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At least 415 records · Page 23

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NASA NTRS1980

Noble-gas-rich separates from ordinary chondrites

Acid-resistant residues were prepared by HCl-HF demineralization of three H-type ordinary chondrites: Brownfield 1937 (H3), Dimmitt (H3, 4), and Estacado (H6). These residues were found to contain a large proportion of the planetary-type trapped Ar, Kr, and Xe in the meteorites. The similarity of these acid residues to those from carbonaceous chondrites and LL-type ordinary chondrites suggests that the same phase carries the trapped noble gases in all these diverse meteorite types. Because the H group represents a large fraction of all meteorites, this result indicates that the gas-rich carrier phase is as universal as the trapped noble-gas component itself. When treated with an oxidizing etchant, the acid residues lost almost all their complement of noble gases.

Moniot, R. K.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Metamorphism of the H-group chondrites - Implications from compositional and textural trends in chondrules

The paper discusses element bulk compositions of 373 chondrules from 18 H3 to H6 chondrites determined by broad-beam electron probe analysis. Bulk chondrule FeO and Al2O3 amounts increase and TiO2 and Cr2O3 decrease with increasing petrologic type; normative faylite, albite, and plagioclase amounts increase through the petrologic sequence. Chondrule diameters correlate with phenocryst sizes in porphyritic chondrules of type 3 chondrites, but this correlation is diminished in the higher petrologic types. The compositional trends in chondrules through the petrologic sequence are attributed to diffusion and equilibration among chondrules, and between chondrules and matrix in response to increasing degrees of thermal metamorphism. It is suggested that H-group chondrites are formed by accretion of high-temperature (chondrules) and low-temperature (matrix) materials. Internal reheating of the parent materials to different temperatures caused compositional equilibration, grain coarsening, and reduction of FeO to Fe(0) by carbon.

Lux, G.↗

NASA NTRS1980

A study of chondrule rims and chondrule irradiation records in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites

A study of the possibility that chondrules may have had an independent existence in space was made by searching for unusual track densities in chondrules and by an investigation of the compositions of chondrule rims from thirteen unequilibrated ordinary chondrites. No unusual radiation was found; observed track densities can be explained in terms of cosmic ray exposure ages of the respective meteorites. Fine-grained rims that surround chondrules in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites are heterogeneous in composition consisting of iron sulfide and a silicate phase; fine-grained rims of the kind observed in primitive type 3 ordinary chondrites are absent in higher petrographic grades, but more crystalline, coarse-grained, and lacy sulfide rims are observed. This can be explained by chondrules having had an independent existence in space during which they acquired rims by condensation on their surfaces or by accretion of fine particles.

Allen, J. S.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Si-rich Fe-Ni grains in highly unequilibrated chondrites

Consideration is given to the Si contents of Fe-Ni grains in highly unequilibrated chondrites, which have undergone little metamorphosis and thus best preserve the record of processes in the solar nebula. Electron microprobe determinations of silicon content in grains of the Bishunpur chondrite are presented for the six Si-bearing Fe-Ni grains for which data could be obtained, five of which were found to be embedded in olivine chondrules. In addition, all grains are found to be Cr-rich, with Cr increased in concentration towards the grain edge, and to be encased in FeS shells which evidently preserved the Si that entered the FeNi at higher temperatures. A mechanism for the production of Si-bearing metal during the condensation of the cooling solar nebula is proposed which considers the metal to have condensed heterogeneously while the mafic silicates condensed homogeneously with amounts of required undercooling in the low-pressure regions where ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites formed, resulting in Si mole fractions of 0.003 at nebular pressures less than 0.000001 atm.

Rambaldi, E. R.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Cristobalite-pyroxene in an L6 chondrite - Implications for metamorphism

CRISPY is a cristobalite-pyroxene assemblage in the L6 chondrite ALHA 76003. It was formed by reaction of a very siliceous inclusion with the surrounding olivine-rich rock. Oxygen isotopes show that the inclusion was derived from a source with non-chondritic isotopic composition. The isotopes also show that the oxygen of the pyroxene reaction product was derived by simple mixing of oxygen from the inclusion and its immediately adjacent surroundings, with exchange with the bulk meteorite limited to a distance of about a millimeter. The persistence of cristobalite in close proximity to olivine, and the lack of isotopic equilibration, show that the metamorphic processes that form petrographic grade 6 chondrites involve transport of major elements over distances only on the order of millimeters.

