EBSD Analysis of Iron‐Nickel Metal in H Chondrites: 1. Evidence for Disruption and Re‐Accretion of Parent Asteroid.
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| Title: | EBSD Analysis of Iron‐Nickel Metal in H Chondrites: 1. Evidence for Disruption and Re‐Accretion of Parent Asteroid. |
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| Authors: | Luo, Yexin1,2 (AUTHOR), Zhang, Aicheng3 (AUTHOR), Lin, Qing1 (AUTHOR), Shan, Xingmei1 (AUTHOR), Du, Zhimao1 (AUTHOR), Li, Mingbao2 (AUTHOR), Li, Qi4 (AUTHOR), Liao, Xiuhong5 (AUTHOR), Li, Shaolin1 (AUTHOR) lisl@sstm.org.cn |
| Source: | Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets. May2026, Vol. 131 Issue 5, p1-18. 18p. |
| Subject Terms: | Chondrites, Metal microstructure, Impact (Mechanics), Accretion (Astrophysics), Iron-nickel alloys, Astrophysical collisions, Martensitic structure |
| Abstract: | Ordinary chondrites, sourced from S‐type asteroids, provide the most direct documentation of the thermal history of their parent bodies. Current research focuses predominantly on silicates, but early endogenic metamorphism overprinted by impact heating can yield ambiguous silicate records. In contrast, Fe‐Ni metal, also as a major component, exhibits higher strain rates and greater temperature sensitivity than silicates. H‐group ordinary chondrites possess the highest metal content, characterized by thermally informative complex microstructures. In this study, the Electron Backscatter Diffraction technique is employed on 14 H chondrites to constrain their thermal history. Martensite and duplex plessite, microstructures indicative of rapid cooling, are prevalent in the metal. Furthermore, characteristic microstructures formed by martensite tempering under distinct thermal pathways are observed, including polycrystalline martensite (low‐temperature, prolonged heating), net plessite, and acicular plessite (higher‐temperature tempering). Consequently, the metal records a rapid cooling event followed by widespread tempering and thermal annealing. This implies that the H parent body, similar to those of L chondrites, experienced a catastrophic impact, evidenced by their shared quenched metal structure. Subsequent tempering and annealing probably resulted from thermal effects in the re‐accretion of impact debris. Plain Language Summary: To investigate the heating and cooling history of H chondrite meteorites, we analyzed metal microstructures in 14 samples. As a major constituent of chondrites, metal serves as a highly sensitive thermal recorder, capturing temperature changes with exceptional clarity. Our analysis revealed two distinct thermal events. First, a violent collision induced extremely rapid cooling of the metal, preserving distinctive microstructural patterns. Subsequently, a period of widespread and prolonged reheating occurred, slowly transforming these initial microstructures into different forms. This two‐stage thermal fingerprint, characterized by catastrophic impact‐induced cooling followed by prolonged reheating, indicates that the parent asteroid was shattered by a catastrophic collision and later slowly reassembled from the debris. Key Points: Martensite and duplex plessite, microstructures indicative of rapid cooling, are prevalent in the metal of H chondritesMartensite in H chondrites underwent a heating event, resulting in a range of tempering‐induced microstructuresRapid cooling was caused by catastrophic disruption of the parent body, while reheating may have resulted from re‐accretion processes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
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| Header | DbId: 8gh DbLabel: GreenFILE An: 194052228 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: EBSD Analysis of Iron‐Nickel Metal in H Chondrites: 1. Evidence for Disruption and Re‐Accretion of Parent Asteroid. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Luo%2C+Yexin%22">Luo, Yexin</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhang%2C+Aicheng%22">Zhang, Aicheng</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lin%2C+Qing%22">Lin, Qing</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shan%2C+Xingmei%22">Shan, Xingmei</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Du%2C+Zhimao%22">Du, Zhimao</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Li%2C+Mingbao%22">Li, Mingbao</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Li%2C+Qi%22">Li, Qi</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Liao%2C+Xiuhong%22">Liao, Xiuhong</searchLink><relatesTo>5</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Li%2C+Shaolin%22">Li, Shaolin</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> lisl@sstm.org.cn</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Geophysical+Research%2E+Planets%22">Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets</searchLink>. May2026, Vol. 131 Issue 5, p1-18. 