Context. Shock-induced changes in ordinary chondrite meteorites related to impacts or planetary collisions are known to be capable of altering their optical properties. Thus, one can hypothesize that a significant portion of the ordinary chondrite material may be hidden within the observed dark C/X asteroid population. Aims. The exact pressure-temperature conditions of the shock-induced darkening are not well constrained. Thus, we experimentally investigate the gradual changes in the chondrite material optical properties as a function of the shock pressure. Methods. A spherical shock experiment with Chelyabinsk LL5 was performed in order to study the changes in its optical properties. The spherical shock experiment geometry allows for a gradual increase of shock pressure from ∼15 GPa at a rim toward hundreds of gigapascals in the center. Results. Four distinct zones were observed with an increasing shock load. The optical changes are minimal up to ∼50 GPa. In the region of ∼50-60 GPa, shock darkening occurs due to the troilite melt infusion into silicates. This process abruptly ceases at pressures of ∼60 GPa due to an onset of silicate melting. At pressures higher than ∼150 GPa, recrystallization occurs and is associated with a second-stage shock darkening due to fine troilite-metal eutectic grains. The shock darkening affects the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared (UV, VIS, and NIR) region while changes to the MIR spectrum are minimal. Conclusions. Shock darkening is caused by two distinct mechanisms with characteristic pressure regions, which are separated by an interval where the darkening ceases. This implies a reduced amount of shock-darkened material produced during the asteroid collisions.

Объект исследования. Излагаются результаты исследования фрагмента метеорита Northwest Africa 11781. Материалы и методы. Материалом для исследования послужил фрагмент метеорита массой 15.56 г, из которого было изготовлено 4 прозрачно-полированных шлифа общей площадью 10.5 см 2. Изучение минералогии и структурных особенностей метеорита проводилось с помощью сканирующего электронного микроскопа JSM-6390LV фирмы JEOL, электронно-зондового микроанализатора Cameca SX-100, а также квадрупольного масс-спектрометра с индуктивно-связанной плазмой ELAN 9000. Все анализы были выполнены в ЦКП "Геоаналитик" ИГГ УрО РАН. Результаты. Метеорит является углистым хондритом и относится к петрологическому типу CM2. Он состоит на ≈20-30% из хондр, на 60-70%-из тонкозернистой матрицы, тугоплавкие включения (CAIs, AOAs, Forsterite rich objects) занимают не более 3-5%. Размер хондр в среднем составляет 0.3 мм. Преобладают порфировые оливиновые и оливин-пироксеновые хондры. Матрица метеорита состоит преимущественно из слоистых силикатов и гидроксидов железа. CAIs имеют небольшие размеры (0.05-0.3 мм). Главными минералами CAIs являются шпинель, клинопироксен, хибонит и перовскит. AOAs состоят из оливина со шпинель-диопсидовыми включениями. Богатые форстеритом объекты сложены низкожелезистым оливином и окаймлены энстатитом. В метеорите установлено необычное крупное (1 мм) богатое форстеритом включение, на наш взгляд занимающее переходное положение к высокомагнезиальным хондрам. В матрице метеорита присутствуют необычные идиоморфные зерна железистого оливина (FeO-15.35-38.89 мас. %), механизм образования которых остается дискуссионным. Заключение. В ходе исследований было установлено, что данный фрагмент представляет собой углистый хондрит и является ранее не изученным метеоритом. Была проведена регистрация метеорита как нового углистого хондрита под названием Northwest Africa 11781 (NWA 11781). Метеорит не несет следов ударного воздействия и в значительной степени был подвержен земному выветриванию.

