Late metal-silicate separation on the IAB parent asteroid: Constraints from combined W and Pt isotopes and thermal modelling

The short-lived Hf-182-W-182 decay system is a powerful chronometer for constraining the timing of metal-silicate separation and core formation in planetesimals and planets. Neutron capture effects on W isotopes, however, significantly hamper the application of this tool. In order to correct for neutron capture effects, Pt isotopes have emerged as a reliable in-situ neutron dosimeter. This study applies this method to IAB iron meteorites, in order to constrain the timing of metal segregation on the IAB parent body. The epsilon W-182 values obtained for the IAB iron meteorites range from -3.61 +/- 0.10 to -2.73 +/- 0.09. Correlating epsilon Pt-i with epsilon W-182 data yields a pre-neutron capture epsilon W-182 of -2.90 +/- 0.06. This corresponds to a metal-silicate separation age of 6.0 +/- 0.8 Ma after CAI for the IAB parent body, and is interpreted to represent a body-wide melting event. Later, between 10 and 14 Ma after CAI, an impact led to a catastrophic break-up and subsequent reassembly of the parent body. Thermal models of the interior evolution that are consistent with these estimates suggest that the IAB parent body underwent metal silicate separation as a result of internal heating by short-lived radionuclides and accreted at around 1.4 +/- 0.1 Ma after CAIs with a radius of greater than 60 km. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.