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Presolar silicate and oxide abundances and compositions in the ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Adelaide and the K chondrite Kakangari: The effects of secondary processing
Author(s) -
FLOSS Christine,
STADERMANN Frank J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
meteoritics and planetary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.09
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 1086-9379
DOI - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2012.01366.x
Subject(s) - chondrite , presolar grains , meteorite , carbonaceous chondrite , silicate , parent body , astrobiology , geology , formation and evolution of the solar system , geochemistry , chondrule , mineralogy , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry
– Although it has been suggested that the ungrouped carbonaceous chondrite Adelaide and the K chondrite Kakangari could be considered highly primitive, our study of their presolar grain abundances shows that both have experienced more secondary processing than other primitive chondrites with high presolar grain abundances. Presolar grains are rare in Kakangari and are present in reduced abundances in Adelaide (approximately 70 ppm for O‐anomalous grains). Thermal annealing has led to widespread crystallization of their fine‐grained matrices, and accounts for the partial to complete destruction of presolar grains. In addition, presolar silicates in Adelaide show elevated Fe abundances and Fe‐rich rims indicative of infiltration of Fe into the grains from the surrounding matrix. This process probably also took place during annealing, most likely in the solar nebula, in a region with an enhanced dust‐to‐gas ratio. The most primitive meteorites, with the highest presolar grain abundances, appear to be those whose matrices contain abundant amorphous material that has escaped any significant thermal or aqueous alteration.