Potassium isotope heterogeneity in the early Solar System controlled by extensive evaporation and partial recondensation

Yan Hu (), Frédéric Moynier () and Martin Bizzarro
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Yan Hu: Université Paris Cité, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS
Frédéric Moynier: Université Paris Cité, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS
Martin Bizzarro: Université Paris Cité, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Volatiles are vital ingredients for a habitable planet. Angrite meteorites sample the most volatile-depleted planetesimal in the Solar System, particularly for the alkali elements. They are prime targets for investigating the formation of volatile-poor rocky planets, yet their exceptionally low volatile content presents a major analytical challenge. Here, we leverage improved sensitivity and precision of K isotopic analysis to constrain the mechanism of extreme K depletion (>99.8%) in angrites. In contrast with the isotopically heavy Moon and Vesta, we find that angrites are strikingly depleted in the heavier K isotopes, which is best explained by partial recondensation of vaporized K following extensive evaporation on the angrite parent body (APB) during magma-ocean stage. Therefore, the APB may provide a rare example of isotope fractionation controlled by condensation, rather than evaporation, at a planetary scale. Furthermore, nebula-wide K isotopic variations primarily reflect volatility-driven fractionations instead of presolar nucleosynthetic heterogeneity proposed previously.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35362-7

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