Remnants of the early solar system water enriched in heavy oxygen isotopes

Oxygen isotopic composition of our solar system is believed to have resulted from mixing of two isotopically distinct nebular reservoirs, 16O-rich and (17,18)O-rich relative to Earth. The nature and composition of the (17,18)O-rich reservoir are poorly constrained. We report an in situ discovery of a chemically and isotopically unique material distributed ubiquitously in fine-grained matrix of a primitive carbonaceous chondrite Acfer 094. This material formed by oxidation of Fe,Ni-metal and sulfides by water either in the solar nebula or on a planetesimal. Oxygen isotopic composition of this material indicates that the water was highly enriched in 17O and 18O (delta(17,18)O(SMOW) = +180 per thousand per mil), providing the first evidence for an extremely (17,18)O-rich reservoir in the early solar system.     

Oxygen reservoirs in the early solar nebula inferred from an allende CAI

Ultraviolet laser microprobe analyses of a calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion (CAI) from the Allende meteorite suggest that a line with a slope of exactly 1.00 on a plot of delta17O against delta18O represents the primitive oxygen isotope reservoir of the early solar nebula. Most meteorites are enriched in 17O and 18O relative to this line, and their oxygen isotope ratios can be explained by mass fractionation or isotope exchange initiating from the primitive reservoir. These data establish a link between the oxygen isotopic composition of the abundant ordinary chondrites and the primitive 16O-rich component of CAIs.     

Oxygen isotopic compositions of asteroidal materials returned from Itokawa by the Hayabusa mission

Meteorite studies suggest that each solar system object has a unique oxygen isotopic composition. Chondrites, the most primitive of meteorites, have been believed to be derived from asteroids, but oxygen isotopic compositions of asteroids themselves have not been established. We measured, using secondary ion mass spectrometry, oxygen isotopic compositions of rock particles from asteroid 25143 Itokawa returned by the Hayabusa spacecraft. Compositions of the particles are depleted in (16)O relative to terrestrial materials and indicate that Itokawa, an S-type asteroid, is one of the sources of the LL or L group of equilibrated ordinary chondrites. This is a direct oxygen-isotope link between chondrites and their parent asteroid.     

Isotopic composition of the martian atmosphere

Results from the neutral mass spectrometer carried on the aeroshell of Viking 1 show evidence for NO in the upper atmosphere of Mars and indicate that the isotopic composition of carbon and oxygen is similar to that of Earth. Mars is enriched in (15)N relative to Earth by about 75 percent, a consequence of escape that implies an initial abundance of nitrogen equivalent to a partial pressure of at least 2 millibars. The initial abundance of oxygen present either as CO(2) or H(2)O must be equivalent to an exchangeable atmospheric pressure of at least 2 bars in order to inhibit escape-related enrichment of (18)O.     

Oxygen isotope exchange between refractory inclusion in allende and solar nebula Gas

A calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion (CAI) from the Allende meteorite was analyzed and found to contain melilite crystals with extreme oxygen-isotope compositions ( approximately 5 percent oxygen-16 enrichment relative to terrestrial oxygen-16). Some of the melilite is also anomalously enriched in oxygen-16 compared with oxygen isotopes measured in other CAIs. The oxygen isotopic variation measured among the minerals (melilite, spinel, and fassaite) indicates that crystallization of the CAI started from oxygen-16-rich materials that were probably liquid droplets in the solar nebula, and oxygen isotope exchange with the surrounding oxygen-16-poor nebular gas progressed through the crystallization of the CAI. Additional oxygen isotope exchange also occurred during subsequent reheating events in the solar nebula.     

Oxygen isotope variations at the margin of a CAI records circulation within the solar nebula

Micrometer-scale analyses of a calcium-, aluminum-rich inclusion (CAI) and the characteristic mineral bands mantling the CAI reveal that the outer parts of this primitive object have a large range of oxygen isotope compositions. The variations are systematic; the relative abundance of (16)O first decreases toward the CAI margin, approaching a planetary-like isotopic composition, then shifts to extremely (16)O-rich compositions through the surrounding rim. The variability implies that CAIs probably formed from several oxygen reservoirs. The observations support early and short-lived fluctuations of the environment in which CAIs formed, either because of transport of the CAIs themselves to distinct regions of the solar nebula or because of varying gas composition near the proto-Sun.     

The provenances of asteroids, and their contributions to the volatile inventories of the terrestrial planets

Determining the source(s) of hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen accreted by Earth is important for understanding the origins of water and life and for constraining dynamical processes that operated during planet formation. Chondritic meteorites are asteroidal fragments that retain records of the first few million years of solar system history. The deuterium/hydrogen (D/H) values of water in carbonaceous chondrites are distinct from those in comets and Saturn's moon Enceladus, implying that they formed in a different region of the solar system, contrary to predictions of recent dynamical models. The D/H values of water in carbonaceous chondrites also argue against an influx of water ice from the outer solar system, which has been invoked to explain the nonsolar oxygen isotopic composition of the inner solar system. The bulk hydrogen and nitrogen isotopic compositions of CI chondrites suggest that they were the principal source of Earth's volatiles.     

