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unexpected mineral found in Ryugu asteroid

Rare Mineral Found in Ryugu Asteroid Challenges Solar System Formation Theories

A scanning electron micrograph depicting grain number 15 from sample plate C0105-042 of Ryugu, where djerfisherite was identified. Credit: Hiroshima University/Masaaki Miyahara

Hayabusa2 Mission Uncovers Crucial Clues from Ryugu

Pristine Samples and Their Importance

The untouched samples retrieved from asteroid Ryugu by the Hayabusa2 mission on 6 December 2020 have been crucial in refining our knowledge of primitive asteroids and solar system formation. Ryugu, a C-type asteroid, comprises rock akin to CI chondrite meteorites—rich in carbon and bearing clear signs of past aqueous alteration.

Discovery of an Unexpected Mineral in Ryugu

Identification of Djerfisherite

A team of researchers from Hiroshima University has identified the mineral djerfisherite—a potassium-bearing iron-nickel sulphide—within a grain from asteroid Ryugu. Its discovery is entirely unexpected, as such a mineral is not thought to form under the environmental conditions Ryugu is believed to have experienced.

The Journal Meteoritics & Planetary Science has published the team's findings.

Expert Insight from Dr. Masaaki Miyahara

"Ordinarily, djerfisherite is encountered in significantly reduced settings, such as those characteristic of enstatite chondrites. Its absence in CI chondrites and Ryugu material has been consistent—until now," explained Dr. Masaaki Miyahara, first and corresponding author and associate professor at Hiroshima University.

Challenging Current Understanding of Primitive Asteroids

Exotic Conditions or Early Solar System Transport?

"Its presence is akin to discovering a tropical seed embedded within Arctic ice—suggesting either a surprisingly exotic local condition or significant transport across vast distances in the early solar system."

Weathering Experiments and Analysis

Miyahara's research group had been conducting experiments to investigate how Ryugu grains respond to terrestrial weathering. During FE-TEM analysis, they identified djerfisherite in grain number 15 from sample plate C0105-042.

Image captured via bright-field transmission electron microscopy, highlighting the djerfisherite found in grain 15, sample plate C0105-042 from Ryugu. Credit: Hiroshima University/Masaaki Miyahara

Implications for Solar System Formation Models

"The presence of djerfisherite within a Ryugu grain implies that substances with disparate origins might have mingled in the early solar system, or that Ryugu encountered previously undetected, chemically diverse environments. This discovery contests the assumption of Ryugu's compositional uniformity and raises intriguing questions regarding the complexity of primordial asteroids," explained Miyahara.

Thermal and Chemical History of Ryugu's Parent Body

Formation in the Outer Solar System

Ryugu originated from a larger celestial precursor, which came into being around 1.8 to 2.9 million years post-solar system formation. Scientists surmise this body took shape in the solar system's colder outer zones, rich in frozen water and carbon dioxide.

Radioactive Heating and Ice Melting

Within the parent body, the decay of radioactive isotopes produced heat that led to the melting of ice roughly 3 million years post-formation. During this period, temperatures are believed to have remained below 50°C.

Comparison with Enstatite Chondrites

Conversely, the parent bodies of enstatite chondrites, which exhibit the presence of djerfisherite, are believed to have originated closer to the Sun. Thermodynamic assessments indicate the mineral emerged from condensation within high-temperatures gases.

Experimental Confirmation

In addition, controlled hydrothermal experiments suggest that djerfisherite may from through chemical interactions between postassium-laden fluids and Fe-Ni sulphides at elevated temperatures exceeding 350 °C.

Hypotheses and Future Directions

Two Possible Origins for Djerfisherite in Ryugu

Two explanations were offered for the mineral's inclusion within the Ryugu grain: either it originated elsewhere and was introduced during the parent body's creation, or it formed locally as a result of thermal conditions exceeding 350°C.

Isotopic Analysis to Follow

Initial findings suggest that the hypothesis favouring intrinsic formation is the more probable explanation. Subsequent work will involve isotopic analysis of this and additional Ryugu grains to elucidate their provenance.

Toward a Deeper Understanding of Planetary Formation

Broader Scientific Goals

"Our ultimate objective is to piece together the early mixing events and thermal developments that influenced minor celestial bodies such as Ryugu, thereby enhancing our insight into planetary genesis and mterial movement within the nascent solar system," Miyahara remarks.

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