Microscopic slickenside as a record of weak shock metamorphism in the surface layer of asteroid Ryugu [* Cross-Reference *]

Scanning electron microscopy revealed that ~8% of C0105-042 Ryugu grains have a smooth surface on one side of the grains. One of these grains has striated linear grooves (striations) on its smooth surface.

Transmission electron microscopy of the grain showed that a porous fine-grained Mg-Fe phyllosilicate assemblage, which is the main component of Ryugu grains, is compacted near the smooth surface. The smooth surface with striations closely resembles a slickenside, a characteristic texture found in terrestrial fault rocks formed by shear deformation. There is no evidence of melting/decomposition in the Mg-Fe phyllosilicates near the smooth surface, indicating that the shear heating temperature is less than ~1100 K. Assuming that the average length of the striations corresponds to the minimum displacement of the micro-fault, the shock pressure recorded in the C0105-042 Ryugu grain is estimated to be <~4.5 GPa by a fault mechanics calculation.