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At least 577 records · Page 32
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

Preliminary report of mineralogical and petrographic study of the Luna 16 lunar surface material sample

Unsorted powder and grains larger than 0.5 mm from the L-16-19-118 lunar sample consisted of eight basaltic fragments, four fragments of breccias (of which one was quite light), one white grain (maskelynite), one chondrule, and slagged dark partially glassy chunks. The mineralogical composition of all rounded particles led to the assumption that they are all of lunar origin; but their presence in the regolith indicates formation of chondrulic meteorites. The existence of several grains of pyroxene coated with a thin glassy film merits attention.

Christophe-Michel-levi, M.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Petrographic-mineralogical investigation of magmatic rocks from the Sea of Fertility

Petrographic and mineralogical features of fragments of magmatic rock of regolith from the Sea of Fertility are examined. The textures and mineral composition vary in relation to the type of rock. More than 50 X-ray spectral analyses of minerals (olivine, pyroxenes, plagioclases, and ores) were made; their chemical composition varies even within the limits of individual rock fragments.

Tarasov, L. S.↗
NASA NTRS1974

X-ray diffraction identification of minerals in lunar regolith returned by Luna 16 automatic station

The methods of powder and monocrystal X-ray diffraction served in identifying the mineral composition of gross samples of regolith from different levels of the drill core and about 80 individual regolith particles returned by the Luna 16 station. It was established that the Sea of Fertility regolith includes pyroxenes of the augite-pigeonite series, anorthites, ilmenite, olivines, spinels, alpha cristobalite, iron particles, glass, and several as yet unidentified particles. Crystallographic and roentgenometric data are given for all the lunar minerals found.

Makarov, Y. S.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Mossbauer spectroscopic study of Luna 16 lunar regolith

Samples of bulk fractions of lunar regolith from the surface layer A and the deep layer V were measured by Mossbauer spectroscopy with the FE57 nucleus. Metallic iron, ilmenite, olivine, pyroxene (mainly augite), and glasses were found. The iron distribution by mineral phases indicates that Luna 16 regolith differs from Apollo 11 regolith by a lower ilmenite content and a greater amount of olivine, and differs from Apollo 12 regolith by somewhat more olivine. No appreciable amount of iron was found in the trivalent state.

Malysheva, T. V.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Mossbauer analysis of Luna 16 lunar surface material

Samples of Apollo 11 lunar surface material were studied by the Mossbauer effect. Owing to the small number of other resonant isotopes, all measurements were made with Fe-57 nuclei. The principal constituents of the material were as follows: Iron containing silicates (olivine, pyroxene, and so on), ilmenite (FeTiO3), and metallic iron.

Nady, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Study of sample of Sea of Fertility lunar surface material by the track method

Tracks in crystals of feldspars, olivines, pyroxenes, and in several fragments of basalts from a sample of Luna 16 lunar surface material were studied. A high track density, exceeding 10 to the 8th power cm/2 was found. The tracks were produced mainly by iron group nuclei of cosmic galactic and solar rays.

Poupeau, G.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Formation and composition of the moon

Many of the properties of the moon are discussed including the enrichment in Ca, Al, Ti, U, Th, Ba, Sr and the REE and the depletion in Fe, Rb, K, Na and other volatiles which could be understood if the moon represents a high temperature condensate from the solar nebula. Thermodynamic calculations show that Ca, Al and Ti rich compounds condense first in a cooling nebula. The initial high temperature mineralogy is gehlenite, spinel, perovskite, Ca-Al-rich pyroxenes and anorthite. Inclusions in Type III carbonaceous chondrites such as the Allende meteorite are composed primarily of these minerals and, in addition, are highly enriched in refractories such as REE relative to carbonaceous chondrites. These inclusions can yield basalt and anorthosite in the proportions required to eliminate the europium anomaly, leaving a residual spinel-melilite interior.

Anderson, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Results from the Apollo passive seismic experiment

Recent results from the Apollo seismic network suggest that primitive differentiation occurred in the outer shell of the moon to a depth of approximately 300 km; and the central region of the moon is presently molten to a radius of between 200 and 300 km. If early melting to a depth of 300 to 400 km was a consequence of accretional energy, very short accretion times are required. The best model for the zone of original differentiation appears to be a crust 40 to 80 km thick, ranging in composition from anorthositic gabbro to gabbro; overlying an ultramafic cumulate (olivine-pyroxene) about 250 km thick. The best candidate for the molten core appears to be iron or iron sulphide. A new class of seismic signals has recently been identified that may correspond to shallow moonquakes. These are rare, but much more energetic than the more numerous, deep moonquakes.

Lathum, G.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Small bodies and the outer planets and Appendices 1 and 2

Correlations of asteroid spectral reflectivity characteristics with orbital parameters have been sought. Asteroid proper elements and extreme heliocentric distance were examined. Only general trends were noted, primarily red asteroids and asteroids with IR (.95 micron) absorption bands are concentrated toward the inner part of the belt. Also, asteroids with the pyroxene band tend to have larger proper eccentricities relative to non-banded asteroids.

Davis, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Investigation of Facsimile Camera-spectrometer Capability in the 1.0 to 2.7 Micron Spectral Range

The capability of the facsimile camera augmented with a filter-spectrometer to provide scientifically valuable information in the 1.0 to 2.7 microns spectral range was investigated for a future planetary lander mission to Mars. A computer model was used to evaluate tradeoffs between signal-to-noise ratio, spatial and spectral resolution, and the number of spectral channels. Spectral absorption features resulting from water and chemical variations found in pyroxenes were used to represent scientific information of interest to biologists and geologists. Expected output data from a filter-spectrometer is illustrated which indicates that important information pertaining to water content and chemical composition can be obtained using six to eight spectral channels with 0.3 degree spatial resolution.

