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At least 1,171 records · Page 65

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NASA NTRS1976

The surface structure and composition of 60017,43

A surface fragment of 60017, itself an exposed section of Shadow Rock, has been characterized structurally and chemically using gas adsorption, helium pycnometry, scanning electron microscopy, and Auger and ESCA spectroscopy. The fragment is seen as a partially melted devitrified-glass impact breccia possessing a relatively low surface area, macroporosity, and low absolute density. The fragment appears to be plagioclase-enriched with respect to 60017 and to possess significant surface heterogeneity. Confirmation of the surface reduction of iron was obtained; however, the extent of this reduction varied from point to point. Significant amounts of surface volatiles were also found, and it is hypothesized that these were released during the North Ray cratering event. If this is proved correct, similar volatile concentrations should be found on other North Ray ejecta.

Cadenhead, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Trace element evidence regarding a chondritic component in howardite meteorites

The concentrations of siderophiles Ni, Ge, Ru, Ir, and Au and volatiles Zn, Ga, Cd, and In in howardite meteorites were determined and are discussed along with similar data for eucrites and diogenites. The concentrations of the chondritic component in howardites are remarkably high. The concentrations in four high-siderophile howardites are comparable to those found in mature soils from the lunar highlands. The amounts of excess volatiles are roughly consistent with those expected if the chondritic component resemble CI, CM, or E4 chondrites. Evidence indicates that the howardite parent body had a radius of several hundred kilometers, and the most probable formation location was 1-2 AU from the sun.

Chou, C.-L.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Thermal alteration experiments on organic matter from recent marine sediments in relation to petroleum genesis

Three fractions of organic matter: lipid (benzene:methanol-extractable), humic acid (alkali-extractable) and kerogen (residue) were extracted from a young marine sediment (Tanner Basin, offshore southern California) and heated for different times (5-116 hr) and temperatures (150-410 C). The volatile (gases) and liquid products, as well as residual material, were then analyzed. On a weight basis, the lipid fraction produced 58% of the total identified n-alkanes, the kerogen fraction 41%, and the humic acid less than 1%. The volatiles produced by heating the lipid and humic acid fractions were largely CO2 and water, whereas those produced from heated kerogen also included methane, hydrogen gas and small amounts of C2-C4 hydrocarbons. A mechanism for hydrocarbon production due to the thermal alteration of organic constituents of marine sediment is discussed.

Ishiwatari, R.↗

NASA NTRS1977

A strategy for analysis of thermal decomposition of polymeric materials

Some analytical methods developed in flammability research are reviewed. Computerized analytical systems are used to separate, identify, and quantify components of complex mixtures of low-boiling volatiles, high-boiling volatiles, and solid residues resulting from pyrolysis, oxidative degradation, and flaming combustion processes. To demonstrate the procedure for determining a material's response to a thermal flux administered under dynamic conditions, the treatment of data is reported for samples of an aromatic polyamide fabric which were degraded under isothermal conditions of 550 C following a dynamic heating rate of 100 C/min from ambient to final temperature.

Einhorn, I. N.↗

NASA NTRS1976

A composite system approach to aircraft cabin fire safety

The thermochemical and flammability characteristics of two polymeric composites currently in use and seven others being considered for use as aircraft interior panels are described. The properties studied included: (1) limiting oxygen index of the composite constituents; (2) fire containment capability of the composite; (3) smoke evolution from the composite; (4) thermogravimetric analysis; (5) composition of the volatile products of thermal degradation; and (6) relative toxicity of the volatile products of pyrolysis. The performance of high-temperature laminating resins such as bismaleimides is compared with the performance of phenolics and epoxies. The relationship of increased fire safety with the use of polymers with high anaerobic char yield is shown. Processing parameters of one of the bismaleimide composites is detailed.

Kourtides, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Geochemical zoning and early differentiation in the moon

The volatile elements (e.g., Rb, Pb, Tl, Bi, Cs) seem to have been depleted at the time of lunar accretion. Accordingly, it may be assumed that the moon initially accreted from refractory material. The good correlation between volatile/involatile element ratios (e.g., Cs/U, K/La, K/Zr) in both highland and maria samples means that element distribution in lunar crustal rocks is not governed by volatility differences. This and other evidence encourages the view that the moon was accreted homogeneously. A consequence of homogeneous accretion theories is that very efficient large-scale element fractionation is required to account both for the high near-surface concentrations of refractory elements (e.g., Th, U, REE, Zr, Ba, etc.) and for the Ca-Al-rich crust.

