Phlogopite in kimberlites commonly displays evidence of complex deformation history. Textural evidence includes kink-banding, undulatory extinction and bent cleavage; this is conventionally ascribed to strain in the lithospheric mantle. However, the extent and intensity of deformation in phlogopite from kimberlites have not been systematically explored. In this work, the degree of strain-related mosaicity, resulting from plastic deformation in micas from the Drybones Bay and Mud Lake kimberlites (Canada), was quantified by measuring ‘streaking’ along chi (χ) direction in 2D X-ray diffraction images, as the sum of full-width-at half-maximum Σ(FWHMχ) where Σ(FWHMχ) > 2.5o indicates deformed phlogopite grains. The examined phlogopite was categorized into the low-Ti-Cr and low-Cr, Ti-rich varieties. The low Σ(FWHMχ) signature of the low-Cr, Ti-rich phlogopite grains matches their low-strain environment during or immediately after kimberlite emplacement. On the other hand, appreciable variations in Σ(FWHMχ) with respect to both deformed and undeformed low-Ti-Cr phlogopite cannot be feasibly explained by transport in a turbulent kimberlite magma during rapid ascent from the mantle. It seems most likely that the low-strained low-Ti-Cr phlogopite grains are genetically unrelated to their high-strained counterparts, which are interpreted as xenocrysts derived from metasomatized mantle xenoliths. We conclude that optically observable deformation microtextures in phlogopite are not a reliable indicator of their xenocrystic origin for the following reasons: (1) the low-Ti-Cr phlogopite population comprises both deformed and undeformed crystals; (2) some deformed low-Ti-Cr phlogopite grains are cognate phenocrysts; and (3) strain features in phlogopite xenocrysts can also be developed under crustal conditions in response to post-emplacement tectonics.

Ureilites are ultramafic achondrites interpreted as fragments of a differentiated parent body, yet their origin and evolution remain debated because textural equilibrium coexists with chemically primitive compositions. Here we report mineralogical, isotopic, and microstructural observations from polymict ureilite Elephant Moraine (EET) 87720. The sample contains unusually magnesian olivine (Mg# up to 98.7), Ca-poor pyroxene (Wo as low as 1.0), and rare coarse-grained pink aluminous spinel containing 56.4-58.7 wt

We present a multiscale, non-destructive analysis of non-poikilitic olivine in the shergottite NWA 7721 using dark-field X-ray microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and 2D micro-X-ray diffraction. We report striking bimodal microstructures within a single olivine crystal: fine Type 1 subgrains (around 5 μm), weakly oriented, and nearly strain-free; coarser Type 2 subgrains (>15 μm), aligned, and strongly strained. Layered DFXM data reveal slip-band features in Type 2 that are absent in Type 1. This bimodal microstructure, not observed in other Martian meteorites, including the paired NWA 1950 and ALH A77005, points to a heterogeneous response to impact at the crystallographic scale. We interpret Type 1 as shock-assisted recrystallites and Type 2 as relic partitioned from a highly deformed parental grain with a pre-existing fabric. The subsequent shock wave imposed a rapid load-release cycle that generated heterogeneous deformation within the crystal. Highly strained regions underwent recrystallization to form Type 1 subgrains, whereas less-strained domains retained deformation structures as Type 2. Grain-growth constraints limit the post-shock heating to ≈2.3 s, consistent with rapid quenching. Together, these observations illustrate a dynamic Martian crustal activity in the Late Amazonian and demonstrate DFXM, combined with EBSD and micro-XRD, as a promising tool for resolving complex fabrics in 3D.

Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034 and its paired meteorites represent polymict regolith breccias derived from the ancient Martian crust. We employed micro-X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy to quantitatively assess impact-induced metamorphism in plagioclase and alkali feldspar. Strain-related mosaicity (SRM) was measured via full width at half maximum in the Debye ring or chi (chi) dimension (FWHM chi) from 2D XRD images. A total of 149 plagioclase and 21 alkali feldspar grains were analyzed. Plagioclase exhibits FWHM chi values from 0.5 degrees to 10.9 degrees, and alkali feldspar shows a range of 2.1 degrees-9.7 degrees. Plagioclase grains record peak shock pressures from 0 GPa (unshocked) to 28-30 GPa based on calibrations for experimentally shocked andesine. Approximately 26% of grains show no detectable shock deformation (<1.0 GPa), while similar to 4% preserve evidence of severe shock (>21.0 GPa), indicative of exposure to at least moderate shock metamorphism prior to ejection from Mars. Alkali feldspar records higher apparent peak pressures, possibly spanning 4.7-28.5 GPa. Martian crustal minerals experienced highly heterogeneous shock effects, which highlights the complex and varied impact histories of feldspar minerals during the impact-induced brecciation process. Pressure differences between plagioclase and alkali feldspar may reflect distinct source regions, pre-lithification shock events, or differing shock responses. This study highlights the importance of multi-mineral analytical approaches to enhance the accuracy of shock pressure quantification in Martian regolith breccias and to reconstruct the planet's impact processes. This methodology should also be applied to other extraterrestrial samples to characterize shock effects across planetary bodies in the solar system.

Ureilites are ultramafic achondrites for which the parent body is unknown. Monomict ureilites, consisting primarily of olivine and pyroxene, are thought to represent mantle residues, carrying essential information for their parent body deformation history. All monomict ureilites are found to be shocked variously, complicating the interpretation of their deformation history. In this work, four monomict ureilites, Elephant Moraine 96042, Northwest Africa 2221, Larkman Nunatak 04315, and Alan Hills A81101, are examined using electron backscatter diffraction to study shock-related and post-shock microstructural development in the strained olivine. We calculated the unit segment length (USL) to quantify the subdomain development in those olivine grains, and we further applied a modified misorientation index to study the role of shock in subdomain misorientation. A positive trend of increasing USL with increasing shock level is identified, indicating increased microstructural subdivision and decreasing subdomain size with increasing shock deformation. In LAR 04315 and ALH A81101, the development of low-angle subdomain boundaries defines an apparent foliation, consistent with a non-instantaneous, high-temperature deformation overprint following shock. Together, these results demonstrate that EBSD-derived microstructural metrics provide a robust, quantitative framework for distinguishing shock-related deformation from post-shock microstructural modification in ureilitic olivine.

Plagioclase feldspar is a ubiquitous mineral found in planetary bodies such as Earth, Moon, Mars, large igneous asteroids such as Vesta, numerous achondrites, and every class of chondritic meteorite. Because all solid planetary bodies are potentially subject to hypervelocity impacts, understanding the shock response of plagioclase enables a better understanding of the geological histories of planetary bodies. This study investigates the response of andesine and bytownite to high‐pressure shock waves using micro‐XRD and Raman. Fourteen andesine and 11 bytownite samples, which had been previously shocked to peak pressures of 0–56 GPa, were examined. Micro‐XRD revealed characteristic signatures of shock damage, including weakened diffraction intensities and heightened background signal, reflecting structural collapse under high pressures. Andesine‐bearing rock showed the onset of amorphization at 28.4–29.6 GPa, progressing to complete amorphization at 47.5–50 GPa. Bytownite‐bearing rock displayed a similar trend but with higher pressure thresholds: partial amorphization occurred at 25.5–27.0 GPa, and complete amorphization at 38.2–49 GPa. To quantify the degree of shock experienced by plagioclase minerals, we measured the Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHMχ) of Debye rings (from 2D XRD images) for samples across different shock levels. We established linear regression models between ΣFWHMχ and peak shock pressure for both andesine (0–28.4 GPa) and bytownite (0–25.5 GPa) using data from samples that remained crystalline. The model is particularly effective for low shock levels, while Raman is more effective at higher shock pressures. These quantitative relationships provide a valuable tool for assessing the shock history recorded in plagioclase minerals.

