2021 |
Bouden, N., J. Villeneuve, Y. Marrocchi, E. Deloule, E. Füri, A. Gurenko, L. Piani, E. Thomassot, P. Peres, and F. Fernandes. "Triple oxygen isotope measurements by multi-collector secondary ion mass spectrometry." Frontiers in Earth Science (2021): 8:601169.
Résumé : Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is a powerful technique for in situ triple oxygen isotope measurements that has been used for more than 30 years. Since pioneering works performed on small-radius ion microprobes in the mid-80s, tremendous progress has been made in terms of analytical precision, spatial resolution and analysis duration. In this respect, the emergence in the mid-90s of the large-radius ion microprobe equipped with a multi-collector system (MC-SIMS) was a game changer. Further developments achieved on CAMECA MC-SIMS since then (e.g., stability of the electronics, enhanced transmission of secondary ions, automatic centering of the secondary ion beam, enhanced control of the magnetic field, 1012Ω resistor for the Faraday cup amplifiers) allow nowadays to routinely measure oxygen isotopic ratios (18O/16O and 17O/16O) in various matrices with a precision (internal error and reproducibility) better than 0.5‰ (2σ), a spatial resolution smaller than 10 μm and in a few minutes per analysis. This paper focuses on the application of the MC-SIMS technique to the in situ monitoring of mass-independent triple oxygen isotope variations.
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Deng, Z., M. Chaussidon, D. S. Ebel, J. Villeneuve, J. Moureau, and F. Moynier. "Simultaneous determination of mass-dependent Mg isotopic variations and radiogenic 26Mg by laser ablation-MC-ICP-MS and implications for the formation of chondrules." Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 299 (2021): 163–183.
Résumé : Improvements in our understanding of the formation of chondrules requires a better knowledge of the thermal histories and the nature of their solid precursors. We present an in situ nanosecond laser ablation multi-collector inductively-coupled-plasma mass-spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) technique to measure simultaneously mass-dependent Mg isotopic fractionations and radiogenic 26Mg in chondritic components, thus allowing us to investigate within a chronological framework the thermal processes redistributing Mg in chondrules and their precursors. The internal 26Al-26Mg isochrons provide initial 26Al/27Al ratios from 5.46 (± 0.38) × 10−5 to 6.14 (± 0.92) × 10−5 for amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs) and Ca-, Al-rich inclusions (CAIs), and from 0.16 (± 0.08) × 10−5 to 1.87 (± 0.92) × 10−5 for chondrules from Allende and Leoville chondrites, which are consistent with the previously reported values. The combination of these values with up to 2.5‰ variation of the 25Mg/24Mg ratio within the studied chondrules shows that: (i) AOAs and the precursors of chondrules were likely formed via condensation of rapid-cooling gas reservoirs, and (ii) Mg stable isotopes are probably at disequilibrium between olivines and mesostases in some chondrules, likely due to Mg loss by vaporization during chondrule formation. We use these new observations to propose that Mg isotopes can likely serve as a tracer for the thermal histories of chondrules. We present here a scenario taking into account Mg loss by vaporization from chondrule melt and Mg gain into the melt by olivine dissolution. The existing Mg isotopic observations in chondrule melts and olivines can be explained in a scenario with a homogeneous distribution of Mg isotopes and initial 26Al in the accretion disk, provided that chondrule precursors have been heated up to sufficiently high peak temperatures (up to 2123 K) and stayed above 1800 K for several tens of minutes to allow for significant Mg evaporation. These conditions are most consistent with a shock wave model for the origin of chondrules.
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Gaillard, F., M. A. Bouhifd, E. Füri, V. Malavergne, Y. Marrocchi, L. Noack, G. Ortenzi, M. Roskosz, and S. Vulpius. "The diverse planetary ingassing/outgassing paths produced over billions of years of magmatic activity." Space Science Reviews 217, no. 22 (2021).