Isotopic compositions of cometary matter returned by Stardust

Hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotopic compositions are heterogeneous among comet 81P/Wild 2 particle fragments; however, extreme isotopic anomalies are rare, indicating that the comet is not a pristine aggregate of presolar materials. Nonterrestrial nitrogen and neon isotope ratios suggest that indigenous organic matter and highly volatile materials were successfully collected. Except for a single (17)O-enriched circumstellar stardust grain, silicate and oxide minerals have oxygen isotopic compositions consistent with solar system origin. One refractory grain is (16)O-enriched, like refractory inclusions in meteorites, suggesting that Wild 2 contains material formed at high temperature in the inner solar system and transported to the Kuiper belt before comet accretion.     

Experimental test of self-shielding in vacuum ultraviolet photodissociation of CO

Self-shielding of carbon monoxide (CO) within the nebular disk has been proposed as the source of isotopically anomalous oxygen in the solar reservoir and the source of meteoritic oxygen isotopic compositions. A series of CO photodissociation experiments at the Advanced Light Source show that vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photodissociation of CO produces large wavelength-dependent isotopic fractionation. An anomalously enriched atomic oxygen reservoir can thus be generated through CO photodissociation without self-shielding. In the presence of optical self-shielding of VUV light, the fractionation associated with CO dissociation dominates over self-shielding. These results indicate the potential role of photochemistry in early solar system formation and may help in the understanding of oxygen isotopic variations in Genesis solar-wind samples.     

Photochemical mass-independent sulfur isotopes in achondritic meteorites

Sulfides from four achondrite meteorite groups are enriched in 33S (up to 0.040 per mil) as compared with primitive chondrites and terrestrial standards. Stellar nucleosynthesis and cosmic ray spallation are ruled out as causes of the anomaly, but photochemical reactions in the early solar nebula could produce the isotopic composition. The large 33S excess present in oldhamite from the Norton County aubrite (0.161 per mil) suggests that refractory sulfide minerals condensed from a nebular gas with an enhanced carbon-oxygen ratio, but otherwise solar composition is the carrier. The presence of a mass-independent sulfur effect in meteorites argues for a similar process that could account for oxygen isotopic anomalies observed in refractory inclusions in primitive chondrites.     

The mass-independent fractionation of oxygen: a novel isotope effect and its possible cosmochemical implications

Experimental evidence is presented which demonstrates a chemically produced, mass-independent isotopic fractionation of oxygen. The effect is thought to result from self-shielding by the major isotopic species (16)O(2), but other possible mechanisms such as molecular symmetry cannot be ruled out. In a three-isotope plot, the experimentally produced fractionation line is essentially equal in slope to the observed carbonaceous chondrite mixing line. The implications for the early history of the solar system are discussed.     

Molecular cloud origin for the oxygen isotope heterogeneity in the solar system

Meteorites and their components have anomalous oxygen isotopic compositions characterized by large variations in 18O/16O and 17O/16O ratios. On the basis of recent observations of star-forming regions and models of accreting protoplanetary disks, we suggest that these variations may originate in a parent molecular cloud by ultraviolet photodissociation processes. Materials with anomalous isotopic compositions were then transported into the solar nebula by icy dust grains during the collapse of the cloud. The icy dust grains drifted toward the Sun in the disk, and their subsequent evaporation resulted in the 17O- and 18O-enrichment of the inner disk gas.     

A 15N-poor isotopic composition for the solar system as shown by Genesis solar wind samples

The Genesis mission sampled solar wind ions to document the elemental and isotopic compositions of the Sun and, by inference, of the protosolar nebula. Nitrogen was a key target element because the extent and origin of its isotopic variations in solar system materials remain unknown. Isotopic analysis of a Genesis Solar Wind Concentrator target material shows that implanted solar wind nitrogen has a (15)N/(14)N ratio of 2.18 ± 0.02 × 10(-3) (that is, ≈40% poorer in (15)N relative to terrestrial atmosphere). The (15)N/(14)N ratio of the protosolar nebula was 2.27 ± 0.03 × 10(-3), which is the lowest (15)N/(14)N ratio known for solar system objects. This result demonstrates the extreme nitrogen isotopic heterogeneity of the nascent solar system and accounts for the (15)N-depleted components observed in solar system reservoirs.     

