Addressing Unresolved Questions About the Solar System with New Lunar Samples from the Apollo Missions

Executive Summary

Chronologic investigations of newly identified samples from the Apollo lunar sample collection will be completed in order to constrain the age, origin, and evolution of the Moon. This research supports National Aeronautic and Space Administration missions as it will position Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to conduct forensic analyses of returned samples from Moon missions.

Publications, Presentations, and Patents

Borg L. E., Brennecka G.A, Kruijer T.S., (in review). "The origin of volatile elements in the Earth-Moon system," Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. LLNL-JRNL-827054.

Bekaert D. V. et al., (in press). "Fossil records of early solar irradiation and cosmolocation of the CAI factory: a reappraisal," Science Advances. LLNL-JRNL-819045.

Bryson J.F.J., Brennecka G.A. (2021). "Constraints on Chondrule Generation, Disk Dynamics, and Asteroid Accretion from the Compositions of Carbonaceous Meteorites," The Astrophysical Journal 912:163. LLNL-JRNL-818033.

J. Render and G.A. Brennecka (2021). "Reconstructing the primordial architecture of the Solar System using isotopic signatures," Earth & Planetary Science Letters 555, 116705. LLNL-JRNL-808552.

Borg L. E., Cassata W., Wimpenny J., Gaffney A., and Shearer C. (2020). "The formation and evolution of the Moon's crust derived from the Sm-Nd isotopic systematics of highlands rocks," Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 290, 312-332. LLNL-JRNL-810106.

G.A. Brennecka, C. Burkhardt, G. Budde, T.S. Kruijer, F. Nimmo, T. Kleine (2020). "Astronomical context of Solar System formation from molybdenum isotopes in meteorite inclusions," Science 370, 837-840. LLNL-JRNL-802017.

J. Schneider, C. Burkhardt, Y. Marrocchi, G.A. Brennecka, T. Kleine (2020). "Early evolution of the solar accretion disk inferred from Cr-Ti-O isotopes in individual chondrules," Earth & Planetary Science Letters 551, 116585. LLNL-JRNL-802021.

Sio C. K., Borg L. E. and Cassata W. S. (2020). "The timing of lunar solidification and mantle overturn recorded in ferroan anorthosite 62237," Earth & Planetary Science Letters 538, 116219. LLNL-JRNL-790599.

Kruijer, T. S., Borg, L. E., Wimpenny, J., & Sio, C. K. (2020). "Onset of magma ocean solidification on Mars inferred from Mn-Cr chronometry," Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 116315. LLNL-JRNL-798577.

Josh Wimpenny, Naomi Marks, Kim Knight, Lars Borg, James Badro, Frederick Ryerson (2020). "Constraining the behavior of gallium isotopes during evaporation at extreme temperatures," Geochim et Cosmochim Acta 286, 54–71. LLNL-JRNL-798685.

Marks, N. E., Borg, L. E., Shearer, C. K., & Cassata, W. S. (2019). "Geochronology of an Apollo 16 clast provides evidence for a basin‐forming impact 4.3 billion years ago," Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 124(10), 2465-2481. LLNL‐JRNL‐759299.

Borg, L. E., Gaffney A. M., Kruijer T K., Marks N. A., Sio C. K., and Wimpenny J. (2019). "Isotopic evidence for a young magma ocean," Earth & Planetary Science Letters 525. LLNL-JRNL-785027.

Kruijer T. S., Kleine T., and Borg L. E. (2019). "The great isotopic dichotomy of the early Solar System," Nature Astronomy. LLNL-JRNL-798366.

Wimpenny J., Marks N., Knight K., Rolison J., Borg L., Eppich G., Bardo J., Ryerson R., Sanborn M., Huyskens M., and Yin Q. (2019). "Experimental Determination of Zn Isotope Fractionation During Evaporative Loss at Extreme Temperatures," Geochim et Cosmochim Acta 259, 391-411. LLNL-JRNL-756623.