A Hibonite-Pyroxene Spherule in Allan Hills 77307 (CO3.03): Petrography and Mineralogy

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery and detailed petrographic and mineralogical analysis of a rare hibonite-pyroxene spherule in the pristine meteorite Allan Hills 77307, revealing insights into its formation and alteration processes.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed petrography and mineralogy of a hibonite-pyroxene spherule from ALHA 77307, highlighting its unique features and similarities to other such spherules.

Findings

Presence of two outer wedges with poorly crystallized minerals

Homogeneous composition of hibonite laths

Radial compositional variation in surrounding pyroxene

Abstract

Hibonite-pyroxene spherules are an extremely rare kind of refractory inclusion that show a wide range of exotic isotopic properties despite their defining similarity and simplicity in morphology and mineralogy. One such, relatively large (about 120 micron diameter), inclusion has been found in one of the most pristine meteorites, Allan Hills 77307 (a carbonaceous chondrite of the Ornans group; Petrologic type 3.03). The inclusion consists of two central hibonite laths of about 30x15 micron surrounded by Al, Ca-rich pyroxene. The hibonite laths have uniform composition. The composition of pyroxene surrounding the hibonite is radially homogenously Al,-Ca rich up to about 50-60 microns which transitions to Mg, -Ti rich at the outer boundary. Hibonite-pyroxene spherule found in ALHA 77307 shares many similarities with the other previously found hibonite-pyroxene spherules. A distinguishing feature of the inclusion in ALHA77307 is the presence of two slivers/ wedges at the opposite outer edge of the hibonite- pyroxene spherule that consist of rapidly, poorly crystalized, sub-micron minerals with pristine textures. The pristine petrography and mineralogy of this inclusion allow discernment of the expected general trend of formation and alteration amongst hibonite-pyroxene spherules.