Shock-implanted noble gases - An experimental study with implications for the origin of Martian gases in shergottite meteorites

The shock-implantation of gases is studied by artificially shocking whole rock and power samples of terrestrial basalt to pressures of 2-40 GPa. Ar, Kr, Xe, and Ne were implanted into the silicate. It is observed that the amount of implanted gas is linearly proportional to its partial pressure over a pressure range of 0.0001 to 0.1 atmosphere. The fractionation effect in the implanted gas and the gas diffusion properties are examined. The amounts of gas that would have been implanted with 100 percent efficiency are calculated from the measured porosities of the power samples and are compared to observed abundances. It is determined that the implantation efficiencies are approximately 0.5 percent at 2 GPa, 7 percent at 5 GPa, and greater than 50 percent at both 20 and 35 GPa. The experimental data correlate with the shock implantation of Martian gases without mass fractionation into the shock-melted phase of meteorite EETA 79001.