Search

Abstract: Negative silicon ions sputtered from a set of olivines under Cs bombardment show useful yield UY variations depending on sample compositions. Those matrix effects are correlated with atomic concentrations of implanted cesium close to surface, which in turn depend on sputtering yields. It is shown that instrumental mass fractionations IMF on isotopes are depending on UY. A linear relationship between IMF and the inverse of Af, the Cs atomic fraction, is experimentally established for Si as well as a linear dependence of UY on Af. A model linking the two sets of experimental data is proposed. Measurement artefacts are reviewed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We performed mineralogical and petrographic studies of three UltraCarbonaceous Antarctic Micrometeorites (UCAMMs) by analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The UCAMMs were identified in the CONCORDIA micrometeorite collection (2002 and 2006) recovered from central Antarctic snow, and are of probable cometary origin. UCAMMs are dominated by disordered carbonaceous matter that extends over surfaces of up to ∼90% of the particle. Embedded in this carbonaceous matter, we observed small and complex assemblages of fine-grained mineral phases, isolated minerals, glassy phases that resemble Glass with Embedded Metal and Sulfides (GEMS) that were first found in Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs), and rounded objects containing both glass and crystalline materials. The mineral assemblages are chondritic in composition, within a factor of 2. Crystalline materials represent at least 25% of mineral phases. This value is much larger than the upper limit of crystallinity measured in the diffuse interstellar medium (<2.2wt%). Crystalline phases are dominated by low-Ca, Mg-rich pyroxenes, Mg-rich olivine and low-Ni Fe-sulfides. Exotic phases such as Mn-, Zn-rich sulfide and perryite have also been found as accessory minerals. The variety of high temperature mineral phases observed in UCAMMs is similar to that reported in chondritic porous IDPs and 81P/Wild 2 samples. The close association of high temperature crystalline phases with the low temperature carbonaceous matter in UCAMMs supports the hypothesis of a large-scale radial mixing in the early solar nebula. This new type of carbon-rich micrometeorites containing crystalline material provides the opportunity to analyze in situ, without any chemical processing, the association of materials formed at both low and high temperatures in the protoplanetary disk. A better knowledge of these samples is also important to prepare for future cometary missions, like ROSETTA in 2014. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Oxygen isotopes were measured in four chondritic hydrated interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) and five chondritic anhydrous IDPs including two GEMS-rich particles (Glass embedded with metal and sulfides) by a combination of high precision and high lateral resolution ion microprobe techniques. All IDPs have isotopic compositions tightly clustered around that of solar system planetary materials. Hydrated IDPs have mass-fractionated oxygen isotopic compositions similar to those of CI and CM carbonaceous chondrites, consistent with hydration of initially anhydrous protosolar dust. Anhydrous IDPs have small 16O excesses and depletions similar to those of carbonaceous chondrites, the largest 16O variations being hosted by the two GEMS-rich IDPs. Coarse-grained forsteritic olivine and enstatite in anhydrous IDPs are isotopically similar to their counterparts in comet Wild 2 and in chondrules suggesting a high temperature inner solar system origin. The small variations in the 16O content of GEMS-rich IDPs suggest that most GEMS either do not preserve a record of interstellar processes or the initial interstellar dust is not 16O-rich as expected by self-shielding models, although a larger dataset is required to verify these conclusions. Together with other chemical and mineralogical indicators, O isotopes show that the parent-bodies of carbonaceous chondrites, of chondritic IDPs, of most Antarctic micrometeorites, and comet Wild 2 belong to a single family of objects of carbonaceous chondrite chemical affinity as distinct from ordinary, enstatite, K- and R-chondrites. Comparison with astronomical observations thus suggests a chemical continuum of objects including main belt and outer solar system asteroids such as C-type, P-type and D-type asteroids, Trojans and Centaurs as well as short-period comets and other Kuiper Belt Objects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We recovered micrometeorites from surface snow layers near the French-Italian station CONCORDIA. The unique weather and isolation conditions of Dome C allowed us to recover micrometeorites that are much better preserved than those extracted from blue ice fields. We have identified a new population of friable fine-grained micrometeorites; the absence of such particles in previous collections can be explained by their destruction by mechanical processes. In contrast to previous collections of micrometeorites, the particles from CONCORDIA Collection are characterized by a high content of Fe-sulfides and an undepleted CI elemental abundance pattern of their fine-grained matrix. These features suggest that micrometeorites from Dome C snow have endured much lower alteration from terrestrial weathering, unlike the micrometeorites recovered from near the margin of the Antarctic ice sheet (Adélie Land). The CONCORDIA particles have well constrained terrestrial ages and, given the low Dome C precipitation rate, the central regions of Antarctica provide a unique opportunity to search for particles from historical meteor showers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report detailed transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations of carbonates from one hydrated fine-grained Antarctic micrometeorite (H-FgMM). These carbonates show the occurrence of complex chemical variations and microstructures that provide important evidence regarding the formation and evolution of