Universität zu Köln

Herwartz, Daniel ORCID: 0000-0003-3604-8295, Pack, Andreas, Friedrichs, Bjarne ORCID: 0000-0001-8555-128X and Bischoff, Addi (2014). Identification of the giant impactor Theia in lunar rocks. Science, 344 (6188). S. 1146 - 1151. WASHINGTON: AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE. ISSN 1095-9203

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Abstract

The Moon was probably formed by a catastrophic collision of the proto-Earth with a planetesimal named Theia. Most numerical models of this collision imply a higher portion of Theia in the Moon than in Earth. Because of the isotope heterogeneity among solar system bodies, the isotopic composition of Earth and the Moon should thus be distinct. So far, however, all attempts to identify the isotopic component of Theia in lunar rocks have failed. Our triple oxygen isotope data reveal a 12 +/- 3 parts per million difference in Delta O-17 between Earth and the Moon, which supports the giant impact hypothesis of Moon formation. We also show that enstatite chondrites and Earth have different Delta O-17 values, and we speculate on an enstatite chondrite-like composition of Theia. The observed small compositional difference could alternatively be explained by a carbonaceous chondrite-dominated late veneer.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Herwartz, Daniel UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0003-3604-8295 UNSPECIFIED Pack, Andreas UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Friedrichs, Bjarne UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0001-8555-128X UNSPECIFIED Bischoff, Addi UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-435935
DOI:	10.1126/science.1251117
Journal or Publication Title:	Science
Volume:	344
Number:	6188
Page Range:	S. 1146 - 1151
Date:	2014
Publisher:	AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE
Place of Publication:	WASHINGTON
ISSN:	1095-9203
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language OXYGEN-ISOTOPE COMPOSITION; CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITES; SOLAR-SYSTEM; MOON; EARTH; METEORITES; ORIGIN; MANTLE; DIFFERENTIATION; HETEROGENEITY Multiple languages Multidisciplinary Sciences Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/43593