An Experimental Study of Metallic Diffusion and Phase Equilibria in Fremdlinge

Abstract

Fremdlinge are opaque assemblages within CAis that are mainly composed of NiFe metal, V-magnetite and µm-sized RuOs nuggets. The prevailing scenario for their origin includes condensation, aggregation and equilibration at low T (≾ 600°C); they are then thought to be introduced into CAis at high T, followed by rapid cooling, thereby preserving the textures and assemblages from the pre-CAl, low T histories (Armstrong et al., 1985; Armstrong et al., 1987). A constraint on cooling rates of Fremdlinge comes from sharp contacts observed between RuOs nuggets and NiFe metals that enclose them. To determine the length of time that these contacts could have been held at high T, thin-film diffusion experiments were conducted with an electroplated Ru film on Ni. Samples were annealed at 1400, 1200, 1000 and 800°C for 0.3-137 hours. Measured Ru profiles in Ni were consistent with the following Arrhenius expression: D(cm^2/sec) = 0.0050exp(-2.3 x 10^(12)/RT) (T in K, R in Cgs units). Based on these data, we calculate that cooling rates of ≳ 10^5C/hr are necessary to preserve sharp contacts between RuOs and NiFe metals if they experienced the T of CAl melting (~ 1400°C) (Stolper and Paque, 1986). We consider this rate unreasonable in light of cooling rates inferred from experimental studies of the silicate portions of CAis (10^(-1) to 10^2°C/hr) (Stolper and Paque, 1986).