rarely analyzed H-FgMMs. The chemical variations were identified at both micrometer and nanometer scales, indicating that these carbonates formed under localized fluid conditions that suggest a variable chemical microenvironment. Individual carbonates grew from isolated reservoirs of fluid. Moreover, these carbonates contain manganese amounts almost twice as high as those measured in CM chondrites but similar to those identified in CI chondrites. Their particular compositions indicate reducing and progressively evolving conditions in the fluid from which these carbonates precipitated, probably due to water consumption during phyllosilicates formation. In addition to the compositional variability, microstructural features are pervasive in these carbonates, similar to those described in heavily shocked meteorites indicating that these carbonates were probably modified during shock processes after their formation. Since carbonates are highly susceptible to shock metamorphism, we suggest that it is essential to investigate their structure in detail before interpreting the isotopic measurements related to the time of their formation. Additionally, associated with carbonates, ubiquitous phosphates were identified in the micrometeorite analyzed. Future studies of these mineral associations will provide us further insight into the formation and evolution of asteroids, especially since they were both identified in the surface materials of Ryugu and Bennu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The contribution of the accretion of “juvenile” micrometeorites to the volatile inventory of the Martian atmosphere had to mostly occur during the period of the late heavy bombardment of the inner solar system, prior to about 3.5Ga ago, when the flux of micrometeorites was much higher than today. To assess this contribution, a micrometeorite accretion formula, developed and validated for the Earth, and based on the variation of lunar cratering rates with time, is extrapolated to Mars. This extrapolation suggests that the history of Martian volatiles was more complex than on the Earth. It is described with a two “shots” scenario involving the two last giant impacts on Mars separated by a time interval of about 500Ma. The first one was triggered by the last planetary embryo that did merge to Mars thus closing its formation time interval and blowing up its complex pre-impact atmosphere. Thus, a new niche was formed for the accumulation of a dominant micrometeoritic atmosphere during the first 200Ma of the post-merging period, when the partial pressures of H2O, CO2 and N2 reached about 60, 34 and 0.3 bars, respectively (in water equivalent). This huge amount of water was probably not frozen because an early greenhouse effect was triggered during the simultaneous injection of huge amounts of three strong micrometeoritic greenhouse gases (SO2, H2O and CO2) in the Martian atmosphere. Therefore, early microorganisms could have thrived on early Mars, because micrometeorites likely opened a surprising variety of reaction channels in the prebiotic chemistry of life. But they got likely extinguished a few 100Ma later, when the last giant impactor, which was probably associated with the spike of bodies that invaded the inner solar system around 4Ga ago, blew off the earlier massive micrometeoritic atmosphere of Mars and all ingredients of the early greenhouse effect. It thus produced the last “niche” that allowed the accumulation of the thin and sterile present day Martian atmosphere, and threw the Martian regolith and the in falling micrometeorite water and SO2 into a deep freeze. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Snow from central Antarctica offers unique advantages for cosmic dust collection. • Flux measurements with accurate control on the exposure parameter were performed. • The micrometeorites size distributions are measured down to 30 μm. • New constraints on the annual accretion of interplanetary dust by Earth inferred. • Melted/un-melted particles proportion indicates the origin of cosmic dust at 1 AU. The annual flux of extraterrestrial material on Earth is largely dominated by sub-millimetre particles. The mass distribution and absolute value of this cosmic dust flux at the Earth's surface is however still uncertain due to the difficulty in monitoring both the collection efficiency and the exposure parameter (i.e. the area-time product in m2.yr). In this paper, we present results from micrometeorite collections originating from the vicinity of the CONCORDIA Station located at Dome C (Antarctica), where we performed several independent melts of large volumes of ultra-clean snow. The regular precipitation rate and the exceptional cleanliness of the snow from central Antarctica allow a unique control on both the exposure parameter and the collection efficiency. A total of 1280 unmelted micrometeorites (uMMs) and 808 cosmic spherules (CSs) with diameters ranging from 30 to 350 μm were identified. Within that size range, we measured mass fluxes of 3.0 μg.m−2.yr−1 for uMMs and 5.6 μg.m−2.yr−1 for CSs. Extrapolated to the global flux of particles in the 12-700 μm diameter range, the mass flux of dust at Earth's surface is 5 , 200 ± 1200 1500 tons.yr−1 (1 , 600 ± 500 and 3 , 600 ± 700 1000 tons.yr−1 of uMMs and CSs, respectively). We indicate the statistical uncertainties expected for collections with exposure parameters in the range of 0.1 up to 105 m2.yr. In addition, we estimated the flux of altered and unaltered carbon carried by heated and un-heated particles at Earth's surface. The mass distributions of CSs and uMMs larger than 100 μm are fairly well reproduced by the CABMOD-ZoDy model that includes melting and evaporation during atmospheric entry of the interplanetary dust flux. These numerical simulations suggest that most of the uMMs and CSs originate from Jupiter family comets and a minor part from the main asteroid belt. The total dust mass input before atmospheric entry is estimated at 15,000 tons.yr−1. The existing discrepancy between the flux data and the model for uMMs below 100 μm suggests that small fragile uMMs may evade present day collections, and/or