicating their fresh character, but despite the rapid collection and care of handling some low levels of terrestrial contamination did nonetheless result. Detailed studies show three distinct lithologies, indicative of a genomict breccia. A light‐colored lithology is LL5 material that has experienced thermal metamorphism and subsequent shock at levels near S4. The second lithology is a shock‐darkened LL5 material in which the darkening is caused by melt and metal‐troilite veins along grain boundaries. The third lithology is an impact melt breccia that formed at high temperatures (~1600 °C), and it experienced rapid cooling and degassing of S₂ gas. Portions of light and dark lithologies from Chel‐101, and the impact melt breccias (Chel‐102 and Chel‐103) were prepared and analyzed for Rb‐Sr, Sm‐Nd, and Ar‐Ar dating. When combined with results from other studies and chronometers, at least eight impact events (e.g., ~4.53 Ga, ~4.45 Ga, ~3.73 Ga, ~2.81 Ga, ~1.46 Ga, ~852 Ma, ~312 Ma, and ~27 Ma) are clearly identified for Chelyabinsk, indicating a complex history of impacts and heating events. Finally, noble gases yield young cosmic ray exposure ages, near 1 Ma. These young ages, together with the absence of measurable cosmogenic derived Sm and Cr, indicate that Chelyabinsk may have been derived from a recent breakup event on an NEO of LL chondrite composition.     

Cover

Cover: The largest fragment (1.32 kg) found within the Stubenberg meteorite strewn field. The meteorite fell on March 6, 2016, near Stubenberg (Bavaria, Germany). Six meteorite fragments, totaling 1473 g, were recovered so far. Details of the meteorite and the fall circumstances are discussed by Bischoff et al. in their article on pp. 1683–1703. Image courtesy of Rico Mettler.     

Young asteroid mixing revealed in ordinary chondrites: The case of NWA 5764, a polymict LL breccia with L clasts

Polymict chondritic breccias—rocks composed of fragments originating from different chondritic parent bodies—are of particular interest because they give insights into the mixing of asteroids in the main asteroid belt (occurrence, encounter velocity, transfer time). We describe Northwest Africa (NWA) 5764, a brecciated LL6 chondrite that contains a >16 cm³ L4 clast. The L clast was incorporated in the breccia through a nondestructive, low‐velocity impact. Identical cosmic‐ray exposure ages of the L clast and the LL host (36.6 ± 5.8 Myr), suggest a short transfer time of the L meteoroid to the LL parent body of 0.1 ± 8.1 Myr, if that meteoroid was no larger than a few meters. NWA 5764 (together with St. Mesmin, Dimmitt, and Glanerbrug) shows that effective mixing is possible between ordinary chondrite parent bodies. In NWA 5764 this mixing occurred after the peak of thermal metamorphism on the LL parent body, i.e., at least several tens of Myr after the formation of the solar system. The U,Th‐He ages of the L clast and LL host, identical at about 2.9 Ga, might date the final assembly of the breccia, indicating relatively young mixing in the main asteroid belt as previously evidenced in St. Mesmin.     

Itawa Bhopji (L3–5) chondrite regolith breccia: Fall,classification, and cosmogenic records

Abstract— A stony meteorite fell at Itawa Bhopji, Rajasthan, India on 2000 May 30. This is the fifth recorded fall in a small area of Rajasthan during the past decade. The meteorite is an ordinary chondrite with light clasts in a dark matrix, consisting of a mixture of equilibrated (mainly type 5) and unequilibrated components. Olivine is Fa_24–26 and pyroxene Fs_20–22 but, within the unequilibrated components, olivine (Fa_5–29) and low calcium pyroxene (Fs_5–37) are highly variable. Based on petrographic studies and chemical analyses, it is classified as L(3–5) regolith breccia. Studies of various cosmogenic records, including several gamma‐emitting radionuclides varying in half‐life from 5.6 day ⁵²Mn to 0.73 Ma ²⁶Al, tracks and rare gases have been carried out. The exposure age of the meteorite is estimated from cosmogenic components of rare gases to be 19.6 Ma. The track density varies by a factor of ?3 (from 4 to 12 times 10⁶/cm²) within the meteorite, indicating a preatmospheric body of ?9 cm radius (corresponding to a meteoroid mass of ?11 kg) and small ablation (1.5 to 3.6 cm). Trapped components in various rare gases are high and the solar component is present in the dark portion of the meteorite. Large excess of neutron‐produced ⁸²Kr and ¹²⁸Xe in both the light and the dark lithology but very low ⁶⁰Co, indicating low neutron fluxes received by the meteoroid in the interplanetary space, are clear signatures of an additional irradiation on the parent body.     

