Coordinated neutron and X-ray computed tomography of meteorites: Detection and distribution of hydrogen-bearing materials

Allan H. Treiman; Jacob M. LaManna; Daniel S. Hussey; Isabella deClue; Lawrence M. Anovitz

doi:10.1111/maps.13904

Coordinated neutron and X-ray computed tomography of meteorites: Detection and distribution of hydrogen-bearing materials

Allan H. Treiman, Jacob M. LaManna, Daniel S. Hussey, Isabella deClue, Lawrence M. Anovitz

Geochemistry & Interfacial Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

The presence and distribution of hydrogen-bearing materials in meteorites are important constraints on processes in the early solar system, and the delivery of volatile constituents to growing planets. Here, we show that coordinated neutron and X-ray computed tomography, NXCT, can reveal the presence and distributions of hydrogen-bearing materials in meteorites, and thus help constrain the presence and actions of water in the early solar system. NXCT is nearly nondestructive of meteorite samples. Neutron fluence in NXCT is approximately seven orders of magnitude less than in typical instrumental neutron activation analysis, and so produces little residual radioactivity and currently undetectable changes in isotope ratios. Heating during NXCT is minimal, but NXCT will overprint the record of cosmic ray exposure held in natural thermoluminescence. Two meteorites were examined. EET 87503 is a howardite, a regolith breccia inferred to be from the asteroid 4 Vesta, and contains fragments of eucrite basalt, diogenite pyroxenite, and H-rich carbonaceous chondrites. With NXCT, the chondrite fragments within the meteorite piece can be clearly located and characterized, in preparation for possible extraction and detailed analyses. Graves Nunataks (GRA) 06100 is a CR2 chondrite meteorite that contains abundant iron metal and H-bearing silicates from aqueous alteration. In NXCT, H-bearing altered material is clearly distinguished from metal, and its distribution in three dimensions is revealed as a constraint on the processes of alteration.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1820-1835
Number of pages	16
Journal	Meteoritics and Planetary Science
Volume	57
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13904
State	Published - Oct 2022

Funding

We are grateful to the Meteorite Working Group (MWG) and the Antarctic Meteorite Curation Facility (ARES/JSC) for the loan of Antarctic (ANSMET) meteorite samples. Funding for the neutron and X-ray tomography was provided through the US Department of Commerce, NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory, and the Radiation Physics Division. Work by LMA was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division. License to use the Dragonfly© image processing program was courtesy of its developer, Object Research Systems (https://www.theobjects.com/company/index.html); the authors greatly appreciate ORS' video training materials. Secret handshake to Jose Avila of USRA IT, who provided access to a computer capable of running the tomographic reconstructions. I. DeClue's participation was via an NIST research internship (mentored by J. LaManna) while she was a student at Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, Maryland. The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) is operated by USRA, Universities Space Research Association, under a cooperative agreement with the Science Mission Directorate of NASA. We appreciate careful and thoughtful reviews by D. Ebel and I. Zel. This study is Lunar and Planetary Institute Contribution #29xx. We are grateful to the Meteorite Working Group (MWG) and the Antarctic Meteorite Curation Facility (ARES/JSC) for the loan of Antarctic (ANSMET) meteorite samples. Funding for the neutron and X‐ray tomography was provided through the US Department of Commerce, NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory, and the Radiation Physics Division. Work by LMA was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division. License to use the Dragonfly© image processing program was courtesy of its developer, Object Research Systems ( https://www.theobjects.com/company/index.html ); the authors greatly appreciate ORS' video training materials. Secret handshake to Jose Avila of USRA IT, who provided access to a computer capable of running the tomographic reconstructions. I. DeClue's participation was via an NIST research internship (mentored by J. LaManna) while she was a student at Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, Maryland. The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) is operated by USRA, Universities Space Research Association, under a cooperative agreement with the Science Mission Directorate of NASA. We appreciate careful and thoughtful reviews by D. Ebel and I. Zel. This study is Lunar and Planetary Institute Contribution #29xx.

Funders	Funder number
Antarctic Meteorite Curation Facility
Lunar and Planetary Institute
Montgomery Blair High School
U.S. Department of Energy
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Institute of Standards and Technology
U.S. Department of Commerce
Office of Science
Basic Energy Sciences
Johnson Space Center
Physical Measurement Laboratory
Chemical Sciences, Geosciences, and Biosciences Division
Universities Space Research Association
Académie de recherche et d'enseignement supérieur

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Cite this

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abstract = "The presence and distribution of hydrogen-bearing materials in meteorites are important constraints on processes in the early solar system, and the delivery of volatile constituents to growing planets. Here, we show that coordinated neutron and X-ray computed tomography, NXCT, can reveal the presence and distributions of hydrogen-bearing materials in meteorites, and thus help constrain the presence and actions of water in the early solar system. NXCT is nearly nondestructive of meteorite samples. Neutron fluence in NXCT is approximately seven orders of magnitude less than in typical instrumental neutron activation analysis, and so produces little residual radioactivity and currently undetectable changes in isotope ratios. Heating during NXCT is minimal, but NXCT will overprint the record of cosmic ray exposure held in natural thermoluminescence. Two meteorites were examined. EET 87503 is a howardite, a regolith breccia inferred to be from the asteroid 4 Vesta, and contains fragments of eucrite basalt, diogenite pyroxenite, and H-rich carbonaceous chondrites. With NXCT, the chondrite fragments within the meteorite piece can be clearly located and characterized, in preparation for possible extraction and detailed analyses. Graves Nunataks (GRA) 06100 is a CR2 chondrite meteorite that contains abundant iron metal and H-bearing silicates from aqueous alteration. In NXCT, H-bearing altered material is clearly distinguished from metal, and its distribution in three dimensions is revealed as a constraint on the processes of alteration.",

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Coordinated neutron and X-ray computed tomography of meteorites: Detection and distribution of hydrogen-bearing materials

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