Abstract
A model for the composition of meteoritic nanodiamonds is suggested based on analysis of the concentrations and isotopic compositions of C, N, and Xe in the nanodiamond-rich grain-size fractions, which were separated for the first time from the Orgueil CI chondrite. According to the model, meteoritic nanodiamond consists of two populations of grains (denoted CHL and CN). The size distributions of grains in populations in the CHL and CN populations are different: the CHL population is finer grained than CN. The grains of the CHL population are characterized by a radial gradient in the carbon isotopic composition, and they contain implanted anomalous noble gases (HL component) and the heavy nitrogen isotope 15N. Following (Clayton et al., 1995), the probable astrophysical source of this population of nanodiamond grains is thought to be the mixing helium and hydrogen shells of a Type-II supernova, and the mechanism that produced these grains was the slow CVD process. The CN population grains have homogeneous isotopic compositions of carbon (δ13C ≡–100‰) and nitrogen (δ15N ≡–400‰) and contain almost all nitrogen of the nanodiamond-rich fractions. This population of nanodiamond grains was likely formed by a fast unequilibrated process, when shock waves affected organic compounds or gas rich in C- and N-bearing compounds during the early evolution of the protosolar nebula. Calculations within the framework of the model show that the nanodiamond-rich fractions separated from the Orgueil meteorite have the CN/CHL ratios varying from 1 in the finest grained fraction to 10 in the coarse-grained one. At these proportions of the populations, weighted mean δ13C values of CHL grains in the fractions lie within the range of 42 to 394‰, and the concentrations of 132Xe-HL and 15N are (49–563) × 10–8 cm3/gC and (1.1–6.2) × 10–5 cm3/gC, respectively.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
J. Birrell, J. E. Gerbi, O. Auciello, J. M. Gibson, D. M. Gruen, and J. A. Carlisle, “Bonding structure in nitrogen doped ultrananocrystalline diamond,” J. Applied Physics 93, 5606–5612 (2003).
D. D. Clayton, “Origin of heavy xenon in meteoritic diamonds,” Astrophys. J. 540, 613–619 (1989).
D. D. Clayton, B. S. Meyer, C. I. Sanderson, S. S. Russell, and C. T. Pillinger, “C and N isotopes in Type II supernova diamonds,” Astrophys. J. 447, 894–905 (1995).
A. V. Fisenko and L. F. Semjonova, “On nature of bimodal release of noble gases during pyrolysis of the meteoritic nanodiamond,” Geochem. Int. 48 (12), 1177–1184 (2010).
A. V. Fisenko and L. F. Semjonova, “Populations of nanodiamond grains in meteorites from the data on isotopic composition and content of nitrogen,” Solar Syst. Res. 40 (6), 485–499 (2006).
A. V. Fisenko, L. F. Semjonova, A. S. Aronin, V. F. Tatsii, Yu. I. Mitrokhin, and L. N. Bol’sheva, “Size separation of interstellar diamonds,” Geochem. Int. 36 (5), 467–470 (1998).
A. V. Fisenko, and A. B. Verchovsky, L. F. Semjonova, and C. T. Pillinger, “Heterogeneity of the interstellar diamond in the CV3 Meteorite Efremovka,” Astronomy Lett. 27 (9) 608–612 (2001).
A. V. Fisenko, A. B. Verchovsky, L. F. Semjonova, and C. T. Pillinger, “Noble gases in the grain-size fractions of presolar diamond from the Boriskino CM2 Meteorite,” Geochem. Int. 42 (8), 708–719 (2004).
A. V. Fisenko, S. S. Russell, R. D. Ash, L. F. Semjonova, A. B. Verchovsky, and C. T. Pillinger, “Isotopic composition of C and N in the diamonds from the UOC Krymka (LL3.0),” Lunar Planet. Sci. 33, 365–366 (1992).
J. D. Gilmour, A. B. Verchovsky, A. V. Fisenko, G. Holland, and G. Turner, “Xenon isotopes in size separated nanodiamonds from Efremovka: 129Xe*, Xe-P3, and Xe-P6,” Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 69, 4133–4148 (2005).
W. M. Howard, B. S. Meyer, and D. D. Clayton, “Heavyelement abundances from a neutron burst that produces Xe-H,” Meteoritics 27, 404–412 (1992).
