Aluminum‐26 in H4 chondrites: Implications for its production and its usefulness as a fine‐scale chronometer for early solar system events |
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| Authors: | Ernst Zinner Christa Gpel |
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| Institution: | Ernst Zinner,Christa Göpel |
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| Abstract: | Abstract— In order to investigate whether or not 26Al can be used as a fine‐scale chronometer for early solar system events we measured, with an ion microprobe, Mg isotopes and Al/Mg ratios in separated plagioclase, olivine, and pyroxene crystals from the H4 chondrites Ste Marguerite (SM), Forest Vale (FV), Beaver Creek and Quenggouk and compared the results with the canonical 26Al/27Al ratio for calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs). For SM and FV, Pb/Pb and Mn‐Cr ages have previously been determined (Göpel et al., 1994; Polnau et al., 2000; Polnau and Lugmair, 2001). Plagioclase grains from these two meteorites show clear excesses of 26Mg. The 26Al/27Al ratios inferred from these excesses and from isotopically normal Mg in pyroxene and olivine are (2.87 ± 0.64) × 10?7 for SM and (1.52 ± 0.52) × 10?7 for FV. The differences between these ratios and the ratio of 5 times 10?5 in CAIs indicate time differences of 5.4 ± 0.1 Ma and 6.1 ± 0.2 Ma for SM and FV, respectively. These differences are in agreement with the absolute Pb/Pb ages for CAIs and SM and FV phosphates but there are large discrepancies between the U‐Pb and Mn‐Cr system for the relative ages for CAIs, SM and FV. For example, Mn‐Cr ages of carbonates from Kaidun are older than the Pb/Pb age of CAIs. However, even if we require that CAIs are older than these carbonates, the time difference between this “adjusted” CAI age and the Mn‐Cr ages of SM and FV require that 26 Al was widely distributed in the early solar system at the time of CAI formation and was not mostly present in CAIs, a feature of the X‐wind model proposed by Shu and collaborators (Gounelle et al., 2001; Shu et al., 2001). From this we conclude that there was enough 26Al to melt small planetary bodies as long as they formed within 2 Ma of CAIs, and that 26Al can serve as a fine‐scale chronometer for early solar system events. |
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