Résumé : The C-H-O-N-S elements that constitute the outgassed atmosphere and exosphere
have likely been delivered by chondritic materials to the Earth during planetary accretion and subsequently processed over billions of years of planetary differentiation. Although these elements are generally considered to be volatile, a large part of the accreted C-HO-N-S on Earth must have been sequestered in the core and mantle, with the remaining part concentrated at the Earth’s surface (exosphere: atmosphere+ocean+crust). The likely reason for this is that, depending on the prevailing pressure (P), temperature (T) and oxidation state (oxygen fugacity, fO2) in the planet’s interior, the C-H-O-N-S elements can behave as siderophile, lithophile, refractory, magmatophile, or atmophile. It is not clear if these elements might be sequestered in the interiors of planets elsewhere, since the governing parameters of P-T-fO2 during the diverse magmatic processes controlling magmatic differentiation vary greatly over time and from planet to planet. The magma ocean outgassed the first atmosphere, which was probably also the largest in terms of mass, but its nature and composition remain poorly known. Meanwhile, a significant, but unknown, part
Mots-clés : cosmo magma
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Grewal, D. S., R. Dasgupta, and B. Marty. "A very early origin of isotopically distinct nitrogen in inner Solar System protoplanets." Nature Astronomy (2021).
Résumé : Understanding the origin of life-essential volatiles such as nitrogen (N) in the Solar System and beyond is critical to evaluate the potential habitability of rocky planets1–5. Whether the inner Solar System planets accreted these volatiles from their inception or had an exogenous delivery from the outer Solar System is, however, not well understood. Using previously published data of nucleosynthetic anomalies of nickel, molybdenum, tungsten and ruthenium in iron meteorites along with their 15N/14N ratios, here we show that the earliest formed protoplanets
in the inner and outer protoplanetary disk accreted isotopically distinct N. While the Sun and Jupiter captured N from nebular gas6, concomitantly growing protoplanets in the inner and outer disk possibly sourced their N from organics
and/or dust—with each reservoir having a different N isotopic composition. A distinct N isotopic signature of the inner Solar System protoplanets coupled with their rapid accretion7,8 suggests that non-nebular, isotopically processed N
was ubiquitous in their growth zone between 0 and ~0.3 Myr after Solar System formation. Because the 15N/14N ratio of the bulk silicate Earth falls between that of the inner and outer Solar System reservoirs, we infer that N in the present-day
rocky planets represents a mixture of both inner and outer Solar System material.
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Jacquet, E., M. Piralla, P. Kersaho, and Y. Marrocchi. "Origin of isolated olivine grains in carbonaceous chondrites." Meteoritics & Planetary Science 56, no. 1 (2021): 13–33.
Résumé : We report microscopic, cathodoluminescence, chemical, and O isotopic measurements of FeO-poor isolated olivine grains (IOG) in the carbonaceous chondrites Allende (CV3), Northwest Africa 5958 (C2-ung), Northwest Africa 11086 (CM2-an), and Allan Hills 77307 (CO3.0). The general petrographic, chemical, and isotopic similarity with bona fide type I chondrules confirms that the IOG derived from them. The concentric CL zoning, reflecting a decrease in refractory elements toward the margins, and frequent rimming by enstatite are taken as evidence of interaction of the IOG with the gas as standalone objects. This indicates that they were splashed out of chondrules when these were still partially molten. CaO-rich refractory forsterites, which are restricted to Δ17O <-4°/°° likely escaped equilibration at lower temperatures because of their large size and possibly quicker quenching. The IOG thus bear witness to frequent collisions in the chondrule-forming regions.
Mots-clés : cosmo
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2020 |
Aerts, J. W., A. Riedo, D. J. Melton, S. Martini, J. Flahaut, U. J. Meierhenrich, C. Meinert, L. Myrgorodska, R. Lindner, and P. Ehrenfreud. "Biosignature analysis of Mars soil analogs from the Atacama Desert : Challenges and implications for future missions to Mars." Astrobiology 20, no. 6 (2020).
