Iodine-xenon studies of Bjurböle and Parnallee using RELAX

Abstract— Iodine-xenon analyses of chondrules from the Bjurböle L4 and Parnallee LL3.6 meteorites have been made using a continuous wave laser microprobe and the resonance ionisation mass spectrometer RELAX. The excess ¹²⁹Xe content released from the Bjurböle chondrule is lower than previous stepped-heating studies have found, suggesting that the technique does not completely degas the samples. Nonetheless, clear isochrons were produced, and data for initial ¹²⁹Xe/¹³⁰Xe are consistent with earlier work. A correlation is evident in each chondrule between ¹³¹Xe^* and ¹²⁸Xe^* perhaps indicating a common host-phase for their parent nuclides, a condition possibly fulfilled by a Te- and I-bearing sulfide. The I-Xe system of a Parnallee macrochondrule exhibits no excess ¹²⁹Xe, possibly as a result of thermal alteration or deformation before accumulation of the meteorite. A cristobalite-bearing chondrule depleted in ¹⁶O yields an I-Xe age of 4.5 ± 0.5 Ma after the mean Bjurböle age.