G. R. Huss and R. S. Lewis, “Noble gases in presolar diamonds I: Three distinct components and their implications for diamond origins,” Meteoritics 29, 791–810 (1994).
G. R. Huss and R. S. Lewis, “Presolar diamond, SiC, and graphite in primitive chondrites: Abundances as a function of meteorite class and petrologic type,” Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 59, 115–160 (1995).
L. R. Nittler, P. Hoppe, C. M. D. O’Alexander, S. Amari, P. Eberhardt, X. Gao, R. S. Lewis, et al., “Silicon nitride from supernovae,” Astrophys. J. 453, L25–L28 (1995).
U. Ott, “Interstellar diamond xenon and timescales of supernova ejecta,” Astrophys. J. 463, 344–348(1996).
M. Rayert, M. Arnould, M. Hashimoto, N. Prantzos, and K. Nomato “The p-process in Type II supernova,” Astron. Astrophys. 298, 517–527 (1995).
S. S. Russell, J. W. Arden, and C. T. Pillinger, “A carbon and nitrogen isotope study of diamond from primitive chondrite,” Met. Planet. Sci. 31, 343–355 (1996).
A. A. Shiryaev, A. V. Fisenko, I. I. Vlasov, L. F. Semjonova, P. Nagel, and S. Schuppler, “Spectroscopic study of impurities and associated defects in nanodiamonds from Efremovka (CV3) and Orgueil (CI) meteorites,” Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 75, 3155–3165 (2011).
M. Tang and E. Anders, “Isotopic anomalies of Ne, Xe, and C in meteorites. III. Local and exotic noble gas components and their interrelations,” Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 52, 1245–1254 (1988).
M. Tang, R. S. Lewis, E. Anders, M. M. Grady, I. P. Wright, and C. T. Pillinger, “Isotopic anomalies of Ne, Xe and C in meteorites. 1. Separation of carriers by density and chemical resistance,” Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 52, 1221–1234 (1988).
A. B. Verchovsky, A. V. Fisenko, L. F. Semjonova, and C. T. Pillinger, “Heterogeneous distribution of xenon-HL within presolar diamonds,” Met. Planet. Sci. 32, A131–A132 (1997).
A. B. Verchovsky, A. V. Fisenko, L. F. Semjonova, I. P. Wright, M. N. Lee, and C. T. Pillinger, “C, N and noble gas isotopes in grain size separates of presolar diamonds from Efremovka,” Science 281, 1165–1168 (1998).
A. B. Verchovsky, M. A. Sephton, I. P. Wright, and C. T. Pillinger, “Separation of planetary noble gas carrier from bulk carbon in enstatite chondrites during stepped combustion,” Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 199, 243–255 (2002).
A. B. Verchovsky, I. P. Wright, and C. T. Pillinger, “Ion implantation into presolar grains: a theoretical model,” Publ. Astron. Soc. Australia 20, 329–336 (2003).
A. B. Verchovsky, I. P. Wright, A. V. Fisenko, and C. T. Pillinger, “A numerical model of ion implantation into presolar grains,” Nuclear Physics A688, 106–109 (2001).
A. B. Verchovsky, I. P. Wright, A. V. Fisenko, L. F. Semjonova, and C. T. Pillinger, “Ion implantation into presolar diamonds: experimental simulation,” J. Conf. Abs. (Goldschmidt 2000) 5 (2), # 1050 (2000).
I. P. Wright and C. T. Pillinger, “C isotopic analysis of small samples by use of stepped-heating extraction and static mass spectrometry,” in New Frontiers in Stable Isotopic Research: Laser Probes, Ion Probes and Small Sample Analysis, Ed. by W. C. Shanks and R. E. Criss, U.S. Geol. Surv. Bull., no. 1890, 9–34 (1989).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Original Russian Text © A.V. Fisenko, L.F. Semjonova, 2016, published in Geokhimiya, 2016, No. 3, pp. 287–300.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fisenko, A.V., Semjonova, L.F. Heterogeneity of grain-size fractions of nanodiamonds from the Orgueil C1 meteorite. Geochem. Int. 54, 266–279 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702916030010
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702916030010