Résumé : The detection of biosignatures on Mars is of outstanding interest in the current field of astrobiology and drives various fields of research, ranging from new sample collection strategies to the development of more sensitive detection techniques. Detailed analysis of the organic content in Mars analog materials collected from extreme environments on Earth improves the current understanding of biosignature preservation and detection under conditions similar to those of Mars. In this article, we examined the biological fingerprint of several locations in the Atacama Desert (Chile), which include different wet and dry, and intermediate to high elevation salt flats (also named salars). Liquid chromatography and multidimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry measurement techniques were used for the detection and analysis of amino acids extracted from the salt crusts and sediments by using sophisticated extraction procedures. Illumina 16S amplicon sequencing was used for the identification of microbial communities associated with the different sample locations. Although amino acid load and organic carbon and nitrogen quantities were generally low, it was found that most of the samples harbored complex and versatile microbial communities, which were dominated by (extremely) halophilic microorganisms (most notably by species of the Archaeal family Halobacteriaceae). The dominance of salts (i.e., halites and sulfates) in the investigated samples leaves its mark on the composition of the microbial communities but does not appear to hinder the potential of life to flourish since it can clearly adapt to the higher concentrations. Although the Atacama Desert is one of the driest and harshest environments on Earth, it is shown that there are still sub-locations where life is able to maintain a foothold, and, as such, salt flats could be considered as interesting targets for future life exploration missions on Mars.
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Anzures, B. A., S. W. Parman, R. E. Milliken, O. Namur, C. Cartier, and S. Wang. "Effect of sulfur speciation on chemical and physical properties of very reduced mercurian melts." Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 286 (2020): 1–18.
Résumé : The NASA MESSENGER mission revealed that lavas on Mercury are enriched in sulfur (1.5–4 wt.%) compared with other terrestrial planets (<0.1 wt.%), a result of high S solubility under its very low oxygen fugacity (estimated fO2 between IW-3 and IW-7). Due to decreasing O availability at these low fO2 conditions, and an abundance of S2-, the latter acts as an important anion. This changes the partitioning behaviour of many elements (e.g. Fe, Mg, and Ca) and modifies the physical properties of silicate melts. To further understand S solubility and speciation in reduced magmas, we have analysed 11 high pressure experiments run at 1 GPa in a piston cylinder at temperatures of 1250–1475 °C and fO2 between IW-2.5 to IW-7.5. SK-Edge XANES is used to determine coordination chemistry and oxidation state of S species in highly reduced quenched silicate melts. As fO2 decreases from IW-2 to IW-7, S speciation goes through two major changes. At ˜IW-2, FeS, FeCr2S4, Na2S, and MnS species are destabilized, CaS (with minor Na2S) becomes the dominant S species. At ˜IW-4, Na2S is destabilized, MgS becomes the dominant S species, with lesser amounts of CaS. The changes in S speciation at low fO2 affect the activities of SiO2, MgO and CaO in the melt, stabilizing enstatite at the expense of forsterite, and destabilizing plagioclase and clinopyroxene. These shifts cause the initial layering of Mercury’s solidified magma ocean to be enstatite-rich and plagioclase poor. Our results on S speciation at low fO2 are also applicable to the petrologic evolution of enstatite chondrite parent bodies and perhaps early Earth.
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Avice, G., and B. Marty. "Perspectives on atmospheric evolution from noble gas and nitrogen isotopes on Earth, Mars & Venus." Space Science Reviews 126 (2020): 36.
Résumé : The composition of an atmosphere has integrated the geological history of the entire planetary body. However, the long-term evolutions of the atmospheres of the terrestrial planets are not well documented. For Earth, there were until recently only few direct records of atmosphere’s composition in the distant past, and insights came mainly from geochemical or physical proxies and/or from atmospheric models pushed back in time. Here we review innovative approaches on new terrestrial samples that led to the determination of the elemental and isotopic compositions of key geochemical tracers, namely noble gases and nitrogen. Such approaches allowed one to investigate the atmosphere’s evolution through geological period of time, and to set stringent constraints on the past atmospheric pressure and on the salinity of the Archean oceans. For Mars, we review the current state of knowledge obtained from analyses of Martian meteorites, and from the direct measurements of the composition of the present-day atmosphere by rovers and spacecrafts. Based on these measurements, we explore divergent models of the Martian and Terrestrial atmospheric evolutions. For Venus, only little is known, evidencing the critical need for dedicated missions.
