Quantification of bulk elemental composition for C-type asteroid Ryugu samples with nondestructive elemental analysis using muon beam

Kazuhiko Ninomiya, Takahito Osawa, Kentaro Terada, Taiga Wada, Shunsaku Nagasawa, I. Haun Chiu, Tomoki Nakamura, Tadayuki Takahashi, Yasuhiro Miyake, M. Kenya Kubo, Soshi Takeshita, Akihiro Taniguchi, Izumi Umegaki, Shin Watanabe, Toshiyuki Azuma, Miho Katsuragawa, Takahiro Minami, Kazumi Mizumoto, Koichiro Shimomura, Shin'ichiro TakedaTomoyo Morita, Mizuha Kikuiri, Kana Amano, Eiichi Kagawa, Yoshihiro Furukawa, Hisayoshi Yurimoto, Takaaki Noguchi, Ryuji Okazaki, Hikaru Yabuta, Hiroshi Naraoka, Kanako Sakamoto, Shogo Tachibana, Toru Yada, Masahiro Nishimura, Aiko Nakato, Akiko Miyazaki, Kasumi Yogata, Masanao Abe, Tatsuaki Okada, Tomohiro Usui, Makoto Yoshikawa, Takanao Saiki, Satoshi Tanaka, Fuyuto Terui, Satoru Nakazawa, Sei ichiro Watanabe, Yuichi Tsuda

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Samples from asteroid Ryugu, brought back by asteroid explorer Hayabusa2, are important for investigating the origin and evolution of the solar system. Here, we report the elemental compositions of a 123-mg Ryugu sample determined with a nondestructive muon elemental analysis method. This method is a powerful tool for determining bulk chemical composition, including light elements such as C, N, and O. From the muonic x-ray spectra with three carbonaceous chondrites, the relationship between the elemental composition and muonic x-ray intensity was determined for each element. Calibration curves showed linearity, and the elemental composition of Ryugu was quantitatively determined. The results reflect the average bulk elemental composition of asteroid Ryugu owing to the large amount of samples. Ryugu has an elemental composition similar to that of Orgueil (CI1) and should be classified as CI1. However, the O/Si ratio of Ryugu is 25% lower than that of Orgueil, indicating that Orgueil may have been seriously contaminated by terrestrial materials after its fall to Earth. These results indicate that the Ryugu sample is more representative than the CI chondrites as a solid material of the solar system.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2044-2057
Number of pages14
JournalMeteoritics and Planetary Science
Volume59
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Geophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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