Book Review 2.Fm

Book Review: Meteorites and the Early Solar System II, Dante S. Lauretta, Harry Y. McSween, Jr (Eds.)

Item Type Book review; text

Authors Trigo-Rodríguez, Josep M.

Citation Trigo-Rodríguez, J. M. (2008). Book Review: Meteorites and the Early Solar System II, Dante S. Lauretta, Harry Y. McSween, Jr (Eds.). Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 43(5), 989-991.

DOI 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2008.tb01095.x

Publisher The Meteoritical Society

Journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science

Download date 03/10/2021 06:13:09

Item License http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Version Final published version

Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/656437 Meteoritics & Planetary Science 43, Nr 5, 989–991 (2008) http://meteoritics.org

Book Review

Meteorites and the early solar system II, edited by Dante S. Lauretta and Harry Y. McSween, Jr. Tucson, Arizona: The University of Arizona Press, 2006, 943 p., $90 (ISBN #9780816525621).

Primitive meteorites are valuable samples of the materials that formed the protoplanetary disk during the early stages of solar system evolution (Wasson 1985). Significant advances in our knowledge of primitive materials contained in meteorites have been made since the appearance of the book Meteorites and the early solar system (Kerridge and Matthews 1988). Following this “primordial disk saga,” the new volume Meteorites and the early solar system II, edited by Dante S. Lauretta and Harry Y. McSween, contains a comprehensive update of the progress made in the interpretation of meteorite-forming materials in a multidisciplinary context, but strongly oriented toward its impact on cosmochemistry and astrophysics. This book is divided into nine parts, all them discussing in depth different hot topics of our knowledge of meteorites and their implications on the early solar system (ESS) forming environment. Part one consists of an overview of the different types of extraterrestrial materials that are being currently studied in laboratories. The work on meteorite classification and systematics by Weisberg et al. extensively describes current terminology and nomenclature. The authors also made an effort to compile ideas about the origin of the different meteorite types reaching the Earth. Grady and Wright compile present evidence of SiC, graphite, and nanodiamonds in the types of extraterrestrial materials currently available for carbonaceous chondrites. study and their presumed origin. This work is followed by a Nittler and Dauphas study the role that meteorites can summary of McSween et al. of the most important discoveries play in unraveling the presolar nucleosynthetic history of the in meteoritics and cosmochemistry since the publication of Milky Way galaxy. They discuss the measured meteoritic the first volume. abundances of short-lived nuclides, the ratios of stable Part two is devoted to the contribution of meteorite isotopes, and the presolar grains’ components. They conclude studies in assessing the physico-chemical properties of the that the solar composition, usually considered as a standard, astronomical environment where meteorite components seems to be similar to what we expect for similar stars in the formed. This section starts with an excellent review on stellar galactic neighborhood. The second part ends with a useful nucleosynthesis, focusing on the isotopic products of the overview (by Nuth et al.) of the connection between the different stages of stellar evolution for stars of different chemistry of dense molecular clouds and the meteoritic masses. This work also contains an update of our present evidence of those IS signatures. These authors made an knowledge of presolar grains, describing the different elegant comparison among the isotopic fractionation signatures used to define their origin in different stellar processes that occurred in the interstellar medium (IM) and atmospheres. In another contribution, Bernatowicz et al. the observed isotopic anomalies in CCs and IDPs. They argue discuss the origin and evolution of carbonaceous grains in that the interstellar grains survive the IM for a long time stellar environments and compare the theoretical context with probably by being able to survive shock processes.

