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Zinner, Ernst K.

Publications and source records attributed to Zinner, Ernst K..

Evidence for distillation in the formation of HAL and related hibonite inclusions

New Ca- and Ti-isotopic analyses of DH-H1, 7-404, and 7-971, and Mg-isotopic analyses on DH-H1 and 7-404 are reported. O-isotopic analyses of HAL, 7-404, 7-971, and a variety of other refractory inclusions from Murchison were made in order to establish the presence or absence of FUN O-isotopic systematics. A higonite-rich residue produced by the evaporation of kaersutite was analyzed for its trace-element and isotopic abundances to see if any of the characteristics of FUN hibonite inclusions can be produced by distillation in the laboratory. These data are then used to evaluate for all four inclusions the HAL-type formation models originally proposed by Allen et al. (1980) and Lee et al. (1980). The four inclusions were found to have very similar chemical and isotopic features. All are characterized by large Ce depletions and very low Mg, Ti, and V concentrations compared to other meteoritic hibonites. All four inclusions have delta(C-48) within error of -5 per mil. Ca-, Ti-, and O-isotopic compositions are fractionated with enrichments of the heavy isotopes, and the Ti-isotopic mass fractionation is inversely correlated with Ti concentration. It is concluded that the inclusions formed primarily as distillation residues in accord with the early conclusions.

Ireland, Trevor R.

Interstellar grains within interstellar grains

Five interstellar graphite spherules extracted from the Murchison carbonaceous meteorite are studied. The isotopic and elemental compositions of individual particles are investigated with the help of an ion microprobe, and this analysis is augmented with structural studies of ultrathin sections of the grain interiors by transmission electron microscopy. As a result, the following procedure for the formation of the interstellar graphite spherule bearing TiC crystals is inferred: (1) high-temperature nucleation and rapid growth of the graphitic carbon spherule in the atmosphere of a carbon-rich star, (2) nucleation and growth of TiC crystals during continued growth of the graphitic spherule and the accretion of TiC onto the spherule, (3) quenching of the graphite growth process by depletion of C or by isolation of the spherule before other grain types could condense.

Bernatowicz, Thomas J.

Correlated study of initial Sr-87/Sr-86 and Al-Mg isotopic systematics and petrologic properties in a suite of refractory inclusions from the Allende meteorite

The abundance and the distribution of Al-26, and the initial Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios were determined in a suite of six coarse-grained Ca-Al-rich inclusions from the Allende meteorite, using, respectively, petrographic and chemical characterizations and ion-probe mass spectrometric analyses of the Al-Mg isotopic system, and thermal emission spectrometric analyses of the Rb-Sr system. Results establish a firm association between primitive Al-26/Al-27 and primitive Sr-87/Sr-86 found in each of these inclusions. None of the results required interpretation in terms of heterogeneously distributed Al-26.

Podosek, Frank A.

Instellar grains within interstellar grains

The discovery of crystals of titanium carbide in an interstellar graphite spherule is reported. The new species is particularly interesting in that it came in a protective wrapping (the graphite spherule) which eliminated the possibility of chemical alteration during its residence in the interstellar medium and in the meteorite in which it was discovered.

Bernatowicz, Thomas J.

Large Ca-48 anomalies are associated with Ti-50 anomalies in Murchison and Murray hibonites

Ion microprobe measurements of the Ca isotopic compositions of eight individual hibonite grains from the Ca chondrites Murray and Murchison are reported. Large Ca-48 anomalies two orders of magnitude larger than those observed in normal inclusions and at least a factor of four larger than in the FUN inclusions are found. These anomalies are qualitatively correlated with the Ti-50 anomalies in the sense that the delta Ca-48 and delta Ti-50 values have the same sign. These results confirm previous conclusions concerning the presence of a nucleosynthetic component produced by neutron-rich nuclear statistical equilibrium processes. They suggest the preservation of the isotopic anomalies with interstellar dust grains as carriers of the n-rich Ca and Ti components. The large variation in the delta Ca-48/delta Ti-50 ratios indicates multiple nucleosynthetic components and/or chemical fractionation between Ca and Ti prior to hibonite formation.

Zinner, Ernst K.