Chemical analysis of kimberlite indicator minerals (KIMs) is quite robust for diamond exploration, but recent advances in crystallographic techniques offer additional insights. This work explores the structural-chemical trends in a large suite of mantle and crustal garnets using micro X-ray diffraction (µXRD) and electron probe microanalysis. Pronounced trends in garnets from kimberlites and mantle xenoliths are primarily driven by Al3+ ↔ Cr3+ and Mg2+ ↔ Ca2+ substitutions. Peridotitic garnets display unit-cell parameter (a) as small as 11.494 Å because Mg and Al have the smallest radii among substituting cations. Diamond associated harzburgitic garnets (G10D) generally have larger unit cells than G10 garnets due to higher Cr content at higher pressures. The largest unit cells among peridotitic garnets are for rare high-Ca, high-Cr wehrlitic green garnets. Unit-cell parameter alone cannot uniquely differentiate between mantle-derived garnets due to co-occurring substitutions. Broadly, a threshold of 11.780 ± 0.005 Å is determined to separate high-Ca, grossular-rich and other calcic garnets from peridotitic pyrope garnets (< 11.780 Å). Ti-rich garnets from mantle and crustal sources have noticeably larger unit cells compared to peridotitic and eclogitic garnets due to the large ionic radii of Ti and Fe. This study also highlights significant variations of strain-related mosaicity in garnet among coarse and sheared peridotites, associated with mineral chemistry, pressure, and mantle metasomatism. We conclude that µXRD is an effective tool for quantifying garnet deformation and it can potentially serve as a complementary tool to identify relevant garnet populations, and to flag these for subsequent chemical analyses.

Spinel-group minerals are among the best-known and widely used minerals in diamond exploration due to their ubiquity, resistance to weathering, and utility as petrogenetic indicators. The kimberlite indicator mineral chromite is investigated in this study using micro-X-ray diffraction (mu XRD) to measure chromite unit cell parameter a(o). We used epoxy-mounted chromium-rich spinel (henceforward called 'chromite') mineral separates with known chemical composition from kimberlitic and non-kimberlitic sources to evaluate structural-chemical correlations for potential use in diamond exploration. Chromite grains of <300 m size from the Koala, Misery, and Sheiba kimberlites in the Ekati property (Northwest Territories, Canada), as well as from exploration programs in Botswana and Gabon, Africa, were examined in situ, as mounted for standard electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Unit cell parameter a(o) was measured by mu XRD for several natural kimberlitic and non-kimberlitic chromite grains, and these data have been correlated with chemical composition as determined by EPMA on a grain-by-grain basis. Conventional chemical discrimination plots with unit cell size denoted by color demonstrate clearly discernable unit cell trends that are useful for classification. Two kimberlitic chromite compositional trends can be discriminated by chromite unit cell size. The kimberlitic phenocryst trend is delineated by a distinct increase in unit cell size (a(o) > 8.336 & Aring;), whereas the kimberlitic xenocryst trend is delineated by a distinct decrease in the unit cell (a(o) < 8.322 & Aring;). The latter trend is also followed by the Gabon non-kimberlitic samples. Notably, the unit cell parameters for chromite in the diamond-indicating field have a tightly determined value of a(o) = 8.329 (+/- 0.007) (or 8.322-8.336 & Aring;). This field partially overlaps with the unit cell values for some non-kimberlitic chromites (e.g., Botswana). Unit cell values of chromite grains recovered from heavy mineral concentrates could serve as a preliminary screening technique for identifying diamond-indicating chromites prior to chemical analysis if their kimberlitic provenance is known. More broadly, the mu-XRD unit cell technique is a useful, non-destructive tool that shows promise for application to other kimberlite indicator minerals.

Potentially resulting in magnetic dynamo action, the heat flow through the outer cores of small terrestrial planetary bodies depends on the thermal conductivity of liquid Fe alloys at high pressures. The electrical resistivity of liquid Fe-8wt%S-4.5wt%Si was measured at 2-5 GPa and 295-1800 K in a 1000-ton cubic anvil press with a sample volume of a few cubic millimeters. Resistivity values of 220-270 mu Omega center dot cm were measured, and a range of thermal conductivity values of 15-19 W/m/K were calculated using the Wiedemann-Franz law. The adiabatic heat flux at the top of a terrestrial exoplanet's Fe-8wt%S-4.5wt%Si core as a function of radius is calculated. The core of Io, if liquid, could have a convective heat flow density of a few mu W/m(2) without generating a magnetic dynamo powered by thermal convection.