The third part of this book deals with the disk formation composition of its precursor material and its thermal history. and early evolution of the solar nebula. It provides a Their study provides important constraints on models of comprehensive review of the different stages of collapsing chondrule formation, and support the model that preexisting clouds that have been studied in astrophysical environments, materials underwent melting under highly variable together with a compilation of the best-studied star-forming temperatures and also experienced depletions of moderately regions. The following contribution by Messenger et al. gives volatile elements, among other processes. a general picture of the starting materials available in the ESS The sixth part of the book addresses the accretion of on the basis of the astrophysical evidence and the study of solar-system building blocks, usually called planetesimals. interstellar grains identified in IDPs and primitive meteorites. This section starts with a contribution by Nichols that The physics and chemistry of the solar nebula and its describes the different chronological constraints obtained evolution is discussed in a contribution by Ciesla and from cosmochemical, dynamical, and astronomical evidence. Charnley where they describe the physico-chemical processes The following contribution by Weidenschilling and Cuzzi that took place in the ESS environment where primitive studies the time scales for the formation of planetesimals, also meteorites formed. discussing the main processes that have sculpted the asteroid The fourth part of the book starts with a contribution by belt and the components of the first consolidated bodies. The Russell et al. describing the different constraints that allow us great diversity of meteorites is discussed by Chambers who to study formation time scales of different meteorite groups. points out that the time of formation was more important than They compare the currently available cosmochemical location in determining the composition of the parent bodies. measurements with the lifetimes of the disks observed around Finally, Wieler et al. discuss the processes of trapping and young stellar objects (YSOs), which suggest lifetimes of loss of noble gases and nitrogen in meteorites. about 4–5 million years. Ebel discusses condensation of The seventh part discusses the processes of alteration rocky materials and the mineralogical products in different and metamorphism suffered by the parent bodies of types of environments. Fedkin and Grossman study the high meteorites. This section is initiated with a contribution by fayalitic content of unequilibrated ordinary chondrites and Krot et al. on the main implications of aqueous alteration in offer a possible solution to this problem—enrichment in dust carbonaceous chondrites. A work by Ghosh et al. discusses that is even more O-rich than CI chondrites. Interestingly, this the heat sources present in the ESS, particularly heating by would be achieved by the admixture of water ice. At the end electromagnetic induction, impacts, and decay of short-lived of the second part, Davis addresses the origin of the depletion nuclei such as 26Al and 60Fe. Such sources of heating had in volatile elements of most meteorites, while Lunine important effects on the mineralogy and structure of non- discusses the origin of water ice in the ESS. differentiated asteroids. Huss et al. compiled the extensive The fifth part deals with the processing of materials in the evidence of thermal metamorphism of chondrites, advocating solar nebula. It starts with a review by Chaussidon and collisional and 26Al decay heating as the principal Gounelle on the irradiation processes that took place in the mechanisms for metamorphism of chondrite parent bodies. ESS, where the different short-lived isotopes produced by An extensive review of the action of water in primitive energetic processes are discussed. The solar system’s D/H meteorites is presented by A. Brearley, who places important ratio and its variations among the solar system bodies is constraints on the mechanisms of aqueous alteration, the discussed by Robert, who explains important open issues and location and timing of alteration, and the mass transport that points out the need of determining the D/H ratios of the outer occurred during those processes. In the following solar system bodies. The next contribution by Cuzzi and contribution, Pizzarello et al. discuss the nature and Weidenschilling discusses the physics of particle-gas distribution of organic materials contained in carbonaceous interactions, emphasizing the role of turbulence in the chondrites and IDPs. Shock effects in meteorites are treated dynamics of particles in the protoplanetary disk. The different by Sharp and DeCarli, who made an interesting comparison transient heating events that likely produced chondrules and between theory and the evidence for shock features in refractory inclusions found in chondrites are reviewed by meteorites. Finally, Bischoff et al. discuss the nature and Connolly et al. following the path started by the publication of origin of meteorite breccias, interesting rocks that provide Chondrules and the protoplanetary disk (Hewins et al. 1996). useful information about impact processes and the structure Becket et al. analyze the chemical processes that affected the of their parent bodies. calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) in the ESS Part eight discusses the processes of melting and environment. They explore the validity of phase equilibria differentiation that occurred in large planetesimals. The first applied to CAIs through phase diagrams and the implications two contributions by Wadhwa et al. and McCoy et al. deal of trace-element partitioning to shed light on the origin of with the time scales of planetesimal differentiation and CAIs. The following contribution by Lauretta et al. is a differentiation processes, respectively. The formation of review on the origin of ferromagnesian silicate chondrules, asteroidal cores and the implications for iron meteorites are those whose texture and mineralogy reflects the nature and discussed by Chabot and Haack. These authors modeled core Book Review 991 crystallization and compared the results with the evidence extraterrestrial materials (meteorites, IDPs, stellar grains, provided by the iron meteorite groups. etc,) and in the evolution of the ESS. The text provides an The ninth part of the book describes the role of meteorites overall introduction to the origin of meteorites, the physico- in the present solar system in several reviews on related chemical processes they have undergone, and the implications topics. For example, Halliday and Kleine review the main that their study has for the formation of the solar system. In isotopic systems relevant for studying the formation of the any case, if you are thinking of this book as a handy reference planets and the parent bodies of meteorites. Righter et al. to bring with you everywhere, don’t try it! You should reserve compiled the bulk compositions of meteorites and the a permanent place for it in your bookcase. terrestrial planets, also pointing out the need for improving our knowledge of the bulk compositions of Mercury, Venus, Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez and the Sun. In this sense, the Genesis mission can provide Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC) valuable information on the solar composition; e.g., Barcelona surprisingly, the Mg/Fe solar ratio appears to be significantly Spain different from the standard CI composition (Jurewicz et al. 2008). The methods of determination of cosmic-ray exposure REFERENCES ages, and the updated transfer time distributions for the different meteorite groups are reviewed in a chapter by Hewins R. H., Jones R. H., and Scott E. R. D. 1996. Chondrules and Eugster et al. Bland et al. describe the importance of studying the protoplanetary disk. Cambridge: Cambridge University terrestrial weathering of chondritic meteorites in the context Press. 343 p. of knowing their alteration, but also to deduce average fluxes. Jurewicz A. J. G., Burnett D. S., Woolum D. S., McKeegan K. D., Guan Y., and Hervig R. 2008. Solar elemental abundances from In fact, the flux of extraterrestrial materials to the Earth is Genesis collectors: Fe/Mg, constraining solar-wind FIP extensively discussed by Zolensky et al. from the current fractionation, and comparisons with CI chondrites (abstract meteorite flux deduced from fireball monitoring studies. This #2140). 35th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. section (and the book) ends with a contribution on the CD-ROM. importance of measuring terrestrial ages in meteorites written Kerridge J. F. and Matthews M. S. 1988. Meteorites and the early solar system. Tucson, Arizona: The University of Arizona Press. by T. Jull. 1269 p. To conclude, Meteorites and the early solar system II is Wasson J. T. 1985. Meteorites: Their record of the early solar system an excellent book for researchers interested in the study of history. New York: Freeman. 267 p.