Kelly, W. L., IV↗
NASA NTRS1974

Ferroan anorthosite - A widespread and distinctive lunar rock type

Eight of eleven Apollo 16 rake-sample anorthosites are very similar to each other, to hand-specimen Apollo 16 anorthosites, and to Apollo 15 anorthosites. They have feldspar An-96.6, both high- and low-Ca pyroxene with a restricted range of (low-magnesium) composition, minor olivine, traces of ilmenite and chromite, and originally coarse-grained, but now cataclastic texture. Such ferroan anorthosite is evidently a coherent, distinctive and widespread lunar rock type of cumulate origin which may not necessarily be very closely related genetically to other highland rock types.

Dowty, E.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Phase chemistry of Apollo 14 soil sample 14259

Optical, X-ray-diffraction and electron-microprobe techniques were used to investigate 0.26 gm of Apollo 14 soil sample 14259. Major element microprobe analyses were made of 470 mineral grains and 388 glass grains. The mineral abundances in the soil are 45% plagioclase, 41% pyroxene, 7% olivine, 3% oxides, 2% K-feldspar; 1% nickel-iron, and less than 1% troilite. The glasses have a wide range of compositions but preferred values are evident and are interpreted as representative of rock types contributing to the soil at the Fra Mauro site. Eleven per cent of the glasses have compositions like those of mare basalts or mare soils and are believed to be mare-derived. Eighty-six per cent of the glasses are equivalent in composition to basalts that have higher Al, and lower Ca/Al and Fe/Mg ratios than mare basalts. The most abundant compositional type is named Fra Mauro basaltic glass and is subdivided into three related types. The other major glass type in the soil corresponds in composition to anorthositic gabbro.

Aitken, F. K.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Petrology of basalt and single-mineral fragments in the soil of the Sea of Fertility

Basalt and single-mineral particles, ranging from 150 to 425 microns, from the Luna-16 sample are studied by electron microanalysis, X-ray fluorescence analysis, and petrographic techniques. Three basalt species of different structure are identified. The structure and composition of the individual minerals (in particular of pyroxenes) indicate that the basalts have crystallized under conditions similar to those established for Apollo-11 samples.

Bence, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Mineralogy, petrology, and chemistry of basalt fragments returned by Luna 16

Mineralogical, petrological, and chemical analyses, along with Rb-Sr age and Ar-40/Ar-39 measurements, were carried out with the B-1 sample returned from the Luna 16 mission. The sample, weighing 62 mg, is a fine-grain basalt of ophitic structure. It differs from the Apollo samples in that the pyroxene and plagioclass contents are almost identical, and the ilmenite content (7%) lies between those of the Apollo-11 and Apollo-12 samples. Chemically, it is characterized by a high Sr content and a high K/U ratio.

Albee, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS1975

On the presence of phyllosilicate minerals in the interstellar grains

The composition of the interstellar silicate dust is investigated. Condensation or alteration of silicate grains at temperatures of a few hundred degrees, in the presence of H2O, would result in hydrous or phyllosilicates, the silicate type most abundant in the type I carbonaceous chondrites. Infrared spectra of small particles (about 0.1 microns) of the high temperature condensates, olivine and pyroxene, at 300 K and 4 K do not give a good match to the interstellar absorption band near 9.8 microns. Laboratory spectra of several phyllosilicates give better agreement as does the spectrum of a carbonaceous chondrite. We propose that the silicates in the interstellar grains are predominantly phyllosilicates and suggest additional spectral tests for this hypothesis.

Zaikowski, A.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Petrology and crystal chemistry of poikilitic anorthositic gabbro 77017

Aspects of mineralogy are considered, taking into account the occurrence and the characteristics of plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine. Attention is also given to oxides, opaque minerals, and glass components. Questions regarding the temperature of formation and the origin of the considered lunar poikilitic rocks are discussed. It is pointed out that the presented hypothesis may not be applicable to other poikilitic lunar rocks.

Mccallum, I. S.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Spinel-silicate co-crystallization relations in sample 15555

The results on the crystallization history of medium-grained mare basalt sample 15555,171, based on microprobe analyses (Dalton, 1973) of host and inclusion mineral pairs are summarized with emphasis placed on that part of the crystallization history during which chromite and ulvospinel were crystallizing. Compositional data on pyroxene olivine, chromite and ulvospinel in 15555,171 were collected using microprobe; data are based on corrected counts ratios for nine elements. It is concluded that systematic chemical relations between host and inclusion minerals suggest continuous in situ nucleation and growth of these minerals; that the data allow the possibility of some minerals, especially chromite, settling out of the melt during crystallization; and that the chromite to ulvospinel transition is correlated with a compositional change of the melt resulting from nucleation and growth of plagioclase.

Dalton, J.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Opaque mineralogy - Apollo 17, rock 75035

Rock 75035 is a medium-grained, holocrystalline, subophitic ilmenite basalt collected from the rim of Camelot Crater, and is believed to represent the subfloor basalts of the Taurus-Littrow valley. The rock consists of the major minerals pyroxene (45%), plagioclase (31%), and ilmenite (17%). Minor minerals include cristobalite (about 5%), troilite, native Fe, tranquillityite, baddeleyite, zirconolite, and rare ulvospinel. No olivine or armalcolite was observed in the specimen 75035,76. Mineralogically and chemically, as well as in age, this rock is similar to others collected from Camelot and other stations during the Apollo 17 mission. These rocks are almost identical to the Type B ilmenite basalts of Mare Tranquillitatis.

Meyer, H. O. A.↗