Cosmic ray exposure and pre‐atmospheric size of the Gebel Kamil iron meteorite

Cosmogenic He, Ne, and Ar as well as the radionuclides ¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al, ³⁶Cl, ⁴¹Ca, ⁵³Mn, and ⁶⁰Fe have been determined on samples from the Gebel Kamil ungrouped Ni‐rich iron meteorite by noble gas mass spectrometry and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), respectively. The meteorite is associated with the Kamil crater in southern Egypt, which is about 45 m in diameter. Samples originate from an individual large fragment (“Individual”) as well as from shrapnel. Concentrations of all cosmogenic nuclides—stable and radioactive—are lower by a factor 3–4 in the shrapnel samples than in the Individual. Assuming negligible ³⁶Cl decay during terrestrial residence (indicated by the young crater age <5000 years; Folco et al. 2011 ), data are consistent with a simple exposure history and a ³⁶Cl‐³⁶Ar cosmic ray exposure age (CRE) of approximately (366 ± 18) Ma (systematic errors not included). Both noble gases and radionuclides point to a pre‐atmospheric radius >85 cm, i.e., a pre‐atmospheric mass >20 tons, with a preferred radius of 115–120 cm (50–60 tons). The analyzed samples came from a depth of approximately 20 cm (Individual) and approximately 50–80 cm (shrapnel). The size of the Gebel Kamil meteoroid determined in this work is close to estimates based on impact cratering models combined with expectations for ablation during passage through the atmosphere (Folco et al. 2010 , 2011 ).     

The Maribo CM2 meteorite fall—Survival of weak material at high entry speed

High entry speed (>25 km s^?1) and low density (<2500 kg m^?3) are the two factors that lower the chance of a meteoroid to drop meteorites. The 26 g carbonaceous (CM2) meteorite Maribo recovered in Denmark in 2009 was delivered by a bright bolide observed by several instruments across northern and central Europe. By reanalyzing the available data, we confirmed the previously reported high entry speed of (28.3 ± 0.3) km s^?1 and trajectory with slope of 31° to the horizontal. In order to understand how such a fragile material survived, we applied three different models of meteoroid atmospheric fragmentation to the detailed bolide light curve obtained by radiometers located in Czech Republic. The Maribo meteoroid was found to be quite inhomogeneous with different parts fragmenting at different dynamic pressures. While 30–40% of the (2000 ± 1000) kg entry mass was destroyed already at 0.02 MPa, another 25–40%, according to different models, survived without fragmentation up to the relatively large dynamic pressures of 3–5 MPa. These pressures are only slightly lower than the measured tensile strengths of hydrated carbonaceous chondrite (CC) meteorites and are comparable with usual atmospheric fragmentation pressures of ordinary chondritic (OC) meteoroids. While internal cracks weaken OC meteoroids in comparison with meteorites, this effect seems to be absent in CC, enabling meteorite delivery even at high speeds, though in the form of only small fragments.     

Noble gases and nitrogen in Raghunathpura (IIAB) and Nyaung (IIIAB) iron meteorites

Noble gases and nitrogen were measured in two adjacent samples each from the Raghunathpura (IIAB) and the Nyaung (IIIAB) iron meteorite falls. Light noble gases in both the meteorites were of pure cosmogenic origin. Using (³He/⁴He)_c ratios and the production systematic of Ammon et al. ( 2009 ), we estimated the sample depth and meteoroid size for Nyaung (~8 cm depth in a ~15 cm radius object) and Raghunathpura (~12–14 cm depth in a ~25 cm object). We derived cosmic ray exposure ages of 1710 ± 256 Ma (for Nyaung, the highest reported so far for the IIIAB group) and 224 ± 34 Ma (for Raghunathpura). Variable amounts of trapped Kr and Xe were found in both meteorites. The phase Q‐like elemental ratio (⁸⁴Kr/¹³²Xe) suggests that the trapped component is of indigenous origin, and most likely hosted in the heterogeneously distributed micro‐inclusions of troilite/schreibersite. Trapped phase Q component is being reported for the first time, for a IIAB iron meteorite. Both meteorites showed light isotopic composition for nitrogen, and need at least two N components to explain the observed N isotopic systematic. Variable amounts of trapped noble gases and the presence of more than one N component suggest that the magmatic process that formed the parent body of these meteorites either could not completely homogenize or completely degas all the phases.     