&lt;p&gt;Ureilites are ultramafic achondrite meteorites that likely represent a large parent body. Large olivine and pyroxene grains display a high degree of textural equilibrium, forming &amp;#8220;triple-junction&amp;#8221; contacts at their grain boundaries. However, ureilites also have primitive characteristics, for example high siderophile and carbon content, high noble gas content, and unequilibrated olivine and pyroxene compositions. So far, the origin of ureilites and their parent body are still debated as it is difficult to explain the observation of textural equilibrium juxtaposed with such primitive properties. Conventionally, ureilites are considered to be mantle residues from within an unknown, large rocky body. Because feldspar is completely depleted from most ureilite samples, it has been thought that the parent body accreted early and experienced extensive igneous differentiation processes, with primary heating attributed to short-lived &lt;sup&gt;26&lt;/sup&gt;Al decay in the early solar system. Here we report on polymict ureilite breccia Elephant Moraine 87720. We found that the sample has several unusually magnesian-rich olivine clasts with mg# (Mg/(Mg+Fe)) up to 98.7 and calcium-poor pyroxene with Wo as low as to 1.0. Moreover, we discovered two coarse-grained aluminous spinel grains with over 56.4-58.7 wt% Al&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; and 11.3-11.8wt% Cr&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt;, in contact with olivine and pyroxene grains&lt;sub&gt;.&lt;/sub&gt; These aluminous spinel clasts are unique among ureilite samples. To determine the provenance of the spinel grains and other clasts (e.g., high magnesian olivine and low calcium pyroxene) in this sample, we conducted &lt;em&gt;in situ&lt;/em&gt; oxygen 3-isotope analyses by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry SIMS (IMS 1280), University of Wisconsin-Madison. SIMS mineral data plot along the slope ~1 line in the oxygen 3-isotope diagram, similar to those of bulk ureilites (Greenwood et al., 2017, Chemie der Erde 77, 1-43) including ureilitic samples found in Almahata Sitta, with the same range of &amp;#8710;&lt;sup&gt;17&lt;/sup&gt;O (from &amp;#8211;2.3&amp;#8240; to &amp;#8211;0.2&amp;#8240;). These grains follow the Fe-loss/addition trend defined by a molar plot of Fe/Mn versus molar Fe/Mg, showing a near constant and chondritic Mn/Mg ratio, falling in among common ureilitic compositions. We conclude that the origin of these clasts, including the aluminous spinel, is primarily ureilitic, but they extend the &amp;#948;&lt;sup&gt;18&lt;/sup&gt;O measurement for ureilites up to 9.7 &amp;#8240;. We hypothesize a magmatic origin for these clasts that they were formed under low-oxygen fugacity, in a high Al/Si ratio hot melt, favouring the crystallization of Al-spinel instead of a Cr-rich endmember. The clasts in this EET 87720 specimen may possibly represent a new type of high Al, low Ca, low Cr lithic material within the ureilite parent body. Finally, we calculated a possible crystallization temperature of 1379 K using spinel-olivine equilibrium crystallization (Roeder et al 1979, Contrib. Min. Petrol. 6, 325-334). Our estimate corresponds well with the theoretical model proposed by Goodrich et al. (2004, Chemie der Erde 64, 283-327) that the UPB was hot, with a temperature above 1100 &amp;#176;C (1373 K). Our results are consistent with other petrological evidence and olivine-pigeonite-melt thermometry (Singletary and Grove, 2003, Met. Planet. Sci. 38, 95-108) which constrain smelting temperatures within the ureilite parent body.&lt;/p&gt;

