Rubidium and potassium isotope compositions of enstatite meteorites: implications for the evolution of their parent body(ies)

Abstract

Enstatite meteorites, including enstatite chondrites and enstatite achondrites (e.g., aubrites), formed under highly reducing conditions in the solar system. Enstatite chondrites underwent progressive thermal metamorphism from petrologic type 3 to type 6, potentially leading to vaporization and redistribution of volatile elements. Coupled Rb and K isotopic analyses of enstatite meteorites could provide complementary insights into the inherent isotopic variability and volatile depletion processes. In this study, we present Rb and K isotopic compositions for a suite of enstatite meteorites, including sixteen enstatite chondrites spanning metamorphic grades from 3 to 6, as well as four aubrites. Type 3 enstatite chondrites exhibit isotopic compositions similar to those of Earth for both Rb and K, which further underscores the isotopic resemblance between Earth and enstatite chondrites. From type 3–4 to type 5–6, the examined enstatite chondrites generally show a trend towards heavier Rb and K isotopic compositions, indicating volatilization and redistribution of Rb and K during open system thermal metamorphism of the parent body(ies). One EH5 (St. Marks) and two EL6 (Pillistfer and Atlanta) samples deviate from this trend with light K isotope compositions, which may result from an interplay of evaporation, vapor transport and recondensation. On the other hand, the Rb and K isotopic variations in aubrites—which originated from the melting and fractional crystallization of enstatite chondrite-like parent body(ies)—likely reflect more complex processes, possibly involving a combination of plagioclase-bearing melt extraction, magmatic differentiation, core segregation, and the back-condensation of volatiles after impact volatilization.