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Barosch, J., D. C. Hezel, Y. Marrocchi, A. Gurenko, and C. Lenting. "An unusual compound object in Yamato 793408 (H3.2-an) : The missing link between compound chondrules and macrochondrules ?" Meteoritics & Planetary Science 55 (2020): 1458–1470.
Résumé : We found a large ( 2 mm) compound object in the primitive Yamato 793408 (H3.2‐an) chondrite. It consists mostly of microcrystalline material, similar to chondrule mesostasis, that hosts an intact barred olivine (BO) chondrule. The object contains euhedral pyroxene and large individual olivine grains. Some olivine cores are indicative of refractory forsterites with very low Fe‐ and high Ca, Al‐concentrations, although no 16O enrichment. The entire object is most likely a new and unique type, as no similar compound object has been described so far. We propose that it represents an intermediate stage between compound chondrules and macrochondrules, and formed from the collision between chondrules at low velocities (below 1 m s−1) at high temperatures (around 1550 °C). The macrochondrule also trapped and preserved a smaller BO chondrule. This object appears to be the first direct evidence for a genetic link between compound chondrules and macrochondrules. In accordance with previous suggestions and studies, compound chondrules and macrochondrules likely formed by the same mechanism of chondrule collisions, and each represents different formation conditions, such as ambient temperature and collision speed.
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Barosch, J., D. C. Hezel, L. Sawatzki, L. Halbauer, and Y. Marrocchi. "Sectioning effects of porphyritic chondrules : Implications for the PP/POP/PO classification and correcting modal abundances of mineralogically zoned chondrules." Meteoritics & Planetary Science 55, no. 5 (2020): 993–999.
Résumé : Mineralogically zoned chondrules are a common chondrule type in chondrites. They consist of olivine cores, surrounded by low-Ca pyroxene rims. By serial sectioning porphyritic chondrules from carbonaceous, ordinary, and enstatite chondrites, we demonstrate that the 2-D textural appearances of these chondrules largely depend on where they are cut. The same chondrule may appear as a porphyritic pyroxene (PP) chondrule when sectioned through the low-Ca pyroxene rim, and as a porphyritic olivine-pyroxene (POP) or porphyritic olivine (PO) chondrule when sectioned close or through its equator. Chondrules previously classified into PP/POP/PO chondrules might therefore not represent different types, but various sections through mineralogically zoned chondrules. Classifying chondrule textures into PP, POP, and PO has therefore no unequivocal genetic meaning, it is merely descriptive. Sectioning effects further introduce a systematic bias when determining mineralogically zoned chondrule fractions from 2-D sections. We determined correction factors to estimate 3-D mineralogically zoned chondrule fractions when these have been determined in 2-D sections : 1.24 for carbonaceous chondrites, 1.29 for ordinary chondrites, and 1.62 for enstatite chondrites. Using these factors then shows that mineralogically zoned chondrules are the dominant chondrule type in chondrites with estimated 3-D fractions of 92% in CC, 52% in OC, and 46% in EC.
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Bekaert, D. V., M. W. Broadley, and B. Marty. "The origin and fate of volatile elements on Earth revisited in light of noble gas data obtained from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko." Scientific Reports 10 (2020): 5796.