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.     

The Dingle Dell meteorite: A Halloween treat from the Main Belt

We describe the fall of the Dingle Dell (L/LL 5) meteorite near Morawa in Western Australia on October 31, 2016. The fireball was observed by six observatories of the Desert Fireball Network (DFN), a continental-scale facility optimized to recover meteorites and calculate their pre-entry orbits. The 30 cm meteoroid entered at 15.44 km s⁻¹, followed a moderately steep trajectory of 51° to the horizon from 81 km down to 19 km altitude, where the luminous flight ended at a speed of 3.2 km s⁻¹. Deceleration data indicated one large fragment had made it to the ground. The four person search team recovered a 1.15 kg meteorite within 130 m of the predicted fall line, after 8 h of searching, 6 days after the fall. Dingle Dell is the fourth meteorite recovered by the DFN in Australia, but the first before any rain had contaminated the sample. By numerical integration over 1 Ma, we show that Dingle Dell was most likely ejected from the Main Belt by the 3:1 mean motion resonance with Jupiter, with only a marginal chance that it came from the ν₆ resonance. This makes the connection of Dingle Dell to the Flora family (currently thought to be the origin of LL chondrites) unlikely.     

Exposure history of the Mocs (L6) chondrite: A study of strewn field samples

Abstract— We measured cosmogenic radionuclides (¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al, and ³⁶Cl) and noble gases (He, Ne, and Ar) in 10 specimens of the Mocs L6 chondrite to determine the exposure history and preatmospheric relationship among fragments from known locations in the strewn field. Cosmogenic noble gas contents alone are consistent with a simple irradiation exposure of 15.2 Ma. However, Mocs has very low ²²Ne/²¹Ne ratios indicative of deep burial in a large meteoroid, but radionuclide levels at saturation values typical for much smaller meteoroids: this paradox suggests a possible complex exposure. For the latter case, we propose a two‐stage exposure history in which Mocs initially was deeply buried in a large object for 110 Ma, followed by exposure in a 65 cm object for 10.5 Ma. Relative shielding was inferred from the measured ²²Ne/²¹Ne ratios assuming constant ²²Ne/²¹Ne production for all samples during the first stage. These shielding levels, which are supported by estimates based on ³⁶Cl production by neutron capture, indicate a possible relationship between depth of samples in the Mocs meteoroid and fall location in the strewn field.     

Exposure history of the Sutter's Mill carbonaceous chondrite

The Sutter's Mill (SM) carbonaceous chondrite fell in California on April 22, 2012. The cosmogenic radionuclide data indicate that Sutter's Mill was exposed to cosmic rays for 0.082 ± 0.008 Myr, which is one of the shortest ages for C chondrites, but overlaps with a small cluster at approximately 0.1 Myr. The age is significantly longer than proposed ages that were obtained from cosmogenic noble gas concentrations, which have large uncertainties due to trapped noble gas corrections. The presence of neutron‐capture ⁶⁰Co and ³⁶Cl in SM indicates a minimum preatmospheric radius of approximately 50 cm, and is consistent with a radius of 1–2 m, as derived from the fireball observations. Although a large preatmospheric size was proposed, one fragment (SM18) contains solar cosmic ray–produced short‐lived radionuclides, such as ⁵⁶Co and ⁵¹Cr. This implies that this specimen was less than 2 cm from the preatmospheric surface of Sutter's Mill. Although this conclusion seems surprising, it is consistent with the observation that the meteoroid fragmented high in the atmosphere. The presence of SCR‐produced nuclides is consistent with the high SCR fluxes observed during the last few months before the meteorite's fall, when its orbit was less than 1 AU from the Sun.     

Origin and significance of cosmogenic signatures in vesicles of lunar basalt 15016

