In this paper, we report the results of a campaign of measurements on four fragments of the CM Aguas Zarcas (AZ) meteorite, combining X-ray computed tomography analysis and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. We estimated a petrologic type for our sampled CM lithology using the two independent techniques, and obtained a type CM2.5, in agreement with previous estimations. By comparing the Si-O 10-μm signature of the AZ average FT-IR spectra with other well-studied CMs, we place AZ in the context of aqueous alteration of CM parent bodies. Morphological characterization reveals that AZ has heterogeneous distribution of pores and a global porosity of 4.5 0.5 vol %. We show that chondrules have a porosity of 6.3 1 vol%. This larger porosity could be inherited due to various processes such as temperature variation during the chondrule formation and shocks or dissolution during aqueous alteration. Finally, we observed a correlation between 3D distributions of organic matter and mineral at micrometric scales, revealing a link between the abundance of organic matter and the presence of hydrated minerals. This supports the idea that aqueous alteration in AZ’s parent body played a major role in the evolution of the organic matter.
Multiscale correlated analysis of the Aguas Zarcas CM chondrite
Zelia DIONNET;Alessandra ROTUNDI;
2022-01-01
Abstract
In this paper, we report the results of a campaign of measurements on four fragments of the CM Aguas Zarcas (AZ) meteorite, combining X-ray computed tomography analysis and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. We estimated a petrologic type for our sampled CM lithology using the two independent techniques, and obtained a type CM2.5, in agreement with previous estimations. By comparing the Si-O 10-μm signature of the AZ average FT-IR spectra with other well-studied CMs, we place AZ in the context of aqueous alteration of CM parent bodies. Morphological characterization reveals that AZ has heterogeneous distribution of pores and a global porosity of 4.5 0.5 vol %. We show that chondrules have a porosity of 6.3 1 vol%. This larger porosity could be inherited due to various processes such as temperature variation during the chondrule formation and shocks or dissolution during aqueous alteration. Finally, we observed a correlation between 3D distributions of organic matter and mineral at micrometric scales, revealing a link between the abundance of organic matter and the presence of hydrated minerals. This supports the idea that aqueous alteration in AZ’s parent body played a major role in the evolution of the organic matter.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