Olsen, E. J.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Primitive ultrafine matrix in ordinary chondrites

Ultrafine matrix material has been concentrated by sieving and filtering disaggregated samples of six ordinary chondrites of different classes. This component(s), 'Holy Smoke' (HS), is enriched in both volatile, e.g. Na, K, Zn, Sb, and Pb, as well as refractory elements, e.g. W and REE; however, the element ratios vary greatly among the different chondrites. SEM studies show that HS contains fragile crystals, differing in composition, and apparently in gross disequilibrium not only among themselves but also with the major mineral phases and consequently thermodynamic equilibration did not occur. Thus HS must have originated from impacting bodies and/or was inherent in the 'primitive' regolith. Subsequent impact brecciation and reheating appears to have altered, to varying degrees, the original composition of this ultrafine matrix material. Recent 'cosmic dust' studies may indicate that HS still exists in the solar system. Survival of such delicate material must be considered in all theories for the origin of chondrites.

Rambaldi, E. R.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Vacuum ultraviolet reflectance spectra of groups L, LL, and E chondrites and of achondrites

The reflectance spectra of individual meteorites of all classes are being measured in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectral wavelength region from 89 to 248 nm to evaluate the potential of VUV spectroscopy as a remote sensing method for planetary studies. In the present investigation, specimens of 15 group L chondrites, 13 group LL chondrites, 7 group E chondrites, and 18 achondrites were studied. Spectra were measured of both polished thin sections and powders of the meteorites, where both were available. Attention is given to measurements of mineral standards, shock effects, and meteorite data. It is concluded that the VUV spectra of meteorites should provide a useful basis for comparisons with spectra of asteroids and comet nuclei taken from spacecraft. VUV spectroscopy should make it possible to identify the major minerals present in a meteorite or asteroid.

Wagner, J. K.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Flow behavior of droplet chondrules in the Manych /L-3/ chondrite

The Manych (L-3) chondrite contains chondrules that have radically different thermal histories. The high-SiO2 composition cooled at about 1 K/min to a glassy state or more slowly to form a variety of fractions of crystals. The low-SiO2 composition cooled at about 3000 K/min to form a glassy coating or much more slowly to form microporphyry. The extreme range of cooling rates displayed by objects in the Manych chondrite is difficult to reconcile with a model involving droplet condensation at low pressure which provides a uniform temperature, a uniform cooling rate, and an ambient that is not necessarily cold. The experimental results presented here are interpreted to mean that the origin of the chondrules is likely a result of impact melting because of the range of cooling histories represented in the chondrite.

Klein, L. C.↗

NASA NTRS1982

A revision of metallographic cooling rate curves for chondrites

New metallographic cooling rate curves for the chondritic meteorites are calculated. On the basis of these curves, estimated cooling rates for the chondrites are twice as fast as those determined using the Wood (1967) curves. This change in estimated rates derives from the use of the most recent Fe-Ni phase diagram and the use of more accurate computational techniques. The new cooling rate curves can be applied to meteorites with P contents in the metal phase less than 0.01 wt%. They should be applied with some caution to meteorites, such as the unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, where the metal grains may not have equilibrated above approximately 850K, or to metallic phases which contain P in quantities greater than 0.01 wt% and/or phosphides.

Willis, J.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Are C1 chondrites chemically fractionated - A trace element study

Six C1 chondrite samples and a C2 xenolith from the Plainview H5 chondrite were analyzed by radiochemical neutron activation for a large variety of elements, including rare earths. The sample processing is described, including the irradiation, chemical procedure, rare earths separation, counting techniques, radiochemical purity check, and chemical yields. The results of consistency checks on a number of elements are discussed. Abundances for siderophiles, volatiles, and rare earths are presented and discussed. Tests are presented for fractionation of rare earths and other refractories, compositional uniformity of C1's, and interelement correlations. There is no conclusive evidence for nebular fractionation affecting C1's. Three fractionation-prone rare earths have essentially the same relative abundances in C1's and all other chondrite classes, and hence are apparently not fractionated in C1's.

Ebihara, M.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Chemical studies of L chondrites. II - Shock-induced trace element mobilization

Data for 13 trace elements in 14 L4-6 chondrites of established shock history are reported and discussed. These data are combined with data for an additional 13 L4-6 chondrites to delineate the full extent of losses by shock. Trace element contents vary with petrologic type, S/Fe subgroup, and shock history, the last dominating strongly. Absolute abundances and interelement relationships for the six or seven most mobile elements vary with degree of shock-loading established from mineralogic and petrologic study. Shock-heating, previously known to have affected radiogenic Ar-40 and/or He-4 in meteorites but not other elements, apparently was at least as effective as other open-system processes in establishing mobile trace element contents of L chondrites and probably others.

Walsh, T. M.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Refractory precursor components of Semarkona chondrules and the fractionation of refractory elements among chondrites

Instrumental neutron activation analysis has been used to measure about 20 of the lithophile elements in 30 chondrules from the Semarkona chondrite. The amounts of oxidized iron were calculated from other compositional parameters, and Si concentrations are estimated from mass-balance considerations. It is suggested that the refractory component probably forms from fine grained materials that were able to equilibrate down to lower nebular temperatures. The chondrite matrix may have had an origin similar to that of the nonrefractory material. The low abundance of refractories and Mg in ordinary and enstatite chondrites was produced by the loss of materials having a higher refractory element/Mg ratio than that of the refractory element of the chondrules.

