Bright carbonate veins on asteroid (101955) Bennu: Implications for aqueous alteration history

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 370 (6517) ◽  
pp. eabc3557 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. H. Kaplan ◽  
D. S. Lauretta ◽  
A. A. Simon ◽  
V. E. Hamilton ◽  
D. N. DellaGiustina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Flow ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Hydrothermal Alteration ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Carbonaceous Chondrite ◽  
Parent Body ◽  
Early Solar System ◽  
Aqueous Alteration ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Geologic Processes

The composition of asteroids and their connection to meteorites provide insight into geologic processes that occurred in the early Solar System. We present spectra of the Nightingale crater region on near-Earth asteroid Bennu with a distinct infrared absorption around 3.4 micrometers. Corresponding images of boulders show centimeters-thick, roughly meter-long bright veins. We interpret the veins as being composed of carbonates, similar to those found in aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. If the veins on Bennu are carbonates, fluid flow and hydrothermal deposition on Bennu’s parent body would have occurred on kilometer scales for thousands to millions of years. This suggests large-scale, open-system hydrothermal alteration of carbonaceous asteroids in the early Solar System.

scholarly journals Arrival and magnetization of carbonaceous chondrites in the asteroid belt before 4562 million years ago

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy O’Brien ◽  
John A. Tarduno ◽  
Atma Anand ◽  
Aleksey V. Smirnov ◽  
Eric G. Blackman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Arrival Time ◽  
Carbonaceous Chondrite ◽  
Parent Body ◽  
Asteroid Belt ◽  
Carbonaceous Chondrites ◽  
Early Solar System ◽  
Outer Disk ◽  
Main Asteroid Belt ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractMeteorite magnetizations can provide rare insight into early Solar System evolution. Such data take on new importance with recognition of the isotopic dichotomy between non-carbonaceous and carbonaceous meteorites, representing distinct inner and outer disk reservoirs, and the likelihood that parent body asteroids were once separated by Jupiter and subsequently mixed. The arrival time of these parent bodies into the main asteroid belt, however, has heretofore been unknown. Herein, we show that weak CV (Vigarano type) and CM (Mighei type) carbonaceous chondrite remanent magnetizations indicate acquisition by the solar wind 4.2 to 4.8 million years after Ca-Al-rich inclusion (CAI) formation at heliocentric distances of ~2–4 AU. These data thus indicate that the CV and CM parent asteroids had arrived near, or within, the orbital range of the present-day asteroid belt from the outer disk isotopic reservoir within the first 5 million years of Solar System history.

scholarly journals Nano-FTIR spectroscopic identification of prebiotic carbonyl compounds in Dominion Range 08006 carbonaceous chondrite

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Yesiltas ◽  
Timothy D. Glotch ◽  
Bogdan Sava
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Origin Of Life ◽  
Carboxylic Acids ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Carbonyl Compounds ◽  
Carbonaceous Chondrite ◽  
Parent Body ◽  
Early Solar System ◽  
The Origin Of Life

AbstractMeteorites contain organic matter that may have contributed to the origin of life on Earth. Carbonyl compounds such as aldehydes and carboxylic acids, which occur in meteorites, may be precursors of biologically necessary organic materials in the solar system. Therefore, such organic matter is of astrobiological importance and their detection and characterization can contribute to the understanding of the early solar system as well as the origin of life. Most organic matter is typically sub-micrometer in size, and organic nanoglobules are even smaller (50–300 nm). Novel analytical techniques with nanoscale spatial resolution are required to detect and characterize organic matter within extraterrestrial materials. Most techniques require powdered samples, consume the material, and lose petrographic context of organics. Here, we report the detection of nanoglobular aldehyde and carboxylic acids in a highly primitive carbonaceous chondrite (DOM 08006) with ~ 20 nm spatial resolution using nano-FTIR spectroscopy. Such organic matter is found within the matrix of DOM 08006 and is typically 50–300 nm in size. We also show petrographic context and nanoscale morphologic/topographic features of the organic matter. Our results indicate that prebiotic carbonyl nanoglobules can form in a less aqueous and relatively elevated temperature-environment (220–230 °C) in a carbonaceous parent body.

