Si-rich Fe-Ni grains in highly unequilibrated chondrites

Consideration is given to the Si contents of Fe-Ni grains in highly unequilibrated chondrites, which have undergone little metamorphosis and thus best preserve the record of processes in the solar nebula. Electron microprobe determinations of silicon content in grains of the Bishunpur chondrite are presented for the six Si-bearing Fe-Ni grains for which data could be obtained, five of which were found to be embedded in olivine chondrules. In addition, all grains are found to be Cr-rich, with Cr increased in concentration towards the grain edge, and to be encased in FeS shells which evidently preserved the Si that entered the FeNi at higher temperatures. A mechanism for the production of Si-bearing metal during the condensation of the cooling solar nebula is proposed which considers the metal to have condensed heterogeneously while the mafic silicates condensed homogeneously with amounts of required undercooling in the low-pressure regions where ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites formed, resulting in Si mole fractions of 0.003 at nebular pressures less than 0.000001 atm.