Grossman, J. N.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Fragmental breccias and the collisional evolution of ordinary chondrite parent bodies

The present investigation is concerned with the results of a survey of gas-poor, melt-rock, or exotic clast-bearing fragmental breccias among the ordinary chondrite groups. It is found that such breccias constitute 5 percent, 22 percent, and 23 percent of H, L, LL chondrites respectively. Four melt-rock-clast-bearing fragmental breccias were selected for more detailed study to determine petrologic relationships between blasts and hosts. Attention is given to the abundances of melt-rock or exotic clast-bearing fragmental breccias, the formation of fragmental breccias, and the implications of breccia abundances in different chondrite groups.

Rubin, A. E.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Oxygen isotopic heterogeneities, their petrological correlations, and implications for melt origins of chondrules in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites

Clayton et al. (1976, 1982) established that equilibrated ordinary chondrites (EOC's) can be divided into the H- and L-groups on the basis of their oxygen isotopic composition. The present investigation is concerned with new oxygen isotopic analyses of petrologically well-characterized individual chondrules from the unequilibrated chondrites Dhajala (H3,4), Hallingeberg (L3), and Semarkona (LL3). A study is conducted regarding the implications of isotopic/petrologial correlations for the origin of chondrules in ordinary chondrites. It is found that the oxygen isotopic heterogeneities among chondrules are reminiscent of the bulk elemental and phase compositional heterogeneities among the same and other chondrules as reported by Gooding et al. (1979, 1980). It is concluded that chondrules formed possibly as a result of the melting of preexisting materials which were both chemically and isotopically heterogeneous.

Gooding, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Chemical studies of L chondrites. III - Mobile trace elements and Ar-40/Ar-39 ages

Radiochemical neutron activation analysis has been used to determine the content of the mobile trace elements Ag, Au, Bi, Cd, Co, Cs, Ga, In, Rb, Se, Te, Tl, and Zn, in L4-6 chondrites with undisturbed Ar-40 release patterns or patterns showing some 4.4-4.6 Gyr plateau disturbance that indicates some shock-induced loss. The mean concentrations are significantly lower in 16 chondrites with disturbed patterns than in 4 with undisturbed ones, consistent with shock-induced mobilization. Significantly lower mean concentrations of nearly all trace elements in 26 strongly shocked chondrites than in 14 mildly shocked ones indicate loss in shock-formed FeS-Fe eutectic and/or by means of vaporization during cooling of shock-heated collisional debris.

Huston, T. J.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Mineralogical comparison and cooling history of lunar and chondritic vesicular melt breccias

Lunar sample 77135, an impact melt breccia full of vesicles, has been reinvestigated by electron microprobe and X-ray diffraction techniques and compared with a vesicular melt LL chondrite, Yamato 790964, in an attempt to understand their impact heating processes and subsequent cooling history. Notable similarities between the lunar and chondritic melt breccias include: abundant vesicles, similar pyroxene chemical zoning trends, the presence of variable amounts of clastic material, and similar chemical compositions except for K and Na contents of glass and mesostasis. Some constraints on the cooling history are estimated from Mg-Fe diffusion profiles in olivine and pyroxene. The burial depth of lunar sample 77135 during cooling was 0.2-100 m; the depth for the chondrite was probably smaller. Impact melts were probably produced and a layer of regolith retained on the parent body sufficiently thick to allow the olivines to homogenize during slow cooling.

Miyamoto, M.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Penecontemporaneous metamorphism, fragmentation, and reassembly of ordinary chondrite parent bodies

The thermal histories of ordinary chondrites and the canonical internal heating or onion shell models, which predict an inverse relation between the petrologic type of chondrites and the metallographic cooling rate, are reviewed. The thermal and accretional requirements of the 'metamorphosed planetesimal' model proposed by Scott and Rajan (1981) are analyzed, and an alternative model consistent with the metallographic cooling rate constraints is suggested in which ordinary chondrite parent bodies are collisionally fragmented and then rapidly reassembled before metamorphic heat has been dissipated.

Grimm, R. E.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Ferromagnesian chondrules in carbonaceous chondrites

Carbonaceous chondrites (groups CO and CV) contain three types of ferromagnesian chondrules that can be distinguished on the basis of mineralogy and texture. Statistical analysis of the bulk chemical compositions of these chondrule types suggest that two of the three types are genetically related. The chondrules in carbonaceous chondrites can thus be separated into two populations. These populations are also apparently distinct in terms of redox state and oxygen isotopic composition. The more abundant population (I) is clearly different from chondrules in unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, but the minor population (II) is similar to them in many respects. These chondrule populations may have formed by melting of solid, locally homogeneous precursor materials in different regions of the nebula, and were mixed after solidification was complete.

Mcsween, H. Y., Jr.↗