Multiple generations of grain aggregation in different environments preceded solar system body formation

Compositional-Dependent Structural Parameters and Energetics of Hibonite: Quantum-Chemical Investigation

One of the first minerals to condense from the early solar nebula was hibonite (CaAl12O19), demonstrating a hexagonal crystal structure. There are five unique aluminum cation sites (M1-M5) in hibonite. Although hibonite contains aluminum, it can also have 3d transitional metals that substitute at aluminum cation sites, such as titanium, and other metals such as magnesium. Titanium can occur in multiple oxidation states, linking to redox conditions. A single substitution occurs when a single aluminum atom is replaced by a single titanium atom, causing the Ti to take on a 3+ oxidation state. On the other hand, Ti achieves an oxidation state of 4+ during a double substitution when a pair of aluminum atoms is replaced by a titanium and a magnesium atom. A density functional theory-based calculation is used to explore the relationship between the number of substitutions and the lattice parameters of the hibonite crystal. The calculated results reveal that the lengths of both unit cells (a and c) increase with an increasing number of single or double substitutions. The rate of increment per substitution depends on the cation sites, M1-M5, and substitution types. Along with the expansion of the unit cell of the hibonite due to the substitution, the substituted unit cell gains energy (and in turn stability) compared to the substituted unit cell without expansion, dependent on the lattice site and substitutions.

The nucleosynthetic fingerprint of the outermost protoplanetary disk and early Solar System dynamics

Knowledge of the nucleosynthetic isotope composition of the outermost protoplanetary disk is critical to understand the formation and early dynamical evolution of the Solar System. We report the discovery of outer disk material preserved in a pristine meteorite based on its chemical composition, organic-rich petrology, and 15N-rich, deuterium-rich, and 16O-poor isotope signatures. We infer that this outer disk material originated in the comet-forming region. The nucleosynthetic Fe, Mg, Si, and Cr compositions of this material reveal that, contrary to current belief, the isotope signature of the comet-forming region is ubiquitous among outer Solar System bodies, possibly reflecting an important planetary building block in the outer Solar System. This nucleosynthetic component represents fresh material added to the outer disk by late accretion streamers connected to the ambient molecular cloud. Our results show that most Solar System carbonaceous asteroids accreted material from the comet-forming region, a signature lacking in the terrestrial planet region.

Organic Matter in the Asteroid Ryugu: What We Know So Far

The Hayabusa2 mission was tasked with returning samples from the C-complex asteroid Ryugu (1999 JU3), in order to shed light on the formation, evolution and composition of such asteroids. One of the main science objectives was to understand whether such bodies could have supplied the organic matter required for the origin of life on Earth. Here, a review of the studies concerning the organic matter within the Ryugu samples is presented. This review will inform the reader about the Hayabusa2 mission, the nature of the organic matter analyzed and the various interpretations concerning the analytical findings including those concerning the origin and evolution of organic matter from Ryugu. Finally, the review puts the findings and individual interpretations in the context of the current theories surrounding the formation and evolution of Ryugu. Overall, the summary provided here will help to inform those operating in a wide range of interdisciplinary fields, including planetary science, astrobiology, the origin of life and astronomy, about the most recent developments concerning the organic matter in the Ryugu return samples and their relevance to understanding our solar system and beyond. The review also outlines the issues that still remain to be solved and highlights potential areas for future work.

Lifetimes of interstellar dust from cosmic ray exposure ages of presolar silicon carbide

Dating of interstellar dust directly with astronomical methods is not possible. Neither is dating based on the decay of long-lived radioactive nuclides, due to current analytical limitations and unknown initial isotopic compositions. Here we present interstellar ages of individual presolar SiC grains from a meteorite. The ages are based on Ne isotopes produced by galactic cosmic rays. Lifetimes of ∼60% of our grains are <3 × 10⁸ y, while at least 8% are >10⁹ y, in line with what is expected for large grains. The former could be the end products of stars originating in an enhanced star formation episode. Presolar grains are the oldest datable solid samples available and provide invaluable insight into the presolar chronology of our galaxy.

We determined interstellar cosmic ray exposure ages of 40 large presolar silicon carbide grains extracted from the Murchison CM2 meteorite. Our ages, based on cosmogenic Ne-21, range from 3.9 ± 1.6 Ma to ∼3 ± 2 Ga before the start of the Solar System ∼4.6 Ga ago. A majority of the grains have interstellar lifetimes of <300 Ma, which is shorter than theoretical estimates for large grains. These grains condensed in outflows of asymptotic giant branch stars <4.9 Ga ago that possibly formed during an episode of enhanced star formation ∼7 Ga ago. A minority of the grains have ages >1 Ga. Longer lifetimes are expected for large grains. We determined that at least 12 of the analyzed grains were parts of aggregates in the interstellar medium: The large difference in nuclear recoil loss of cosmic ray spallation products ³He and ²¹Ne enabled us to estimate that the irradiated objects in the interstellar medium were up to 30 times larger than the analyzed grains. Furthermore, we estimate that the majority of the grains acquired the bulk of their cosmogenic nuclides in the interstellar medium and not by exposure to an enhanced particle flux of the early active sun.

