Dynamics of the asteroid main belt investigated through xenolithic clasts in meteorites – CLASTS

Some meteorites contain xenolithic clasts that are made of material genetically unrelated to the host rock. Xenolithic clasts can be composed of materials not sampled by meteorites. They may potentially represent an underexploited source of primitive, volatile-rich material. During the four-year CLASTS project, we will combine petrographic, mineralogical, spectral, isotopic and chronological approaches in order to 1. Identify and determine primary characteristics and parent body history of xenolithic clasts in a series of meteorites from the CC and NC reservoirs, 2. Characterize primordial planetesimals no longer present in the asteroid belt through the study of clasts composed of materials not sampled in the meteorite collection; 3. Constrain the incorporation mechanism (primordial vs. subsequent accretion) and timing of the clasts in their host rock. CLASTS will leverage the complementary range of analytical and scientific expertise present in IPAG, CEREGE, CRPG and OCA.