Lunar basalt 15016 (~3.3 Ga) is among the most vesicular (50% by volume) basalts recovered by the Apollo missions. We investigated the possible occurrence of indigenous lunar nitrogen and noble gases trapped in vesicles within basalt 15016, by crushing several cm-sized chips. Matrix/mineral gases were also extracted from crush residues by fusion with a CO₂ laser. No magmatic/primordial component could be identified; all isotope compositions, including those of vesicles, pointed to a cosmogenic origin. We found that vesicles contained ~0.2%, ~0.02%, ~0.002%, and ~0.02% of the total amount of cosmogenic ²¹Ne, ³⁸Ar, ⁸³Kr, and ¹²⁶Xe, respectively, produced over the basalt's 300 Myr of exposure. Diffusion/recoil of cosmogenic isotopes from the basaltic matrix/minerals to intergrain joints and vesicles is discussed. The enhanced proportion of cosmogenic Xe isotopes relative to Kr detected in vesicles could be the result of kinetic fractionation, through which preferential retention of Xe isotopes over Kr within vesicles might have occurred during diffusion from the vesicle volume to the outer space through microleaks. This study suggests that cosmogenic loss, known to be significant for ³He and ²¹Ne, and to a lesser extent for ³⁶Ar (Signer et al. 1977 ), also occurs to a negligible extent for the heaviest noble gases Kr and Xe.     

Cosmogenic radionuclides in L5 and LL5 chondrites from Queen Alexandra Range,Antarctica: Identification of a large L/LL5 chondrite shower with a preatmospheric mass of approximately 50,000 kg

Abstract– The collection of approximately 3300 meteorites from the Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) area, Antarctica, is dominated by more than 2000 chondrites classified as either L5 or LL5. Based on concentrations of the cosmogenic radionuclides ¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al, ³⁶Cl, and ⁴¹Ca in the metal and stone fraction of 16 QUE L5 or LL5 chondrites, we conclude that 13 meteorites belong to a single meteorite shower, QUE 90201, with a large preatmospheric size and a terrestrial age of 125 kyr. Members of this shower have properties typical of L (e.g., pyroxene composition) and LL chondrites (e.g., metal abundance and composition), as well as properties intermediate between the L and LL groups (e.g., olivine composition), and is thus best described as an L/LL5 chondrite. Based on comparison with model calculations, the measured radionuclide concentrations in the metal and stone fractions of QUE 90201 indicate irradiation in an object with a preatmospheric radius of approximately 150 cm, representing one of the largest chondrites known so far. Based on the abundance of small L5 and LL5 chondrites at QUE and their distinct mass distribution, we conclude that the QUE 90201 shower includes up to 2000 fragments with a total recovered mass of 60–70 kg, <1% of the preatmospheric mass of approximately 50,000 kg. The mass distribution of the QUE 90201 shower suggests that the meteoroid experienced catastrophic atmospheric fragmentation(s), either because it was a fragile object or it had a high entry velocity.     

Fall,classification and cosmogenic records of the Sabrum (LL6) chondrite

Abstract— The petrographic and chemical characteristics of a fresh Indian meteorite fall at Sabrum are described. Its mean mineral composition is defined by olivine (Fa_31.4), orthopyroxene (Fs_25.1,Wo_2.0), clinopyroxene (Wo₄₅En_45.6Fs_9.4) and plagioclase (An_10.6Ab_83.6Or_5.8). The meteorite shows moderate shock features, which indicate that it belongs to the S4 category. Based on mineralogical and chemical criteria the meteorite is classified as an LL6 brecciated veined chondrite. Several cosmogenic radioisotopes (⁴⁶Sc, ⁷Be, ⁵⁴Mn, ²²Na and ²⁶Al), noble gas (He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe), nitrogen isotopes, and particle tracks density have been measured. Concentrations of cosmogenic ²¹Ne and ³⁸Ar indicate that its cosmic‐ray exposure age is 24.8 Ma. Small amounts of trapped Kr and Xe, consistent with petrologic class 5/6, are present. The track density in olivines is found to be (1.3 ± 0.3) × 10⁶/cm². Activities of most of the short‐lived isotopes are lower than those expected from solar cycle variation. ²²Na/²⁶Al (1.12 ± 0.02) is found to be significantly anomalous, being ?25% lower than expected from the Climax neutron monitor data. These results indicate that the cosmic‐ray flux during the terminal segment of the meteoroid orbit was low. The activities of ²⁶Al and ⁶⁰Co and the track density indicate small meteoroid size with a radius ?15 cm.     