CHONDRITES AND THEIR COMPONENTS: RECORDS OF EARLY SOLAR SYSTEM PROCESSES

Chondrites consist of three major components: refractory inclusions (Ca,Al‐rich inclusions [CAIs] and amoeboid olivine aggregates), chondrules, and matrix. Here, I summarize recent results on the mineralogy, petrology, oxygen, and aluminum‐magnesium isotope systematics of the chondritic components (mainly CAIs in carbonaceous chondrites) and their significance for understanding processes in the protoplanetary disk (PPD) and on chondrite parent asteroids. CAIs are the oldest solids originated in the solar system: their U‐corrected Pb‐Pb absolute age of 4567.3 ± 0.16 Ma is considered to represent time 0 of its evolution. CAIs formed by evaporation, condensation, and aggregation in a gas of approximately solar composition in a hot (ambient temperature >1300 K) disk region exposed to irradiation by solar energetic particles, probably near the protoSun; subsequently, some CAIs were melted in and outside their formation region during transient heating events of still unknown nature. In unmetamorphosed, type 2–3.0 chondrites, CAIs show large variations in the initial 26Al/27Al ratios, from <5 × 10–6 to ~5.25 × 10–5. These variations and the inferred low initial abundance of 60Fe in the PPD suggest late injection of 26Al by a wind from a nearby Wolf–Rayet star into the protosolar molecular cloud core prior to or during its collapse. Although there are multiple generations of CAIs characterized by distinct mineralogies, textures, and isotopic (O, Mg, Ca, Ti, Mo, etc.) compositions, the 26Al heterogeneity in the CAI‐forming region(s) precludes determining the duration of CAIs formation using 26Al‐26Mg systematics. The existence of multiple generations of CAIs and the observed differences in CAI abundances in carbonaceous and noncarbonaceous chondrites may indicate that CAIs were episodically formed and ejected by a disk wind from near the Sun to the outer solar system and then spiraled inward due to gas drag. In type 2–3.0 chondrites, most CAIs surrounded by Wark–Lovering rims have uniform Δ17O (= δ17O−0.52 × δ18O) of ~ −24‰; however, there is a large range of Δ17O (from ~−40 to ~ −5‰) among them, suggesting the coexistence of 16O‐rich (low Δ17O) and 16O‐poor (high Δ17O) gaseous reservoirs at the earliest stages of the PPD evolution. The observed variations in Δ17O of CAIs may be explained if three major O‐bearing species in the solar system (CO, H2O, and silicate dust) had different O‐isotope compositions, with H2O and possibly silicate dust being 16O‐depleted relative to both the Genesis solar wind Δ17O of −28.4 ± 3.6‰ and even more 16O‐enriched CO. Oxygen isotopic compositions of CO and H2O could have resulted from CO self‐shielding in the protosolar molecular cloud (PMC) and the outer PPD. The nature of 16O‐depleted dust at the earliest stages of PPD evolution remains unclear: it could have either been inherited from the PMC or the initially 16O‐rich (solar‐like) MC dust experienced O‐isotope exchange during thermal processing in the PPD. To understand the chemical and isotopic composition of the protosolar MC material and the degree of its thermal processing in PPD, samples of the primordial silicates and ices, which may have survived in the outer solar system, are required. In metamorphosed CO3 and CV3 chondrites, most CAIs exhibit O‐isotope heterogeneity that often appears to be mineralogically controlled: anorthite, melilite, grossite, krotite, perovskite, and Zr‐ and Sc‐rich oxides and silicates are 16O‐depleted relative to corundum, hibonite, spinel, Al,Ti‐diopside, forsterite, and enstatite. In texturally fine‐grained CAIs with grain sizes of ~10–20 μm, this O‐isotope heterogeneity is most likely due to O‐isotope exchange with 16O‐poor (Δ17O ~0‰) aqueous fluids on the CO and CV chondrite parent asteroids. In CO3.1 and CV3.1 chondrites, this process did not affect Al‐Mg isotope systematics of CAIs. In some coarse‐grained igneous CV CAIs, O‐isotope heterogeneity of anorthite, melilite, and igneously zoned Al,Ti‐diopside appears to be consistent with their crystallization from melts of isotopically evolving O‐isotope compositions. These CAIs could have recorded O‐isotope exchange during incomplete melting in nebular gaseous reservoir(s) with different O‐isotope compositions and during aqueous fluid–rock interaction on the CV asteroid.

Comparison of GEMS in Interplanetary Dust Particles and GEMS-like Objects in a Stardust Impact Track in Aerogel

Comet 81P/Wild 2 dust, the first comet sample of known provenance, was widely expected to resemble anhydrous chondritic porous (CP) interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). GEMS, distinctly characteristic of CP IDPs, have yet to be unambiguously identified in the Stardust mission samples despite claims of likely candidates. One such candidate is Stardust impact track 57 "Febo" in aerogel, which contains fine-grained objects texturally and compositionally similar to GEMS. Their position adjacent the terminal particle suggests that they may be indigenous, fine-grained, cometary material, like that in CP IDPs, shielded by the terminal particle from damage during deceleration from hypervelocity. Darkfield imaging and multi-detector energy-dispersive x-ray mapping were used to compare GEMS-like-objects in the Febo terminal particle with GEMS in an anhydrous, chondritic IDP. GEMS in the IDP are within 3× CI (solar) abundances for major and minor elements. In the Febo GEMS-like objects, Mg and Ca are systematically and strongly depleted relative to CI; S and Fe are somewhat enriched; and Au, a known aerogel contaminant is present, consistent with ablation, melting, abrasion and mixing of the SiOx aerogel with crystalline Fe-sulfide and minor enstatite, high-Ni sulfide and augite identified by elemental mapping in the terminal particle. Thus, GEMS-like objects in "caches" of fine-grained debris abutting terminal particles are most likely deceleration debris packed in place during particle transit through the aerogel.