Zinc-rich chromite, (Fe,Zn)Cr2O4, is an important repository for chromium (Cr) that has been observed sporadically worldwide. As another source for Cr, green uvarovite garnet, ideally Ca3Cr2(SiO4)3, is the rarest variety among anhydrous garnets. Here, we present a detailed petrographic, mineralogical, and geochemical characterization of 71 uvarovite garnets with zinc-bearing chromite cores recovered from the Pikoo Property (central eastern Saskatchewan), which also hosts recently discovered kimberlites proven to be diamondiferous. In this work, euhedral to anhedral unzoned chromite occurs as cores or irregular inclusions enclosed by uvarovite–grossular mantles. They contain moderate to high Cr (41.63–66.70 wt.% Cr2O3; Cr/(Cr+Al) = 0.64–0.99), Fe2+ (16.71–28.67 wt.% FeO), and Zn (1.64–15.52 wt.% ZnO) contents, accompanied by an appreciable amount of Mn (0.63–2.32 wt.% MnO). The chromite core with the highest Zn content gave the structural formula (Zn0.409Fe2+0.555Mg0.018Mn0.019)Σ1.00(Cr1.174Al0.674Fe3+0.152)Σ2.00O4, which corresponds to Zn-rich chromite with a minor proportion of other endmembers (e.g., hercynite, FeAl2O4). Zinc enrichment in chromite is most likely the result of metasomatic replacement of primary chromite involving the action of Zn-rich fluids. The Zn-rich chromite cores are commonly porous and demonstrate streaking in the 2D diffraction pattern that is attributable to non-uniform strain. The strain measurements suggest the involvement of fluid-present plastic deformation during metasomatic alteration. The garnets are compositionally zoned aggregates and commonly contain inclusions. Chemical formulae indicate that they are mainly members of the uvarovite–grossular series (up to 93% mol.% Uv) enriched in Ca (22.99–35.57 wt.% CaO) and Cr (up to 28.10 wt.% Cr2O3), but consistently depleted in Mg (mean = 0.10 wt.% MgO) and Ti (mean = 0.26 wt.% TiO2). Most garnet aggregates consist of uvarovite and grossular that exhibit a core-rim zoning pattern characterized by an increase in grossular proportion at the expense of the uvarovite component. Morphological characteristics, textural relations, and compositional trends suggest that uvarovite garnet formed through interaction of Zn-rich chromite with grossular. This mineral assemblage is not genetically related to the Pikoo kimberlite and represents an independent evolutionary event. The use of Zn-bearing chromite as a new kimberlite indicator mineral therefore should be carefully evaluated prior to exploration practices.

The Golden (British Columbia, Canada) meteorite fall occurred on October 4, 2021 at 0534 UT with the first recovered fragment (1.3 kg) landing on an occupied bed. The associated fireball was recorded by numerous cameras permitting reconstruction of its trajectory and orbit. The fireball entered the atmosphere at a 54° angle from the horizontal at a speed of 18 km s−1. The fireball reached a peak brightness of −14, having first become luminous at a height of >84 km and ending at 18 km altitude. Analysis of the infrasonic record of the bolide produced an estimated mass of 78−65+157 kg while modeling of the fireball light curve suggests an initial mass near 70 kg. The fireball experienced a major flare near 31 km altitude where more than half its mass was lost in the form of dust and gram‐sized fragments under a dynamic pressure of 3.3 MPa. The strength and fragmentation behavior of the fireball were similar to those reported for other meteorite‐producing fireballs (Borovička et al., 2020). Seven days after the fireball occurred, an additional 0.9 kg fragment was recovered during the second day of dedicated searching guided by initial trajectory and dark flight calculations. Additional searching in the fall and spring of 2021–2022 located no additional fragments. The meteorite is an unbrecciated, low‐shock (S2) ordinary chondrite of intermediate composition, typed as an L/LL5 with a grain density of ~3530 k gm−3, an average bulk density of 3150 kg m−3 and calculated porosity of ~10%. From noble gas measurements, the cosmic ray exposure age is 25 ± 4 Ma while gas retention ages are all >2 Ga. Short‐lived radionuclides and noble gas measurements of the pre‐atmospheric size overlap with estimates from infrasound and light curve modeling producing a preferred pre‐atmospheric mass of 70–200 kg. The orbit of Golden has a high inclination (23.5°) and is consistent with delivery from the inner main belt. The highest probability (60%) of an origin is from the Hungaria group. We propose that Golden may originate among the background S‐type asteroids found interspersed in the Hungaria region. The current collection of 18 L/LL—chondrite orbits shows a strong preference for origins in the inner main belt, suggesting multiple parent bodies may be required to explain the diversity in CRE ages and shock states.