that the amount of small interplanetary particles at 1 AU may be smaller than expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Solar System, extra-terrestrial organic molecules have been found on cometary primitive objects, on Titan and Enceladus icy moons and on Mars. Identification could be achieved for simple organic species by remote sensing based on spectroscopic methods. However in situ mass spectrometry is a key technology to determine the nature of more complex organic matter. A large panel of mass spectrometers has already been developed for space exploration combining different types of analysers and ion sources. Up to now the highest mass resolution reached with a space instrument is 9000 at m/z 28 and corresponds to the DFMS-ROSINA instrument (Balsiger et al., 2007) dedicated to the study of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's atmosphere and ionosphere, in a low pressure environment. A new concept of mass analyser offering ultra-high mass resolving power of more than 50,000 at m/z 56 (under high vacuum condition about 10−9 mbar) is currently being developed for space applications: the CosmOrbitrap (Briois et al., 2016), based on the Orbitrap™ technology. This work challenges the use of LAb-CosmOrbitrap, a space instrument prototype combining Laser Ablation ionisation and the CosmOrbitrap mass analyser, to identify solid organic molecules of relevance to the future space exploration. For this purpose a blind test was jointly organised by the JAXA-HRMS team (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency-High Resolution Mass Spectrometry) and the CosmOrbitrap consortium. The JAXA team provided two organic samples, whereas the CosmOrbitrap consortium analysed them without prior information. Thanks to the high analytical performances of the prototype and our HRMS data post-processing, we successfully identified the two molecules as HOBt, hydroxybenzotriazole (C 6 H 5 N 3 O) and BBOT, 2,5-Bis(5-tert-butyl-benzoxazol-2-yl)thiophene (C 26 H 26 N 2 O 2 S), with a mass resolving power of, respectively, 123 540 and 69 219. The success of this blind test on complex organic molecules shows the strong potential of LAb-CosmOrbitrap for future space applications. • Efficient ionisation of solid sample by nano-pulsed single laser shot. • Powerful analytical performances of CosmOrbitrap mass analyser. • Successful blind test identification of organics ionised by Laser-CosmOrbitrap. • Laser-CosmOrbitrap relevant technique for space exploration of organic rich worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Atmospheric heating alters the compositions and textures of micrometeorites. To understand the changes and to test a proposed relationship between a micrometeorite’s petrographic texture and its degree of heating, we made elemental and multiple isotope analyses of stony cosmic spherules (sCS) collected from the South Pole Water well. Specifically, we analyzed the elemental compositions of 94 sCS and the isotopic ratios of Fe, K and O, on 43, 12 and 8 of these sCS, respectively. Our results show that sCS classified as strongly heated generally have lower concentrations of volatile and moderately volatile elements. Of the 43 spherules analyzed for Fe isotopes, only 5 have δ57Fe >5‰. In contrast, enrichment of 41K is pervasive (δ41K >0 in all 12 spherules analyzed) and large (up to 183‰). The determination of K isotope abundances in sCS may therefore be useful in deciphering thermal histories. Three of the eight sCS analyzed for O isotopes are mass fractionated with δ18O >30‰. We attribute two of these three δ18O enrichments to evaporative losses of oxygen in the atmosphere and the third to the presence in the parent material of an exotic phase, perhaps a sulfate or a carbonate. The K isotope and O isotope data are broadly consistent with the proposed textural classification. Because most spherules were not heated enough to fractionate Al, Mg, or Si, we compared the measured Mg/Al and Si/Al ratios directly to those of conventional meteorites and their matrices. ∼30% of the sCS have compositions outside the range defined by the bulk and the matrix compositions of known meteorite groups but consistent with those of pyroxene- and olivine-rich materials and may be samples of chondrules. The other 70% have Mg/Al and Si/Al ratios similar to those of CI, CM, CO, and CV chondrites. Natural variability of the Mg/Al and Si/Al ratios precludes the assignment of an individual sCS to a particular class of C-chondrite. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The COSIMA mass spectrometer on-board Rosetta was equipped with an optical microscope, Cosiscope, which identified several 10,000 cometary particles collected on targets exposed during the orbital phase around the nucleus of comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The median value of reflectance factors evaluated from Cosiscope images for large collected particles (~10.5% (Langevin et al., 2017), lies above the range of reflectance observed by the OSIRIS camera at a similar wavelength (5–7%, (Fornasier et al., 2015), but at much larger scales (a few 10 ​cm instead of a few 10 ​μm). In order to better understand this discrepancy, the assumptions underlying the derivation of reflectance factors have been reassessed using laboratory measurements of COSIMA targets and analogs of cometary particles. The approach of Langevin et al. is validated, but we consider that the uncertainty on reflectance factors was conservative. The reflectance factors are likely to lie in the lower half of the previously estimated range, which reduces (but does not eliminate) the discrepancy with OSIRIS albedos. The remaining discrepancy can be attributed primarily to the difference in scale (factor 10,000 in pixel size between COSIMA and OSIRIS): • The COSIMA instrument on board ROSETTA has collected several 10,000 cometary particles. • Information on reflectance properties of collected particles has been obtained. • A re-evaluation confirms that the mean reflectance of these particles is higher than that of the nucleus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]