With successfull extraction of returned samples from Moon (Apollo), Ryugu (Hayabusa2), Bennnu (OSIRIS-ReX) and future plans from Phobos and Mars, this is an exciting time to be in Cosmochemistry. A lot of work on meteorites is yet to be done that will now become easier with advent of newer technology like enhanced mass spectrometry capabilities. Overall, Planetary Science is abuzz....................
--- G. J. Wasserburg
The Lunatic Asylum, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences- Caltech
Lunar and Planetary Science conference (2025)
D. Mukherjee et al.
We have measured the 87Sr/86Sr of low Rb/Sr feldspars to determine the initial (87Sr/86Sr) ratio of martian meteorite NWA 16272 to evaluate whether this sample comes from a depleted or an enriched reservoir. Here find that there is heterogeneity within feldspar populations incorporated into this meteorite. The fine-grained feldspars that might better represent the bulk composition of the rock might have formed from a more evolved basaltic melt, that is transitional between depleted and intermediate shergottites hence inheriting the higher (87Sr/86Sr)0 composition.
Goldschmidt Conference (2024)
Debarun Mukherjeea, Nicolas Dauphasa, Zhe J. Zhanga, Vickie Bennetb, Allen Nutmanc
Initial studies of mass-dependent Titanium isotope compositions in bulk chondrites have been found to be identical to Earth. Recently, several scientific contributions have challenged this view, proposing new bulk δ49/47Ti for several solar system bodies. Here we measure and report ultra-precise bulk δ49/47Ti compositions using Titanium double spike, for Eoarchean basalts and norites from Pilbara craton, Australia and Isua belt, Greenland. Our aim is to probe the occurrence of a variable mantle composition in δ49/47Ti both spatially and temporally.
Indian Planetary Science Conference (2023)
Mukherjee, D. and Ray, D.
In this project, we evaluate the mineralogical and textural components of CM Chondrite: LON 94101. Petrographic evaluation of the CM chondrite thin sections often becomes limiting due to severely altered mineralogical components. Backscattered Electron images using Scanning Electron Microscopy reveals the presence of Al-Diopside as the only refractory phase. Occurence of Planar deformation fabrics has been used to study the shock history of these meteorites. These CM chondrites also offer potential analog to the asteroid returned samples during Ryugu and OSIRIS-REx missions.
