Abundance and isotopic ratios of lithium in minerals of chondrules from the Allende meteorite

Abstract

The concentrations and isotopic ratios of Li in chondrule-forming minerals from the Allende meteorite were measured with SIMS. The olivines are Li-depleted (<0.1 ppm) , and the ranges and the mean abundance of Li are different from each individual chondrule. There is no Li-zoning structure of the abundances and the isotopic compositions of Li. The maximum diffusion distance of Li within olivines can be estimated to be less than 70 micrometers. The Li-compositional heterogeneities in most chondrule olivines are about several tens micrometers, therefore chondrules in the Allende meteorite may preserve the original distribution of Li after solidification of chondrules.