Journal articles
Pristine extraterrestrial material with unprecedented nitrogen isotopic variation
Abstract : Pristine meteoritic materials carry light element isotopic fractionations that constrain physiochemical conditions during solar system formation. Here we report the discovery of a unique xenolith in the metal-rich chondrite Isheyevo. Its fine-grained, highly pristine mineralogy has similarity with interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), but the volume of the xenolith is more than 30,000 times that of a typical IDP. Furthermore, an extreme continuum of N isotopic variation is present in this xenolith: from very light N isotopic composition (δ15NAIR = −310 ± 20‰), similar to that inferred for the solar nebula, to the heaviest ratios measured in any solar system material (δ15NAIR = 4,900 ± 300‰). At the same time, its hydrogen and carbon isotopic compositions exhibit very little variation. This object poses serious challenges for existing models for the origin of light element isotopic anomalies.
https://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/insu-00367907
Contributor : Béatrice Pibaret-Bourdon <>
Submitted on : Thursday, March 12, 2009 - 5:17:14 PM
Last modification on : Thursday, December 3, 2020 - 3:17:59 AM
Contributor : Béatrice Pibaret-Bourdon <>
Submitted on : Thursday, March 12, 2009 - 5:17:14 PM
Last modification on : Thursday, December 3, 2020 - 3:17:59 AM
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