Li, Be, and B in minerals of a refractory-rich Allende inclusion.

The abundances of Li, Be, and B and the isotopic ratios of Li and B have been measured by ion microprobe in melilite, pyroxene, anorthite, and spinel grains in a coarse-grained inclusion from the Allende meteorite. Based on the measurements, it is estimated that the bulk inclusion contains 200 ppb Li, 310 ppb Be, and 18 ppm B. The B is probably due to contamination. The Li-7/Li-6 ratios in spinels, pyroxene, and melilite are indistinguishable at the + or - 15% level and lie within the uncertainty (+ or - 15%) of the range of values reported for samples of the earth and meteorites. It has been determined that this inclusion contains an excess of Al-correlated Mg-26, implying that Al-26 was once present in it. The Li-Be-B effects for two solar-system proton-irradiation models which propose to account for Al-26 in Allende inclusions have been calculated. It is found that the predicted Li-Be-B abundances and isotopic ratios are grossly different from those observed in any solar-system materials.