The similar to 5 km diameter Gow Lake impact structure formed in the Canadian Shield of northern Saskatchewan approximately 197 Myr ago. This structure has not been studied in detail since its discovery during a regional gravity survey in the early 1970s. We report here on field observations from a 2011 expedition that, when combined with subsequent laboratory studies, have revealed a wealth of new information about this poorly studied Canadian impact structure. Initially considered to be a prototypical central peak (i.e., a complex) impact structure, our observations demonstrate that Gow Lake is actually a transitional impact structure, making it one of only two identified on Earth. Despite its age, a well-preserved sequence of crater-fill impactites is preserved on Calder Island in the middle of Gow Lake. From the base upward, this stratigraphy is parautochthonous target rock, lithic impact breccia, clast-rich impact melt rock, red clast-poor impact melt rock, and green clast-poor impact melt rocks. Discontinuous lenses of impact melt-bearing breccia also occur near the top of the red impact melt rocks and in the uppermost green impact melt rocks. The vitric particles in these breccias display irregular and contorted outlines. This, together with their setting within crater-fill melt rocks, is indicative of an origin as flows within the transient cavity and not an airborne mode of origin. Following impact, a hydrothermal system was initiated, which resulted in alteration of the crater-fill impactites. Major alteration phases are nontronite clay, K-feldspar, and quartz.

Other| July 29, 2023 Minerals from Mines to Mountaintops from Earth to Mars and BeyondPreface Roberta L. Flemming; Roberta L. Flemming Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Lee A. Groat; Lee A. Groat Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Bryan C. Chakoumakos; Bryan C. Chakoumakos Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Heather E. Jamieson Heather E. Jamieson Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Roberta L. Flemming Lee A. Groat Bryan C. Chakoumakos Heather E. Jamieson Publisher: Mineralogical Association of Canada Received: 31 May 2023 Accepted: 31 May 2023 First Online: 29 Jul 2023 The Canadian Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology (2023) 61 (4): 651–652. https://doi.org/10.3749/INT014 Article history Received: 31 May 2023 Accepted: 31 May 2023 First Online: 29 Jul 2023 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Roberta L. Flemming, Lee A. Groat, Bryan C. Chakoumakos, Heather E. Jamieson; Minerals from Mines to Mountaintops from Earth to Mars and BeyondPreface. The Canadian Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology 2023;; 61 (4): 651–652. doi: https://doi.org/10.3749/INT014 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyThe Canadian Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology Search Advanced Search Ronald C. Peterson completed his Ph.D. in Geology with special emphasis in mineralogy at Virginia Tech in 1980. At that time, the Department of Geology had an exceptional group of mineralogy, crystallography, and petrology professors, including Donald Bloss, Gerry Gibbs, Paul Ribbe, James Craig, Charles Gilbert, David Wones, and others. Professor Gibbs worked closely with Professor Monte Boisen (Department of Mathematics) to develop and deliver an altogether new way of teaching mineralogy that was truly enlightening, making clear all of crystallography through an elegant and simple mathematical approach. This was so empowering that all the mineralogy and crystallography minded graduate... You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) investigation of strain mainly uses polycrystalline samples to study fabric development. We extend the use of EBSD for the analysis of large single mineral grains by measuring the apparent surficial subdomain boundary density per unit area, reported here as unit segment length (USL). We apply this USL technique to examine and quantify the plastic deformation recorded by naturally shocked olivine in the low to moderately shocked ureilite meteorite Northwest Africa 2221 and the highly shocked martian dunitic cumulate meteorite Northwest Africa 2737, by assessing the types of subdomain boundaries and the increase of subdomain misorientation with increasing shock metamorphism. We further compare USL results for the shocked olivine in the meteorites with those for the terrestrial deformation of Hawaiian olivine. USL of olivine increases with shock level, and USL from shocked olivine is significantly greater than that of terrestrially deformed olivine. USL is a promising tool for the quantification of plastic deformation in large single crystals from shock as well as terrestrial deformation. The results derived from USL measurements along with local EBSD maps are complementary with quantitative 2D X-ray difraction analysis of crystal deformation and disruption, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of characteristic shock deformation recorded by large single crystals.

