Unraveling the Cr Isotopes of Ryugu: An Accurate Aqueous Alteration Age and the Least Thermally Processed Solar System MaterialOPEN ACCESS 

· by · in , , , ,

Ryoji Tanaka, Dilan M. Ratnayake, Tsutomu Ota, Noah Miklusicak, Tak Kunihiro, Christian Potiszil, Chie Sakaguchi, Katsura Kobayashi, Hiroshi Kitagawa, Masahiro Yamanaka, Masanao Abe, Akiko Miyazaki, Aiko Nakato, Satoru Nakazawa, Masahiro Nishimura, Tatsuaki Okada, Takanao Saiki, Satoshi Tanaka, Fuyuto Terui, Yuichi Tsuda, Tomohiro Usui, Sei-ichiro Watanabe, Toru Yada, Kasumi Yogata, Makoto Yoshikawa, and Eizo Nakamura

The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 965, Number 1

LINK (OPEN ACCESS)
PDF (OPEN ACCESS)

“The analysis of samples returned from the C-type asteroid Ryugu has drastically advanced our knowledge of the evolution of early solar system materials. However, no consensus has been obtained on the chronological data, which is important for understanding the evolution of the asteroid Ryugu. Here, the aqueous alteration age of Ryugu particles was determined by the Mn–Cr method using bulk samples, yielding an age of 4.13 + 0.62/−0.55 Myr after the formation of Ca–Al-rich inclusions (CAI). The age corresponds to 4563.17 + 0.60/−0.67 Myr ago. The higher 55Mn/52Cr, ε54Cr, and initial ε53Cr values of the Ryugu samples relative to any carbonaceous chondrite samples implies that its progenitor body formed from the least thermally processed precursors in the outermost region of the protoplanetary disk. Despite accreting at different distances from the Sun, the hydrous asteroids (Ryugu and the parent bodies of CI, CM, CR, and ungrouped C2 meteorites) underwent aqueous alteration during a period of limited duration (3.8 ± 1.8 Myr after CAI). These ages are identical to the crystallization age of the carbonaceous achondrites NWA 6704/6693 within the error. The ε54Cr and initial ε53Cr values of Ryugu and NWA 6704/6693 are also identical, while they show distinct Δ’17O values. This suggests that the precursors that formed the progenitor bodies of Ryugu and NWA 6703/6693 were formed in close proximity and experienced a similar degree of thermal processing in the protosolar nebula. However, the progenitor body of Ryugu was formed by a higher ice/dust ratio, than NWA 6703/6693, in the outer region of the protoplanetary disk.”

Related posts (automatically generated):

  1. Three-dimensional textures of Ryugu samples and their implications for the evolution of aqueous alteration in the Ryugu parent body
  2. Pervasive aqueous alteration in the early Solar System revealed by potassium isotopic variations in Ryugu samples and carbonaceous chondrites
  3. Mid-infrared emissivity of partially dehydrated asteroid (162173) Ryugu shows strong signs of aqueous alterationOPEN ACCESS 
  4. Hayabusa 2 returned samples reveal a weak to null magnetic field during aqueous alteration of Ryugu’s parent bodyOPEN ACCESS 
  5. Thermally altered subsurface material of asteroid (162173) Ryugu
  6. Phyllosilicates with embedded Fe-based nanophases in Ryugu and Orgueil
  7. The aqueous alteration of CM chondrites, a review
  8. The noble gas and nitrogen relationship between Ryugu and carbonaceous chondritesOPEN ACCESS 
  9. Four-dimensional-STEM analysis of the phyllosilicate-rich matrix of Ryugu samplesOPEN ACCESS 
  10. Early fluid activity on Ryugu inferred by isotopic analyses of carbonates and magnetite
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,