Cathodoluminescence color zonation in the Antarctic meteorite (enstatite chondrite) of Yamato 86004

Enstatite in Yamato 86004 classified as EH melt rock shows cathodoluminescence (CL) zonation as arranged in a concentric pattern from within outward blue, light blue, red and non-CL areas (fusion crust). The zonation observed in the meteorite results from different distribution ratio of the enstatite with various CL colors. CL spectra of the enstatite have two broad emission bands at around 400 nm in the blue region and at around 670 nm in a red region. The emission components obtained by a spectral deconvolution can be assigned to three defect centers (2.73, 3.13–3.15 and 3.77 eV) in a blue region and to impurity centers of Cr³⁺ ion (1.71 eV) and Mn²⁺ ion (1.86–1.91 eV) in a red region. According to the CL related to structural defects in the enstatite, blue-CL enstatite might be originally formed from the melt by a quenching from the melt on the surface of parent body. The enstatite with light blue and red CL might be thermally altered from blue-CL enstatite with phase transitions during a flash heating when the meteorite passed through the atmosphere. Therefore, the color CL zonation reflects a thermal history recorded in the meteorite.