Minerals extracted from two calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions, one each from NWA 2364 and NWA 6991 CV3 chondrite meteorites, were examined using micro X-ray diffraction, 27Al magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MAS NMR) and Triple Quantum (3Q) MAS NMR. In situ examination by micro X-ray diffraction was used to confirm the presence of spinel (MgAl2O4) and to identify co-existing minerals. Aluminum-27 3Q MAS NMR was used to confirm the identity of co-existing minerals by their NMR signature in this two-dimensional experiment and to ensure that their NMR peaks did not overlap with those attributed to spinel. Aluminum-27 MAS NMR was used to quantitatively measure cation ordering between the tetrahedral ([4]Al) and octahedral ([6]Al) sites in the spinel. The measured cation distribution was used to calculate the inversion parameter, x, for each sample: x = 0.077 ± 0.007 for NWA 2364, x = 0.027 ± 0.001 for NWA 6991 (gehlenite-rich fraction), and x = 0.052 ± 0.003 for NWA 6991 (Al-bearing diopside-rich fraction). The measured cation-ordering data were input into six literature calibration curves to estimate the temperature of formation or the most recent equilibration temperature of the spinel. The NWA 2364 sample yielded temperatures between 420 and 707 K and the NWA 6991 sample yielded temperatures between 153 and 615 K, depending on the calibration curve used. These temperatures are lower than expected for nebular condensation temperatures, however, reordering may have occurred during cooling from high temperatures, so these values may be taken to represent temperature minima. The calculated spinel-related temperatures may thus represent equilibration temperatures related to subsequent nebular or CV chondrite parent body processes.

Limited types of radioactive molecules (RM) can be made inside hot-cavity targets at ISOL facilities like TRIUMF. However, extreme conditions in these targets present formidable unsolved challenges to efficient production and delivery of RM’s. Here we propose using RFQ gas-reaction cells to produce RM from radioactive ion beams (RIB) by room temperature RIB-gas chemical reactions at eV energies. Two options are possible: (1) using an ion reaction cell (IRC) that is a linear RFQ ion guide and reaction cell used as an ‘on-line ion source’, and (2) using the ARIEL RFQ cooler-buncher (ARQB). RFQ gas-cells are a controllable and efficient method to produce RM from chemical reactants that cannot be used in ISOL targets. This ‘online chemistry’ offers a way to enable groundbreaking Beyond Standard Model (BSM) physics research, using a wide diversity of new rare and exotic RM beams that would be difficult or impossible to produce in hot-cavity targets.

Mars exploration is focused on seeking evidence of habitable environments and microbial life. Terrestrial glassy basalts may be the closest Mars‐surface weathering analog and observations increasingly indicate their potential to preserve biogeochemical records. The textures, major and trace element geochemistry, and N concentrations and isotopic compositions of subaerial, subglacial and continental lacustrine hyaloclastites from Antarctica, Iceland, and Oregon, respectively, were studied using micro‐imaging and chemical methods, including gas‐source mass spectrometry. Alteration by meteoric‐sourced waters occurred in circum‐neutral, increasingly alkaline low‐temperature conditions of ∼60°C–100°C (Iceland) and ∼60°C–170°C (Antarctica). Incompatible large ion lithophile element (LILE) enrichments compared to mid‐ocean ridge basalt (MORB) are consistent with more advanced alteration in Antarctic breccias consisting of heulandite‐clinoptilolite, calcite, erionite, quartz, and fluorapophyllite. Granular and tubular alteration textures and radial apatite represent possible microbial traces. Most samples contain more N than fresh MORB or ocean island basalt reflecting enrichment beyond concentrations attributable to igneous processes. Antarctic samples contain 52–1,143 ppm N and have δ15Νair values of −20.8‰ to −7.1‰. Iceland‐Oregon basalts contain 1.6–172 ppm N with δ15Ν of −6.7‰ to +7.3‰. Correlations between alteration extents, N concentrations, and concentrations of K2O, other LILEs, and Li and B, reflect the siting of secondary N likely as NH4+ replacing K+ and potentially as N2 in phyllosilicates and zeolites. Although much of the N enrichment and isotope fractionation presented here is not definitively biogenic, given several unknown factors, we suggest that a combination of textures, major and trace element alteration and N and other isotope geochemical compositions could constitute a compelling biosignature in samples from Mars' surface/near‐surface.