scholarly journals Organic molecules in meteorites

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (A29B) ◽  
pp. 411-415
Author(s):  
Zita Martins
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Organic Content ◽  
Parent Body ◽  
Early Solar System ◽  
Aqueous Alteration ◽  
Enantiomer Excess ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Exogenous Delivery ◽  
Living Organisms

AbstractThe analysis of the organic content of meteorites provides a window into the conditions of the early solar system, such as the extension of aqueous alteration or thermal metamorphism on the meteorite parent bodies. The analysis of the soluble organic content of CM chondrites indicates that extensive aqueous alteration on their meteorite parent body may result on 1) the decomposition of α-amino acids; 2) synthesis of β- and γ-amino acids; 3) higher relative abundances of alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); and 4) higher L-enantiomer excess (Lee) value of isovaline. Exogenous delivery of organic matter by meteorites may have contributed to the organic inventory of the early Earth, providing a diversity of resources to the first living organisms on Earth and on other places of our solar system where life could have potentially originated.

Carbonaceous chondrite meteorites experienced fluid flow within the past million years

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 371 (6525) ◽  
pp. 164-167
Author(s):  
Simon Turner ◽  
Lucy McGee ◽  
Munir Humayun ◽  
John Creech ◽  
Brigitte Zanda
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Flow ◽  
Solar System ◽  
Cosmic Ray ◽  
Parent Body ◽  
Uranium Isotopes ◽  
The Past ◽  
Uranium Ion ◽  
Impact Heating ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cosmic Ray Exposure Age

Carbonaceous chondritic meteorites are primordial Solar System materials and a source of water delivery to Earth. Fluid flow on the parent bodies of these meteorites is known to have occurred very early in Solar System history (first <4 million years). We analyze short-lived uranium isotopes in carbonaceous chondrites, finding excesses of 234-uranium over 238-uranium and 238-uranium over 230-thorium. These indicate that the fluid-mobile uranium ion U6+ moved within the past few 100,000 years. In some meteorites, this time scale is less than the cosmic-ray exposure age, which measures when they were ejected from their parent body into space. Fluid flow occurred after melting of ice, potentially by impact heating, solar heating, or atmospheric ablation. We favor the impact heating hypothesis, which implies that the parent bodies still contain ice.

An igneous-textured clast in the Peace River meteorite: insights into accretion and metamorphism of asteroids in the early solar system

2013 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher D.K. Herd ◽  
Jon M. Friedrich ◽  
Richard C. Greenwood ◽  
Ian A. Franchi
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Parent Body ◽  
Early Solar System ◽  
Element Abundances ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Peace River ◽  
Petrology And Geochemistry ◽  
Mineral Compositions ◽  
The Impact

The mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry of an igneous-textured clast in the Peace River L6 chondrite meteorite was examined to determine the roles of nebular processes, accretion, and parent-body metamorphism in its origin. The centimetre-scale clast is grey and fine grained and is in sharp contact with the host chondrite. Two sub-millimetre veins cut across both the clast and host, indicating that the clast formed prior to the impact (shock) event(s) that produced the numerous veins present in the Peace River meteorite. The clast and host are indistinguishable in terms of mineral compositions. In contrast, there are differences in modal mineralogy, texture, as well as trace element and oxygen isotope composition between the clast and host. These differences strongly suggest that the clast was formed by impact melting of LL-group chondritic material involving loss of Fe–FeS and phosphate components, followed by relatively rapid cooling and incorporation into the Peace River host meteorite. Subsequent metamorphism on the Peace River parent body caused recrystallization of the clast and homogenization of mineral compositions and thermally labile element abundances between the clast and host. Shock metamorphism, including formation of shock melt veins, occurred post-metamorphism, during fragmentation of the L chondrite parent body. The results suggest that the formation of the Peace River parent asteroid included the incorporation of material from other asteroids and that the pre-metamorphic protolith was a breccia. Accordingly, we propose that the Peace River meteorite be reclassified as a polymict breccia.