Cosmic‐ray exposure age and heliocentric distance of the parent body of the Rumuruti chondrite PRE 95410

We measured concentrations and isotopic ratios of noble gases in the Rumuruti (R) chondrite Mount Prestrud (PRE) 95410, a regolith breccia exhibiting dark/light structures. The meteorite contains solar and cosmogenic noble gases. Based on the solar and cosmogenic noble gas compositions, we calculated a heliocentric distance of its parent body, a cosmic‐ray exposure age on the parent body regolith (parent body exposure age), and a cosmic‐ray exposure age in interplanetary space (space exposure age) of the meteorite. Assuming a constant solar wind flux, the estimated heliocentric distance was smaller than 1.4 ± 0.3 au, suggesting inward migration from the asteroid belt regions where the parent body formed. The largest known Mars Trojan 5261 Eureka is a potential parent body of PRE 95410. Alternatively, it is possible that the solar wind flux at the time of the parent body exposure was higher by a factor of 2–3 compared to the lunar regolith exposure. In this case, the estimated heliocentric distance is within the asteroid belt region. The parent body exposure age is longer than 19.1 Ma. This result indicates frequent impact events on the parent body like that recorded for other solar‐gas‐rich meteorites. Assuming single‐stage exposure after an ejection event from the parent body, the space exposure age is 11.0 ± 1.1 Ma, which is close to the peak of ~10 Ma in the exposure age distribution for the solar‐gas‐free R chondrites.     

March 1, 2005 Daylight Fireball Over Galicia (NW of Spain) and Minho (N. Portugal)

A daylight bolide was observed over Galicia (NW Spain) and Minho (N. Portugal) on March 1, 2005 at 15 h10 min ± 3 min UTC. We interviewed 23 eyewitnesses of the event in order to obtain the azimuth, altitude, and slope of the fireball’s trajectory. Reports suggest an atmospheric ending height below 20 km, indicating that meteorite survival was likely. From the reconstructed trajectory and the fireball’s duration, we obtained the approximate heliocentric orbits for the meteoroid. Assuming an entry velocity higher than 20 km s⁻¹ which is consistent with its estimated duration, the meteoroid originated in the asteroid belt.     

Solar and galactic cosmic‐ray records of the Fermo (H) chondrite regolith breccia

Abstract— ‐We demonstrate the presence of solar flare as well as neutron capture effects in the isotopic composition of rare gases in the Fermo regolith breccia acquired on its parent body based on the measurements of tracks, rare gases and radionuclides. The track density along a 3.2 cm long core decreases by a factor of about 6 and by more than a factor of 13 within the meteorite, indicating small (2–9 cm) and asymmetrical ablation. Rare gases show a large trapped component; the isotopic ratios, particularly ²⁰Ne/²²Ne ? 11 and ²⁰Ne/³⁶Ar = 10 are indicative of a solar component. The galactic cosmic‐ray exposure age is determined to be 8.8 Ma. Activities of a dozen radionuclides ranging in half‐life from 16 day ⁴⁸V to 0.73 Ma ²⁶Al are consistent with their expected production rates. Track, rare gas and radionuclide data show that the meteoroid was a small body (≤ 120 kg) and had a simple, one‐stage exposure history to cosmic rays in the interplanetary space. However, ⁸²Kr and ¹²⁸Xe show an excess due to neutron irradiation on the parent body of the meteorite. The presence of solar gases and the neutron capture effects indicate several stages of irradiation on the parent asteroid. The chemical composition of Fermo confirms that it belongs to the H group of ordinary chondrites with lithic clasts having varying compositions. δ¹⁵N is found to be 8.3 ± 1.2%0, close to the typical values observed in H chondrites.     

Primordial and cosmogenic noble gases in the Sutter's Mill CM chondrite

The Sutter's Mill (SM) CM chondrite fell in California in 2012. The CM chondrite group is one of the most primitive, consisting of unequilibrated minerals, but some of them have experienced complex processes occurring on their parent body, such as aqueous alteration, thermal metamorphism, brecciation, and solar wind implantation. We have determined noble gas concentrations and isotopic compositions for SM samples using a stepped heating gas extraction method, in addition to mineralogical observation of the specimens. The primordial noble gas abundances, especially the P3 component trapped in presolar diamonds, confirm the classification of SM as a CM chondrite. The mineralogical features of SM indicate that it experienced mild thermal alteration after aqueous alteration. The heating temperature is estimated to be <350 °C based on the release profile of primordial ³⁶Ar. The presence of a Ni‐rich Fe‐Ni metal suggests that a minor part of SM has experienced heating at >500 °C. The variation in the heating temperature of thermal alteration is consistent with the texture as a breccia. The heterogeneous distribution of solar wind noble gases is also consistent with it. The cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) age for SM is calculated to be 0.059 ± 0.023 Myr based on cosmogenic ²¹Ne by considering trapped noble gases as solar wind, the terrestrial atmosphere, P1 (or Q), P3, A2, and G components. The CRE age lies at the shorter end of the CRE age distribution of the CM chondrite group.