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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1984

On the brittle-ductile behavior of iron meteorites - New experimental constraints

Impact trials were performed at the NASA vertical gun range to study low-temperature brittle-ductile transitions in meteoritic, steel and iron targets. The trials were performed to enhance the data base underlying the concept of formation of planetesimals in collisional coagulation. Impact velocities of 1.6-5.5 km/sec were used, as were temperatures from 100-300 K. Spallation was observed in the tests with meteorite samples, even at room temperature, and brittleness was enhanced at temperature below 200 C. Net mass losses were induced at the higher impact velocities. It is suggested that iron meteorite agglomerations could form in the inner solar region during nebular condensation, but would not form in farther-out regions such as the asteroid belt. The protoplanets could have an iron core, with metallicity decreasing with radius from the core, which may have happened with the earth.

Matsui, T.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Analysis of ablation debris from natural and artificial iron meteorites

Artificial ablation studies were performed on iron and nickel-iron samples using an arc-heated plasma of ionized air. Experiment conditions simulated a meteoroid traveling about 12 km/sec at an altitude of 70 km. The artificially produced fusion crusts and ablation debris show features very similar to natural fusion crusts of the iron meteorites Boguslavka, Norfork, and N'Kandhla and to magnetic spherules recovered from Mn nodules. X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe, optical, and scanning electron microscope analyses reveal that important mineralogical, elemental, and textural changes occur during ablation. Some metal is melted and ablated. The outer margin of the melted rind is oxidized and recrystallizes as a discontinuous crust of magnetite and wustite. Adjacent to the oxidized metallic ablation zone is an unoxidized metallic ablation zone in which structures such as Widmannstatten bands are obliterated as the metal is transformed to unequilibrated alpha 2 nickel-iron. Volatile elements are vaporized and less volatile elements undergo fractionation.

Blanchard, M. B.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Solar composition noble gases in the Washington County iron meteorite

A sample of the Washington County iron meteorite is analyzed for its light noble gases by a combustion technique in two steps at 1160 C. The ratio of trapped to spallogenic noble gases in the sample was high enough to allow the resolution of trapped and spallogenic components in both combustion steps. The He:Ne:Ar elemental ratios in the trapped component are comparable to present-day solar-wind ratios. The (Ne-20)/(Ne-22) ratio, while subject to some uncertainty due to possible variation in either the spallation or the trapped component between the two steps, is in the range 13.3 + or 0.5, also comparable to present-day solar wind. Unless the Washington County iron formed by some unique process in a solar-wind-irradiated regolith, the fact that the trapped gas is of solar composition has implications with regard to the compositional history of the solar wind, to conditions in the early solar nebula during grain formation or accretion, and to primordial helium in the earth.

Becker, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Genesis of the IIICD iron meteorites - Evidence from silicate-bearing inclusions

Our studies of the silicate-bearing inclusions in the IIICD iron meteorites Maltahohe, Carlton, and Dayton suggest that their mineralogy and mineral compositions are related to the composition of the metal in the host meteorites. An inclusion in the low-Ni Maltahohe is similar in mineralogy to those in IAB irons, which contain olivine, pyroxene, plagioclase, graphite, and troilite. With increasing Ni concentration of the metal, silicate inclusions become poorer in graphite, richer in phosphates, and the phosphate and silicate assemblages become more complex. Dayton contains pyroxene, plagioclase, SiO2, brianite, panethite, and whitlockite, without graphite. In addition, mafic silicates become more FeO-rich with increasing Ni concentration of the hosts. In contrast, silicates in IAB irons show no such correlation with host Ni concentration, nor do they have the complex mineral assemblages of Dayton. These trends in inclusion composition and mineralogy in IIICD iron meteorites have been established by reactions between the S-rich metallic magma and the silicates, but the physical setting is uncertain. Of the two processes invoked by other authors to account for groups IAB and IIICD, fractional crystallization of S-rich cores and impact generation of melt pools, we prefer core crystallization. We suggest that the solidification of the IIICD core may have been very complex, involving fractional crystallization, nucleation effects and, possibly, liquid immiscibility.