Résumé : The origin of terrestrial volatiles remains one of the most puzzling questions in planetary sciences. The timing and composition of chondritic and cometary deliveries to Earth has remained enigmatic due to the paucity of reliable measurements of cometary material. This work uses recently measured volatile elemental ratios and noble gas isotope data from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/C-G), in combination with chondritic data from the literature, to reconstruct the composition of Earth’s ancient atmosphere. Comets are found to have contributed ~20% of atmospheric heavy noble gases (i.e., Kr and Xe) but limited amounts of other volatile elements (water, halogens and likely organic materials) to Earth. These cometary noble gases were likely mixed with chondritic – and not solar – sources to form the atmosphere. We show that an ancient atmosphere composed of chondritic and cometary volatiles is more enriched in Xe relative to the modern atmosphere, requiring that 8–12 times the present-day inventory of Xe was lost to space. This potentially resolves the long-standing mystery of Earth’s “missing xenon”, with regards to both Xe elemental depletion and isotopic fractionation in the atmosphere. The inferred Kr/H2O and Xe/H2O of the initial atmosphere suggest that Earth’s surface volatiles might not have been fully delivered by the late accretion of volatile-rich carbonaceous chondrites. Instead, “dry” materials akin to enstatite chondrites potentially constituted a significant source of chondritic volatiles now residing on the Earth’s surface. We outline the working hypotheses, implications and limitations of this model in the last section of this contribution
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Bermingham, K. R., E. Füri, K. Lodders, and B. Marty. "The NC-CC isotope dichotomy : Implications for the chemical and isotopic evolution of the early solar system." Space Science Reviews 216, no. 8 (2020): 1–29.
Résumé : Understanding the formation of our planetary system requires identification of the materials from which it originated and the accretion processes that produced the planets. The compositional evolution of the solar system can be constrained by synthesizing astronomical datasets and numerical models with elemental and isotopic compositions from objects that directly sampled the disk : meteorites and their constituents (chondrules, refractory inclusions, and matrix). This contribution reviews constraints on early solar system evolution provided by the so-called non-carbonaceous (NC) and carbonaceous chondrite (CC) groups and their relationship to the volatile element characteristics of chondritic meteorites. In previous work, the NC or CC character of a parent body was used to infer its accretion location in the protoplanetary disk. The NC groups purportedly originated in the inner disk, and the CC groups were derived from the outer disk, where the NC and CC regions of the disk may have been separated early on by proto-Jupiter, a pressure maximum, or a dust trap in the disk. The tenet that all CC parent bodies accreted in the outer disk is, in part, based on evidence that a handful of CC meteorites are enriched in volatile species compared to NC meteorites. Here, it is reviewed if and how the volatile element and nucleosynthetic isotope compositions of meteorites can be linked to accretion locations within the disk. The nucleosynthetic isotope compositions of whole rock meteorite samples contrast the trends found for their major volatile element compositions (i.e., C, N, and O). Although there may be an increase in volatile abundances when comparing some stony NC and CC meteorites and their inferred accretion locations within the disk, this is not necessarily a general rule. The difficulties with inferring parent body accretion locations are discussed. It is found that it cannot always be assumed that parent bodies which formed in the CC reservoir are “volatile-rich” relative to those that formed in the NC reservoir which are “volatile-poor”. Consequently, tracing the origin of terrestrial volatiles using the NC-CC isotope dichotomy remains challenging
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Boulliung, J., E. Füri, C. Dalou, L. Tissandier, L. Zimmermann, and Y. Marrocchi. "Oxygen fugacity and melt composition controls on nitrogen solubility in silicate melts." Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 284 (2020): 120–133.
