Constraints on the oxidation state of chondrule precursors from titanium XANES analysis of Semarkona Chondrules

Conference · Mon Apr 28 04:00:00 EDT 2008

OSTI ID:1009043

Simon, S B; Sutton, S R; Grossman, L ^[1]

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1. UofC

The valence of Ti is not easily reset during chondrule formation. To investigate the oxidation state of chondrule precursors, we measured the valence of Ti in olivine, pyroxene and mesostasis in a type I and a type II chondrule in Semarkona. Chondrules are very important because they formed in the solar nebula and are a major component of chondrites, the most common type of meteorite. In unequilibrated chondrites, the ferromagnesian silicates in chondrules exhibit wide ranges of fe (Fe/(Mg + Fe)). On this basis, chondrules can be divided into type I (fe < 0.1) and type II (fe > 0.1). Because a metal must be oxidized to enter a silicate, mafic silicates with low fe's are inferred to have formed in environments where little oxidized iron was available, implying reducing conditions. Therefore, type I and type II chondrules record different oxidation states. A fundamental question in the study of chondrules is whether this difference was established during chondrule formation, or if it reflects differences in their precursors. Last year, we reported the presence of trivalent Ti in refractory forsterite found in the dense fraction of the Tagish Lake CM chondrite. In addition, in the corresponding oral presentation, we reported high Ti{sup 3+}/Ti{sup 4+} in refractory forsterite containing 0.4-0.7 wt% FeO, present in a type I chondrule. Even these low FeO contents reflect a much higher fO{sub 2} than that at which pyroxene with equivalent Ti{sup 3+}/Ti{sup 4+} would be stable. This suggests that either: the equilibrium Ti{sup 3+}/Ti{sup 4+} is higher in olivine than in pyroxene for a given fO{sub 2}; or the grains formed under highly reducing conditions and the valence of Ti in chondrule olivine is a robust recorder of the oxidation state of chondrule precursors, not easily reset during chondrule formation. To improve our understanding of the origin of chondrules we have used XANES (X-ray absorption near edge structure) spectroscopy to measure the valence state of Ti in a type I and a type II chondrule in Semarkona (LL3.0). If olivine from type I chondrules contains Ti{sup 3+} and that from type II chondrules does not, that would tell us that either their precursors formed under different conditions, or that type IIs were more strongly oxidized during formation. If olivine in type II chondrules contains Ti{sup 3+}, that would probably mean that the precursors of these chondrules were originally reduced and that oxidation occurred during chondrule formation.

• Research Organization: Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 1009043
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ABSORPTION
CHONDRITES
IRON
LAKES
OLIVINE
ORIGIN
OXIDATION
SILICATE MINERALS
SILICATES
SOLAR NEBULA
SPECTROSCOPY
TITANIUM
VALENCE