Oxygen isotope composition of subglacially precipitated calcite: possible paleoclimatic implications

Isotopic analyses of subglacially precipitated calcite from near a modern temperate glacier show that the delta(18)O (= (18)O/(16)O relative to standard mean ocean water) of the calcite records the delta(18)O of the ice from that glacier. It may therefore be possible to determine the delta(18)O of Pleistocene ice sheets on the basis of isotopic analyses of calcite formed under that ancient ice. This, in turn, would allow estimation of the delta(18)O of Pleistocene oceans and correction of the paleotemperature scale based on foraminiferal oxygen isotopic analyses.     

A new source of basaltic meteorites inferred from Northwest Africa 011

Eucrites are a class of basaltic meteorites that share common mineralogical, isotopic, and chemical properties and are thought to have been derived from the same parent body, possibly asteroid 4 Vesta. The texture, mineralogy, and noble gas data of the recently recovered meteorite, Northwest Africa (NWA) 011, are similar to those of basaltic eucrites. However, the oxygen isotopic composition of NWA011 is different from that of other eucrites, indicating that NWA011 may be derived from a different parent body. The presence of basaltic meteorites with variable oxygen isotopic composition suggests the occurrence of multiple basaltic meteorite parent bodies, perhaps similar to 4 Vesta, in the early solar system.     

18O/16O, 30Si/28Si, D/H, and 13C/12C Studies of Lunar Rocks and Minerals

The delta (18)O of minerals from lunar gabbros and basalts are: plgioclases +6.06 to +6.33), pyroxenes (+5.70 to +5.95), and ilmenites (+3.85 to +4.12). The uniformity of these results indicates isotopic equilibrium in the mineral assemblages. Estimated plagioclase-ilmenite temperautres range from 1150 degrees C to 1340 degrees C. The bulk (18)/ (16)O and (30)Si/ (28)Si ratios of these lunar rocks are identical with ratios of terrestrial basalts, but the lunar glass, breccia, and dust are slightly enriched in the heavier isotopes. The lunar hydrogen (formed from solar wind) has a delta D/H of less than-873 per mil and the value may be even lower, as it is probably contaminated with terrestrial hydrogen. The delta (13)C of lunar dust and breccia is unusually high relative to reduced carbon in meteorites or on earth.     

Composition of the Earth

New estimates of solar composition, compared to earlier measurements, are enriched in Fe and Ca relative to Mg, Al, and Si. The Fe/Si and Ca/Al atomic ratios are 30 to 40 percent higher than chondritic values. These changes necessitate a revision in the cosmic abundances and in the composition of the nebula from which the planets accreted (which have been based on chondritic values). These new values imply that the mantle could contain about 15 weight percent FeO and more CaMgSi(2)O(6) than has been supposed. Geophysical data are consistent with a dense, FeO-rich lower mantle and a CaMgSi(2)O(6) (diopside)-rich transition region. FeO contents of 13 to 18 weight percent appear to be typical of the mantles of bodies in the inner solar system. The oldest komatiites (high-temperature MgO-rich magmas) have a similar chemistry to the derived mantle. These results favor a chemically zoned mantle.     

Solar wind record on the moon: deciphering presolar from planetary nitrogen

Ion microprobe analyses show that solar wind nitrogen associated with solar wind hydrogen implanted in the first tens of nanometers of lunar regolith grains is depleted in 15N by at least 24% relative to terrestrial atmosphere, whereas a nonsolar component associated with deuterium-rich hydrogen, detected in silicon-bearing coatings at the surface of some ilmenite grains, is enriched in 15N. Systematic enrichment of 15N in terrestrial planets and bulk meteorites relative to the protosolar gas cannot be explained by isotopic fractionation in nebular or planetary environments but requires the contribution of 15N-rich compounds to the total nitrogen in planetary materials. Most of these compounds are possibly of an interstellar origin and never equilibrated with the 15N-depleted protosolar nebula.     

Solar wind neon from Genesis: implications for the lunar noble gas record

Lunar soils have been thought to contain two solar noble gas components with distinct isotopic composition. One has been identified as implanted solar wind, the other as higher-energy solar particles. The latter was puzzling because its relative amounts were much too large compared with present-day fluxes, suggesting periodic, very high solar activity in the past. Here we show that the depth-dependent isotopic composition of neon in a metallic glass exposed on NASA's Genesis mission agrees with the expected depth profile for solar wind neon with uniform isotopic composition. Our results strongly indicate that no extra high-energy component is required and that the solar neon isotope composition of lunar samples can be explained as implantation-fractionated solar wind.     

Rare gas systematics in popping rock: isotopic and elemental compositions in the upper mantle

New experimental data on the isotopic variations of neon, argon, and xenon in a popping rock imply that the 40Ar/36Ar ratio of the upper mantle is less than 44,000 and that the 129Xe/130Xe ratio is less than 8.2. The elemental abundance pattern of rare gases is chondritic-like and is quite distinct from the solar pattern. These data imply that Earth accreted from planetesimals that probably underwent a transformation of their rare gas budget from solar- to chondritic-like, leaving the isotopic composition unchanged from the solar pattern.