Résumé : Knowledge of N solubility in silicate melts is key for understanding the origin of terrestrial N and the distribution andexchanges of N between the atmosphere, the silicate magma ocean, and the core forming metal. To place constraints onthe incorporation mechanism(s) of N in silicate melts, we investigated the effect of the oxygen fugacity (fO2) and melt com-position on the N solubility through N equilibration experiments at atmospheric pressure and high temperature (1425°C).Oxygen fugacity (expressed in log units relative to the iron-wu ̈stite buffer, IW) was varied from IW –8 to IW +4.1, and meltcompositions covered a wide range of polymerization degrees, defined by the NBO/T ratio (the number of non-bridging oxy-gen atoms per tetrahedrally coordinated cations). The N contents of the quenched run products (silicate glasses) were ana-lyzed byin-situsecondary ion mass spectrometry and bulk CO2laser extraction static mass spectrometry, yielding resultsthat are in excellent agreement even for N concentrations at the (sub-)ppm level. The data obtained here highlight the fun-damental control offO2and the degree of polymerization of the silicate melt on N solubility. Under highly reduced conditions(fO2= IW –8), the N solubility increased with increasing NBO/T from 17.4 ± 0.4 ppm.atm-1/2in highly polymerized melts(NBO/T = 0) to 6710 ± 102 ppm.atm-1/2in depolymerized melts (NBO/T˜2.0). In contrast, under less reducing conditions(fO2> IW –3.4), N solubility is very low (≤2 ppm.atm-1/2), irrespective of the NBO/T value. Our results provide constraintson N solubility in enstatite chondrite melts and in the shallow part of a planetary magma ocean. The nitrogen storage capacityof an enstatite chondrite melt, which may approximate that of planetesimals that accreted and melted early in the inner SolarSystem, varies between ˜60 and ˜6000 ppm at IW –5.1 and IW –8, respectively. In contrast, a mafic to ultra-mafic magmaocean could have incorporated ˜0.3 ppm to ˜35 ppm N under thefO2conditions inferred for the young Earth (i.e., IW –5 toIW). The N storage capacity of a reduced magma ocean (i.e., IW –3.4 to IW) in equilibrium with a N-rich atmosphere is ≤1 ppm, comparable to the N content of the present-day mantle. However under more reducing conditions (i.e., IW –5 toIW –4), the N storage capacity is significantly higher (˜35 ppm) ; in this case, Earth would have lost N to the atmosphereand/or N would have been transported into and stored within its deep interior (i.e., deep mantle, core).
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Broadley, M. W., D. V. Bekaert, B. Marty, A. Yamaguchi, and J. A. Barrat. "Noble gas variations in ureilites and their implications for ureilite parent body formation." Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 270 (2020): 325–337.
Résumé : Ureilites are equilibrated carbon-rich olivine-pyroxene rocks from the partially melted mantle of a large (>500 km diameter) heterogeneous parent body. Recently the ureilite parent body was interpreted as an incomplete mixture of material from two carbon-rich chondritic reservoirs, one (Mg-rich) with reduced iron, low Δ17O and low δ13C, and the other with oxidised iron, high Δ17O and high δ13C. Here we analyse noble gases (Ar, Kr and Xe) in six equilibrated (unbrecciated) ureilites from Northwest Africa (NWA 2236, NWA 7686, NWA 8049, NWA 8172, NWA 11032 and NWA 11368). We observe weak positive and negative correlations of Δ17O and Mg# with the elemental ratios of Ar/Xe and Kr/Xe, respectively, as well as a weak positive correlation of Mg# with the heavy isotopes of Xe. These correlations broadly support the idea of the two-component mixing hypothesis. Our analyses further suggest that the Mg-rich endmember was rich in Xe from presolar grains (HL-Xe) while the Mg-poorer component may have contained solar-derived noble gases. The observed correlations are less straightforward to reconcile with a recent model for the origin of the ureilite parent body, involving oxidation of metal by H2O from accreted ice with ‘heavy’ oxygen isotopes.
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Cartier, C. "Book review: Planetary Geoscience." In European Journal of Mineralogy, 501–503. Vol. 32., 2020.
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Cartier, C., O. Namur, L. R. Nittler, S. Z. Weider, E. Crapster-Pregont, A. Vorburger, E. A. Franck, and B. Charlier. "No FeS layer in Mercury? Evidence from Ti/Al measured by MESSENGER." Earth and Planetary Science Letters 534 (2020): 116108.
