The Petrology and Mineralogy Analysis of Noble Metal Alloys in the Inclusions of a Chondrite: An Implication on the Evolution of the Solar Nebula

The calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions (CAIs) in chondrites are believed to be the most early solids formed in the solar system, and retain the original information of the early solar nebula. However, in-depth researches revealed that most inclusions had experienced a complex history of evolution, including partial melting and secondary alteration. Focused on the refractory and chemically stable noble metal particles in the CAI of a CV meteorite (NWA 2140), a study of astrochemistry is made in this paper. The petrology and mineralogy analysis as well as the composition determination have been made on the noble metal particles. Based on the result of composition analysis, the thermodynamic process experienced by the CAI is inferred, and two kinds of noble metal alloys are identified, which correspond to the early-stage condensation products and the secondary alteration products of primordial metals, respectively.