Statistical Chronometry of Meteorites. II. Initial Abundances and Homogeneity of Short-lived Radionuclides

TL;DR

This study refines the initial abundances of short-lived radionuclides in the early solar system, demonstrating their homogeneity and improving radiometric dating accuracy of meteoritic components through statistical analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a novel statistical framework to constrain initial radionuclide abundances, enhancing the precision of chronometric dating in meteoritics.

Findings

Initial (53Mn/55Mn) at t=0 is (8.09+/-0.65)x10^-6.

Initial (182Hf/180Hf) at t=0 is (10.42+/-0.25)x10^-5.

Solar nebula was homogeneous in short-lived radionuclides.

Abstract

Astrophysical models of planet formation require accurate radiometric dating of meteoritic components by short-lived (Al-Mg, Mn-Cr, Hf-W) and long-lived (Pb-Pb) chronometers, to develop a timeline of such events in the solar nebula as formation of Ca-rich, Al-rich Inclusions (CAIs), chondrules, planetesimals, etc. CAIs formed mostly around a time ("t=0") when the short-lived radionuclide 26Al (t1/2 = 0.72 Myr) was present and presumably homogeneously distributed at a known level we define as (26Al/27Al)SS = 5.23 x10^-5. The time of formation after t=0 of another object can be found by determining its initial (26Al/27Al)0 ratio and comparing it to (26Al/27Al)SS. Dating of meteoritic objects using the Mn-Cr or Hf-W systems is hindered because the abundances (53Mn/55Mn)SS and (182Hf/180Hf)SS at t=0 are not known precisely. To constrain these quantities, we compile literature Al-Mg, Mn-Cr, Hf-W and Pb-Pb data for 14 achondrites and use novel statistical techniques to minimize the discrepancies between their times of formation across these systems. We find that for (53Mn/55Mn)SS = (8.09+/-0.65)x10^-6, (182Hf/180Hf)SS = (10.42+/-0.25)x10^-5, tSS = 4568.36+/-0.20 Myr, and a 53Mn half-life of 3.80+/-0.23 Myr, these four free parameters make concordant 37 formation times recorded by the different systems in 14 achondrites. These parameters also make concordant the ages derived for chondrules from CB/CH achondrites, formed simultaneously in an impact, and are apparently concordant with the I-Xe chronometer as well. Our findings provide very strong support for homogeneity of 26Al, 53Mn, and 182Hf in the solar nebula, and our approach offers a framework for more precise chronometry.