Résumé : In this study we investigate the likeliness of the existence of an iron sulfide layer (FeS matte) at the core-mantle boundary (CMB) of Mercury by comparing new chemical surface data obtained by the X-ray Spectrometer onboard the MESSENGER spacecraft with geochemical models supported by high-pressure experiments under reducing conditions. We present a new data set consisting of 233 Ti/Si measurements, which combined with Al/Si data show that Mercury’s surface has a slightly subchondritic Ti/Al ratio of 0.035 ±0.008. Multiphase equilibria experiments show that at the conditions of Mercury’s core formation, Ti is chalcophile but not siderophile, making Ti a useful tracer of sulfide melt formation. We parameterize and use our partitioning data in a model to calculate the relative depletion of Ti in the bulk silicate fraction of Mercury as a function of a putative FeS layer thickness. By comparing the model results and surface elemental data we show that Mercury most likely does not have a FeS layer, and in case it would have one, it would only be a few kilometers thick (<13 km). We also show that Mercury’s metallic Fe(Si) core cannot contain more than ∼1.5 wt.% sulfur and that the formation of this core under reducing conditions is responsible for the slightly subchondritic Ti/Al ratio of Mercury’s surface.
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Charnay, B., E. T. Wolf, B. Marty, and F. Forget. "Is the faint young sun problem for Earth solved ?" Space Science Reviews 216 (2020): 90.
Résumé : Stellar evolution models predict that the solar luminosity was lower in the past, typically 20-25% lower during the Archean (3.8-2.5 Ga). Despite the fainter Sun, there is strong evidence for the presence of liquid water on Earth’s surface at that time. This “faint young Sun problem” is a fundamental question in paleoclimatology, with important implications for the habitability of the early Earth, early Mars and exoplanets. Many solutions have been proposed based on the effects of greenhouse gases, atmospheric pressure, clouds, land distribution and Earth’s rotation rate. Here we review the faint young Sun problem for Earth, highlighting the latest geological and geochemical constraints on the early Earth’s atmosphere, and recent results from 3D global climate models and carbon cycle models. Based on these works, we argue that the faint young Sun problem for Earth has essentially been solved. Unfrozen Archean oceans were likely maintained by higher concentrations of CO2, consistent with the latest geological proxies, potentially helped by additional warming processes. This reinforces the expected key role of the carbon cycle for maintaining the habitability of terrestrial planets. Additional constraints on the Archean atmosphere and 3D fully coupled atmosphere-ocean models are required to validate this conclusion.
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Colas, F., B. Zanda, S. Bouley,(...)., M. Champenois, and L. Shengold. "FRIPON: a worldwide network to track incoming meteoroids." Astronomy & Astrophysics 644, no. A53 (2020).
Résumé : Context. Until recently, camera networks designed for monitoring fireballs worldwide were not fully automated, implying that in case of a meteorite fall, the recovery campaign was rarely immediate. This was an important limiting factor as the most fragile – hence precious – meteorites must be recovered rapidly to avoid their alteration.
Aims. The Fireball Recovery and InterPlanetary Observation Network (FRIPON) scientific project was designed to overcome this limitation. This network comprises a fully automated camera and radio network deployed over a significant fraction of western Europe and a small fraction of Canada. As of today, it consists of 150 cameras and 25 European radio receivers and covers an area of about 1.5 × 106 km2.
Methods. The FRIPON network, fully operational since 2018, has been monitoring meteoroid entries since 2016, thereby allowing the characterization of their dynamical and physical properties. In addition, the level of automation of the network makes it possible to trigger a meteorite recovery campaign only a few hours after it reaches the surface of the Earth. Recovery campaigns are only organized for meteorites with final masses estimated of at least 500 g, which is about one event per year in France. No recovery campaign is organized in the case of smaller final masses on the order of 50 to 100 g, which happens about three times a year; instead, the information is delivered to the local media so that it can reach the inhabitants living in the vicinity of the fall.