Micromagnetic simulation of taenite particles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Devienne ◽  
Thomas Berndt ◽  
Wyn Williams
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Relaxation Times ◽  
Vortex State ◽  
Parent Body ◽  
Early Solar System ◽  
Magnetic Minerals ◽  
Slow Cooling ◽  
Theoretical Evaluation ◽  
Single Vortex ◽  
Micromagnetic Simulations

&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt;The cloudy zone (CZ), an intergrowth structure of Fe-rich and Ni-rich phases that forms during slow cooling of iron meteorites are potential recorders of&amp;#160; their parent body&amp;#8217;s thermal and magnetic history. The ability of the cloudy zone&amp;#8217;s principal magnetic minerals, taenite and tetrataenite, to reliably record ancient magnetic fields from the early solar system has, however, insufficiently been investigated. In this work we performed a series of micromagnetic simulations in order to assess the magnetic stability of taenite grains. Micromagnetic simulations allow to investigate the changes in the magnetic state in taenite as a function of the grain size: in ellipsoidal grains below 68 nm (equivalent sphere volume diameter, ESVD) a single domain state dominates.&amp;#160; At 68 nm (ESVD) a &amp;#8220;flowering&amp;#8221; state starts, and further increase in size (&gt; 75 nm) gives rise to a single vortex state. Contrary to common conception, theoretical evaluation of relaxation times for taenite grains based on micromagnetics leads to values that exceed the age of solar system, which makes taenite, not just its ordered equivalent tetrataenite, a reliable paleomagnetic recorder.&lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;

scholarly journals Timing and Mechanisms of Silicate Differentiation and Basalt Magma Generation on the Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite Asteroid Parent Body

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jessica Anne Dallas
Keyword(s):  
Solar System ◽  
Trace Element ◽  
Isotope Composition ◽  
Parent Body ◽  
Basalt Magma ◽  
Early Solar System ◽  
Magma Body ◽  
Element Concentrations ◽  
Trace Element Chemistry ◽  
Incompatible Elements

<p>Meteorites provide the only direct record of the chronology and nature of the processes that occurred in the early solar system. In this study, meteorites were examined in order to gain insight into the timing and nature of magmatism and silicate differentiation on asteroidal bodies in the first few million years of the solar system. These bodies are considered the precursors to terrestrial planets, and as such they provide information about conditions in the solar system at the time of planet formation. This study focuses on eucrites, which are basaltic meteorites that are believed to represent the crust of the Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite (HED) parent body. The processes of silicate differentiation and the relationship between eucrites and the diogenitic mafic cumulate of the HED parent body are poorly understood. The major and trace element chemistry of the minerals in the eucrite suite was measured. There is little variability in mineral major element concentrations in eucrites, however considerable variability was observed in mineral trace element concentrations, particularly with respect to incompatible elements in the mineral phases. Magnesium was separated from digested eucrite samples, and the Mg isotope composition of the eucrites was measured to high precision in order to date the samples using the short-lived ²⁶Al–²⁶Mg chronometer and examine magmatic evolution on the HED parent body. Correlations between incompatible elements in pyroxene and ²⁶Mg anomalies, produced by the decay of ²⁶Al, indicate that the eucrite suite was formed from a single, evolving magma body. Large trace element and Mg isotopic differences between eucrites and diogenites indicate that the two meteorite groups did not, as previously suggested, originate from the same magma body. Instead they may have formed from two large magma bodies, which were spatially or temporally separated on the HED parent body. The application of the short-lived ²⁶Al–²⁶Mg chronometer to this suite of eucrites constrains the onset of eucrite formation to ~3 Myr after the formation of the solar system’s first solids, as a result of rapid accretion and melting of planetesimals due to heating from the decay of ²⁶Al.</p>

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