18p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chondrites%22">Chondrites</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Metal+microstructure%22">Metal microstructure</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Impact+%28Mechanics%29%22">Impact (Mechanics)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Accretion+%28Astrophysics%29%22">Accretion (Astrophysics)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Iron-nickel+alloys%22">Iron-nickel alloys</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Astrophysical+collisions%22">Astrophysical collisions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Martensitic+structure%22">Martensitic structure</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Ordinary chondrites, sourced from S‐type asteroids, provide the most direct documentation of the thermal history of their parent bodies. Current research focuses predominantly on silicates, but early endogenic metamorphism overprinted by impact heating can yield ambiguous silicate records. In contrast, Fe‐Ni metal, also as a major component, exhibits higher strain rates and greater temperature sensitivity than silicates. H‐group ordinary chondrites possess the highest metal content, characterized by thermally informative complex microstructures. In this study, the Electron Backscatter Diffraction technique is employed on 14 H chondrites to constrain their thermal history. Martensite and duplex plessite, microstructures indicative of rapid cooling, are prevalent in the metal. Furthermore, characteristic microstructures formed by martensite tempering under distinct thermal pathways are observed, including polycrystalline martensite (low‐temperature, prolonged heating), net plessite, and acicular plessite (higher‐temperature tempering). Consequently, the metal records a rapid cooling event followed by widespread tempering and thermal annealing. This implies that the H parent body, similar to those of L chondrites, experienced a catastrophic impact, evidenced by their shared quenched metal structure. Subsequent tempering and annealing probably resulted from thermal effects in the re‐accretion of impact debris. Plain Language Summary: To investigate the heating and cooling history of H chondrite meteorites, we analyzed metal microstructures in 14 samples. As a major constituent of chondrites, metal serves as a highly sensitive thermal recorder, capturing temperature changes with exceptional clarity. Our analysis revealed two distinct thermal events. First, a violent collision induced extremely rapid cooling of the metal, preserving distinctive microstructural patterns. Subsequently, a period of widespread and prolonged reheating occurred, slowly transforming these initial microstructures into different forms. This two‐stage thermal fingerprint, characterized by catastrophic impact‐induced cooling followed by prolonged reheating, indicates that the parent asteroid was shattered by a catastrophic collision and later slowly reassembled from the debris. Key Points: Martensite and duplex plessite, microstructures indicative of rapid cooling, are prevalent in the metal of H chondritesMartensite in H chondrites underwent a heating event, resulting in a range of tempering‐induced microstructuresRapid cooling was caused by catastrophic disruption of the parent body, while reheating may have resulted from re‐accretion processes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1029/2025JE009360 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 18 StartPage: 1 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Chondrites Type: general – SubjectFull: Metal microstructure Type: general – SubjectFull: Impact (Mechanics) Type: general – SubjectFull: Accretion (Astrophysics) Type: general – SubjectFull: Iron-nickel alloys Type: general – SubjectFull: Astrophysical collisions Type: general – SubjectFull: Martensitic structure Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: EBSD Analysis of Iron‐Nickel Metal in H Chondrites: 1. Evidence for Disruption and Re‐Accretion of Parent Asteroid. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Luo, Yexin – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Zhang, Aicheng – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Lin, Qing – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Shan, Xingmei – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Du, Zhimao – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Li, Mingbao – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Li, Qi – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Liao, Xiuhong – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Li, Shaolin IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 05 Text: May2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 21699097 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 131 – Type: issue Value: 5 Titles: – TitleFull: Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