Results. Nearly 4000 meteoroids have been detected so far and characterized by FRIPON. The distribution of their orbits appears to be bimodal, with a cometary population and a main belt population. Sporadic meteors amount to about 55% of all meteors. A first estimate of the absolute meteoroid flux (mag < –5; meteoroid size ≥~1 cm) amounts to 1250/yr/106 km2. This value is compatible with previous estimates. Finally, the first meteorite was recovered in Italy (Cavezzo, January 2020) thanks to the PRISMA network, a component of the FRIPON science project.
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Cremonese, G., F. Capaccioni, M. T. Capria, A. Doressoundiram, P. Palumbo, M. Vincendon, M. Massironi, S. Debei, M. Zusi, F. Altieri et al. "SIMBIO-SYS : Scientific cameras and spectrometer for the BepiColombo mission." Space Science Reviews 216, no. 75 (2020).
Résumé : The SIMBIO-SYS (Spectrometer and Imaging for MPO BepiColombo Integrated Observatory SYStem) is a complex instrument suite part of the scientific payload of theMercury Planetary Orbiter for the BepiColombo mission, the last of the cornerstone missions of the European Space Agency (ESA) Horizon + science program. The SIMBIO-SYS instrument will provide all the science imaging capability of the Bepi-ColomboMPO spacecraft. It consists of three channels : the STereo imaging Channel (STC), with a broad spectral band in the 400-950 nm range and medium spatial resolution (at best 58 m/px), that will provide Digital Terrain Model of the entire surface of the planet with an accuracy better than 80 m ; the High Resolution Imaging Channel (HRIC), with broad spectral bands in the 400-900 nm range and high spatial resolution (at best 6 m/px), that will provide high-resolution images of about 20% of the surface, and the Visible and near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging channel (VIHI), with high spectral resolution (6 nm at finest) in the 400-2000 nm range and spatial resolution reaching 120 m/px, it will provide global coverage at 480 m/px with the spectral information, assuming the first orbit around Mercury with periherm at 480 km from the surface. SIMBIO-SYS will provide high-resolution images, the Digital Terrain Model of the entire surface, and the surface composition using a wide spectral range, as for instance detecting sulphides or material derived by sulphur and carbon oxidation, at resolutions and coverage higher than the MESSENGER mission with a full coalignment of the three channels. All the data that will be acquired will allow to cover a wide range of scientific objectives, from the surface processes and cartography up to the internal structure, contributing to the libration experiment, and the surface-exosphere interaction. The global 3D and spectral mapping will allow to study the morphology and the composition of any surface feature. In this work, we describe the on-ground calibrations and the results obtained, providing an important overview of the instrument performances. The calibrations have been performed at channel and at system levels, utilizing specific setup in most of the cases realized for SIMBIO-SYS. In the case of the stereo camera (STC), it has been necessary to have a validation of the new stereo concept adopted, based on the push-frame. This work describes also the results of the Near-Earth Commissioning Phase performed few weeks after the Launch (20 October 2018). According to the calibration results and the first commissioning the three channels are working very well.
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Curran, N. M., M. Nottingham, L. Alexander, I. A. Crawford, E. Füri, and K. H. Joy. "A database of noble gases in lunar samples in preparation for mass spectrometry on the Moon." Planetary and Space Science 182 (2020): 104823.
Résumé : The lunar regolith provides a temporal archive of the evolution of the Moon and inner Solar System over the last 4 billion years. During this time, noble gases have been trapped and produced within soils and rocks at the lunar surface. These noble gas concentrations can be used to unravel the history of lunar material and shed light on processes that have evolved the surface of the Moon through time. We have collected published noble gas data for a range of lunar samples including soils, regolith breccias, crystalline (e.g., mare basalts, anorthosite) and impact-melt rocks. The compilation includes noble gas concentrations and isotope ratios for He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe ; trapped, cosmogenic and radiogenic isotopes ; and cosmic ray exposure ages. We summarise the significance of these data, which can be used as a baseline for expected noble gas concentrations in a range of lunar samples, and provide a framework for future in situ noble gas measurements on the lunar surface.
Mots-clés : cosmo
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Cosmochemistry
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