Relationships between type I and type II chondrules: Implications on chondrule formation processes

International audienceIn unequilibrated chondrites, the ferromagnesian silicates in chondrules exhibit wide ranges of mg# = Mg/(Mg + Fe), allowing to sub-divide porphyritic chondrules into either type I (mg# > 0.9) or type II (mg# 103-104 K/h) in order to preserve their glassy mesostasis. Such inferred thermal history being at odds with nebular shock models, we thus advocate that impacts on planetesimals causing rapid melting and vaporization may provide the high density and highly volatile-enriched gaseous environments required to form chondrules. In this scenario, chondrules and their diversity should result from various degrees of interaction of the ejected fragments with the impact vapor plume; the most oxidizing conditions recorded in type IIA chondrules being very likely the closest to those imposed by the impact vapor plume