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<p><strong>Introduction</strong></p><p>Shock-induced changes in planetary materials related to impacts or planetary collisions are known to be capable of altering their optical properties. One such example is observed in ordinary chondrite meteorites. The highly shocked silicate-rich ordinary chondrite material is optically darkened and its typical S-complex-like asteroid spectrum is altered toward a darker, featureless spectrum resembling the C/X complex asteroids. Thus, one can hypothesize that a significant portion of the ordinary chondrite material may be hidden within the observed C/X asteroid population.</p><p>The exact pressure-temperature conditions of the shock-induced darkening are, however, not well constrained and due to this gap in knowledge, it is not possible to correctly assess the significance of the shock darkening within the asteroid population. In order to address this shortcoming, we experimentally investigate the gradual changes in the chondrite material optical properties together with the associated mineral and textural features as a function of the shock pressure. For this purpose, we use a Chelyabinsk meteorite (LL5 chondrite), which is subjected to a spherical shock experiment. The spherical shock experiment geometry allows for a gradual increase in the shock pressure within a single spherically shaped sample from 15 GPa at its rim toward hundreds of gigapascals in the center.</p><p><strong>Results</strong></p><p>Four distinct zones were observed with an increasing shock load (Fig. 1). We number the zones in the direction of increasing shock from the outside toward the center as zones I–IV The optical changes in zone I are minimal up to ~50 GPa. In the region of ~50–60 GPa corresponding to zone II, shock darkening occurs due to the troilite melt infusion into silicates. This process abruptly ceases at pressures of ~60 GPa in zone III due to an onset of silicate melting and immiscibility of troilite and silicate melts. Silicate melt coats residual silicate grains and prevents troilite from further penetration into cracks. At pressures higher than ~150 GPa (zone IV), complete recrystallization occurs and is associated with a second-stage shock darkening due to fine troilite-metal eutectic grains.</p><p><img src="https://contentmanager.copernicus.org/fileStorageProxy.php?f=gnp.369960f7c0fe58218382951/sdaolpUECMynit/0202CSPE&app=m&a=0&c=65ce9691abaaf54f5e7768045027f7ea&ct=x&pn=gnp.elif" alt="" width="777" height="639"></p><p>The order of the spectral curves in the UV-VIS-NIR (ultraviolet – visible – near-infrared) region follows the visual brightness in which zone I is the brightest, followed by zones III and II, and zone IV is the darkest one (Fig. 2). The MIR reflectance (Fig. 3) follows the same albedo order as UV-VIS-NIR up to the primary Christiansen feature at 8.7 µm. At higher wavelengths in the Si-O reststrahlen bands region, the reflectance order changes with zones II and III, which are brighter than zones I and IV. The comparison of the powdered sample spectra to the one obtained from the rough saw-cut surface reveals the following trends. The overall reflectance of the powdered sample is an order of magnitude lower compared to the rough surface one. The reststrahlen bands in both samples show similar positions at approximately 9.1, 9.5–9.6, 10.3, 10.8, 11.3, and 11.8–12 µm. They are dominated by olivine with possible presence of orthopyroxene. The amplitudes of the reststrahlen bands are higher in the rough surface sample. The transparency feature at 12.7 µm is only observed in the powdered sample. The primary Christiansen feature at 8.7 µm is more pronounced in the powdered sample, while the secondary one at 15.6 µm is of a low amplitude in both samples.</p><p><img src="https://contentmanager.copernicus.org/fileStorageProxy.php?f=gnp.ad38963ac0fe50178382951/sdaolpUECMynit/0202CSPE&app=m&a=0&c=1cbf38a911d6e0bef4cff605b284362f&ct=x&pn=gnp.elif" alt=""></p><p><img src="https://contentmanager.copernicus.org/fileStorageProxy.php?f=gnp.4ff3f9a9c0fe59658382951/sdaolpUECMynit/0202CSPE&app=m&a=0&c=9e7ff0973b952ce0eed7a0fbfc5b24cc&ct=x&pn=gnp.elif" alt=""></p><p><strong>Conclusions</strong></p><p>The important finding is the presence of the two distinct shock darkening mechanisms in ordinary chondrite material with characteristic material fabric and distinct pressure regions. These two regions are separated by a pressure interval where no darkening occurs. Thus, the volume of the darkened material produced during asteroid collisions may be somewhat lower than assumed from a continuous darkening process. While the darkening mainly affects the UV-VIS-NIR region and 1 and 2-µm silicate absorption bands, it does not significantly affect the silicate spectral features in the MIR region. These are more affected by material roughness. MIR observations have the potential to identify darkened ordinary chondrite material with an otherwise featureless UV-VIS-NIR spectrum.</p>

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