EVOLVE – Exploring Volatile Loss and Elemental Variability in Early Planetary Bodies

The EVOLVE project (Q3 and Q4) aims to constrain the behavior of moderately volatile elements during the early stages of planetary accretion and differentiation, by combining high-precision isotopic measurements (Sb, Ga, Ge, S) in iron meteorites with experimental studies of partitioning and volatilization. The objective is to distinguish volatile loss processes of nebular origin from those operating at the planetary scale, and to better constrain the origin of Earth’s volatile inventory.

An operational budget made it possible to carry out feasibility tests on antimony, demonstrating the ability to measure Sb concentrations and isotopic compositions with high precision down to 10 ppb. These results validate the project’s analytical approach and provide a solid basis for the future.

This project’s principal investigator is Frédéric MOYNIER (IPGP).