Mccoy, Timothy J.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Siderophile Element Profile Measurements in Iron Meteorites Using Laser Ablation ICP-MS

Understanding the behaviour of siderophile elements during cooling of iron meteorites can lead to insight into the general thermal histories of the meteorites as well as their respective parent bodies. Traditionally trace element analyses in meteorites have been done using techniques that only measure the average concentration in each phase. With these methods, all of the spatial information with respect to the distribution of an element within one phase is lost. Measuring concentration profiles of trace elements in meteorites is now possible, with the advent of high-resolution analytical techniques such as laser ablation, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) with spatial resolution <20 microns. [e.g. 1,2] and secondary ion mass spectrometry [3]. These profiles can give more insight into both the partitioning and diffusive behavior of siderophile elements in metal systems relevant to iron meteorites, as well as parent body cooling rates.

Watson, H. C.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Closed system Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over meteoritic iron, iron ore and nickel-iron alloy

Experiments were performed in which meteoritic iron, iron ore and nickel-iron alloy were used to catalyze (in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis) the reaction of deuterium and carbon monoxide in a closed vessel. Normal alkanes and alkenes and their monomethyl substituted isomers and aromatic hydrocarbons were synthesized. Iron oxide and oxidized-reduced Canyon Diablo used as Fischer-Tropsch catalysts were found to produce aromatic hydrocarbons in distributions having many of the features of those observed in carbonaceous chondrites, but only at temperatures and reaction times well above 300 C and 6-8 h.

Nooner, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Cooling rates of group IVA iron meteorites

Cooling rates of six group IVA iron meteorites were estimated by a taenite central Ni concentration-taenite half-width method. Calculated cooling rates range from 13 to 25 C/Myr, with an average of 20 C/Myr. No correlation between cooling rate and bulk Ni content is observed, and the data appear to be consistent with a uniform cooling rate as expected from an igneous core origin. This result differs from previous studies reporting a wide range in cooling rates that were strongly correlated with bulk Ni content. The differences result mainly from differences in the phase diagram and the selected diffusion coefficients. Cooling rates inferred from taenite Ni concentrations at the interface with kamacite are consistent with those based on taenite central Ni content.

Willis, J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

I-Xe dating of silicate and troilite from IAB iron meteorites

Silicate and troilite inclusions from IAB iron meteorites were dated by the I-Xe technique. Silicate samples from inclusions in the Copiapo, Landes, Woodbine, Pitts and Mundrabilla meteorites and troilite samples from Pitts and Mundrabilla were subjected to neutron irradiation and the xenon isotope ratios produced were determined. Well-defined I-Xe ages were obtained for Woodbine, Copiapo, Landes and Mundrabilla and are found to be within 3.7 million years of the Bjurbole meteorite, suggesting a close relationship to the stone chondrites. The analysis of troilite from Pitts suggests an age of 17 million years older than Bjurbole, while Mundrabilla troilite is observed to predate Mundrabilla silicate. The abundances of Ga, Ge and Ni are found to be correlated with I-Xe ages, supporting the validity of the I-Xe dating method. The results are considered to favor a nebular model of meteorite formation.

Niemeyer, S.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Systematic chemical variations in large 3AB iron meteorites: Clues to core crystallization

Analysis of numerous individual iron meteorites have shown that fractional crystallization of iron cores result in variations in chemical concentration of the solid core which span several orders of magnitude. The magnitude and direction of the resulting spatial gradients in the core can provide clues to the physical nature of the core crystallization process. We have analyzed suites of samples from three large 3AB irons (Cape York, 58t; Chupaderos, 24t; Morito, 10t) in order to estimate local chemical gradients. Initial results for the concentrations of Ge, Pd, Pt (Massey group), Ir, Au, As, Co, Os, and Rh (Dalhouse group), and P (Arizona group) show significant ranges among the Cape York and Chupaderos samples and marginally significant ranges among the Morito samples. Measurements of Au, Ir, Co, Ni, Cu, Ga, As, W, Re (from UCLA) and Ni and Co (Arizona group) are in progress. We find a spatial Ir gradient in Chupaderos with a magnitude similar to the one reported for Agpalilik (Cape York iron) by Esbensen et al.

Haack, H.↗