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26Al in eucrite piplia kalan: plausible heat source and formation chronology
Srinivasan1, Goswami, Bhandari
1Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380 009, India.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|May 21, 1999
Summary
Aluminum-26 (26Al) decay in the Piplia Kalan eucrite confirms its role as a heat source for early planetary body melting. This process occurred within 5 million years of solar system formation.
Area of Science:
- Cosmochemistry
- Planetary Science
- Isotope Geochemistry
Background:
- Short-lived radionuclides, such as aluminum-26 (26Al), are crucial for understanding early solar system thermal processes.
- Eucrites, a type of meteorite, provide insights into the formation and differentiation of asteroid parent bodies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence and implications of 26Al decay in the Piplia Kalan eucrite.
- To determine the timing of melting and differentiation of the eucrite parent body.
Main Methods:
- Performed aluminum-magnesium (Al-Mg) isotopic analysis on plagioclase from the Piplia Kalan eucrite.
- Measured 27Al/24Mg ratios, ranging from 2000 to 7000.
Main Results:
- Detected excess 26Mg, indicative of in situ 26Al decay.
- Inferred an initial 26Al/27Al ratio of (7.5 ± 0.9) x 10^-7.
- Confirmed 26Al as a significant heat source for planetary body differentiation.
Conclusions:
- The 26Al abundance suggests rapid melting and differentiation of the Piplia Kalan parent body.
- Planetary differentiation, including crust formation, was completed within approximately 5 million years of solar system origin.
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