Geochemical processes between steel projectiles and silica-rich targets in hypervelocity impact experiments

The possibility of fractionation processes between projectile and target matter is critical with regard to the classification of the impactor type from geochemical analysis of impactites from natural craters. Here we present results of five hypervelocity MEMIN impact experiments (Poelchau et al., 2013) using the Cr-V-Co-Mo-W-rich steel D290-1 as projectile and two different silica-rich lithologies (Seeberger sandstone and Taunus quartzite) as target materials. Our study is focused on geochemical target-projectile interaction occurring in highly shocked and projectile-rich ejecta fragments. In all of the investigated impact experiments, whether sandstone or quartzite targets, the ejecta fragments show (i) shock-metamorphic features e.g., planar-deformation features (PDF) and the formation of silica glasses, (ii) partially melting of projectile and target, and (iii) significant mechanical and chemical mixing of the target rock with projectile material. The silica-rich target melts are strongly enriched in the “projectile tracer elements” Cr, V, and Fe, but have just minor enrichments of Co, W, and Mo. Inter-element ratios of these tracer elements within the contaminated target melts differ strongly from the original ratios in the steel. The fractionation results from differences in the reactivity of the respective elements with oxygen during interaction of the metal melt with silicate melt. Our results indicate that the principles of projectile-target interaction and associated fractionation do not depend on impact energies (at least for the selected experimental conditions) and water-saturation of the target. Partitioning of projectile tracer elements into the silicate target melt is much more enhanced in experiments with a non-porous quartzite target compared with the porous sandstone target. This is mainly the result of higher impact pressures, consequently higher temperatures and longer reaction times at high temperatures in the experiments with quartzite as target material.