Publication Date:
2019-07-17
Description:
The origin of eucrites has been the subject of debate. At issue is whether high-Mg# eucrites such as Sioux County are primitive or evolved liquids. We believe that the problem of the origin of eucrites is essentially solved. Problems associated with the petrogenesis of other achondrite groups remain, but the eucrites, taken as a whole, seem to present a clear and understandable story that we will present using experiments, analyses, and calculations. The two traditional eucrite groupings, the partial melting trend a.k.a. Stannem trend) and the fractional crystallization trend (a.k.a. Nuevo Laredo trend) have both been reproduced experimentally. The partial melting trend culminates in Sioux County. Sioux County is also an acceptable starting point for the fractional crystallization trend. The implication of these experimental results is that it is extremely difficult to relate the eucrites to diogenites, a group of pyroxene cumulates that conceivably could have crystallized from eucrite parent magmas.
Keywords:
Astrophysics
Type:
Workshop on Evolution of Igneous Asteroids: Focus on Vesta and the HED Meterorites; Pt. 1; 15; LPI-TR-96-02-Pt-1
Format:
text
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