Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Magnesium Isotopic Compositions Of The Moon And Achondrites: Implications For Their Origin And Evolution, Fatemeh Sedaghatpour

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The main objectives of this thesis are to estimate Mg isotopic compositions of the Moon and achondrites, to understand the behavior of Mg isotopes during magmatic differentiation processes in different planetary bodies, and to evaluate the extent of Mg isotopic heterogeneity in the solar system. In order to achieve these goals, Mg isotopes have been measured for 47 well-characterized lunar samples and 22 differentiated meteorites by MC-ICPMS. The limited Mg isotopic variations among mare and highland regolith, mare breccias, and highland impact-melt rocks reflect negligible Mg isotope fractionation during lunar surface processes (e.g. solar wind, cosmic rays, micrometeorite bombardments, meteorite …