Taylor, S. R.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Meteoritic material on the moon

Three types of meteoritic material are found on the moon: micrometeorites, ancient planetesimal debris from the "early intense bombardment," and debris of recent, craterforming projectiles. Their amounts and compositions have been determined from trace element studies. The micrometeorite component is uniformly distributed over the entire lunar surface, but is seen most clearly in mare soils. It has a primitive, C1-chondrite-like composition, and comprises 1 to 1.5 percent of mature soils. Apparently it represents cometary debris. The ancient component is seen in highland breccias and soils. Six varieties have been recognized, differing in their proportions of refractories (Ir, Re), volatiles (Ge, Sb), and Au. All have a fractionated composition, with volatiles depleted relative to siderophiles. The abundance patterns do not match those of the known meteorite classes. These ancient meteoritic components seem to represent the debris of an extinct population of bodies (planetisimals, moonlets) that produced the mare basins during the first 700 Myr of the moon's history. On the basis of their stratigraphy and geographic distribution, five of the six groups are tentatively assigned to specific mare basins: Imbrium, Serenitatis, Crisium, Nectaris, and Humorum or Nubium.

Morgan, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS1977

On the age of KREEP

It is noted that the variable Rb-Sr model ages of lunar highland rocks containing a significant amount of KREEP basalt may be best explained by some fractionation of Rb from Sr during metamorphism 3.9 billion years ago, but the uniformity of the KREEP-type trace-element pattern in different highland samples indicates that elements such as the rare earth were hardly fractionated at all during the metamorphic event. Data are presented which show that the Rb/Sr fractionation 3.9 billion years ago was due to Rb mobilization alone in most cases and that this fractionation can be accounted for by coupling of Rb to other, less volatile incompatible elements. Variations of Rb in lunar highland rocks are analyzed, a correction method is applied for the Rb/Sr fractionation, and results are evaluated separately for Apollo 16 VHA and KREEP basalts, Apollo 17 noritic breccias, Apollo 14 KREEP breccias, Apollo 15 KREEP basalts, and Apollo 15-KREEP-enriched breccias. Evidence for volatilization of alkalis from glasses of impact origin is summarized, and an apparent correlation is discussed between meteoritic component (as given by the Ir/Au ratio) and rock type (as given by the U or Rb content) for many lunar highland samples.

Palme, H.↗

NASA NTRS1977

The pristine nature of comets

Abundance considerations suggest that comets are likely to be the most pristine minor bodies in the solar system. In proportion to solar abundances, the present scanty data suggest that cometary oxygen is not depleted, whereas carbon is by a factor of 4 and hydrogen, by a factor of 2000. This implies that comets are less depleted in H, C, N, O than CI chondrites, namely 10:1 in hydrogen, 4:1 in carbon and 3:1 in oxygen. These results have been obtained by using dust-to-gas ratios in comets to measure the relative abundance of silicon and metals to volatile material, and the spectra of atomic lines, mainly from the vacuum ultraviolet, to determine the H/O and C/O ratios of the mixture of volatile molecules.

Delsemme, A. H.↗

NASA NTRS1978

The origin and relative abundances of C, N and the noble gases on the terrestrial planets and in meteorites

Relative concentrations of noble gases and C and N are evaluated for the terrestrial planets. Comparisons between amounts of volatile materials in carbonaceous chondrites and on Earth and Mars are presented as support for the accretion model of planetary formation. However, attention is given to the large differences in the C/noble gas ratios on various bodies in the solar system, e.g. the Sun, Venus, Earth, Mars, stressing that the data are too incomplete to provide a reliable model for the sources of volatile and noble elements on the terrestrial planets.

Bogard, D. D.↗

NASA NTRS1978

A 'chondritic' eucrite parent body - Inference from trace elements

Thirty-three elements were analyzed by radiochemical and instrumented neutron activation in four eucrites - Juvinas (brecciated), Ibitira (vesicular, unbrecciated) and Moore County and Serra de Mage (both cumulate, unbrecciated). Nebular and planetary effects are distinguished in the C1-normalized abundance patterns arranged in the order of volatility. Lithophile, chalcophile, and siderophile patterns are discussed; the stepped lithophile pattern reveals the dominance of nebular processes while the siderophile pattern retains little sign of nebular processes and instead reflects planetary metal-silicate partition. Volatiles were apparently accreted as a fractionated C3-like component, and consistent but subtle C1-normalized abundance differences between eucrites result from crystal/liquid differentiation.

Morgan, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Trace elements in ocean ridge basalts

A study is made of the trace elements found in ocean ridge basalts. General assumptions regarding melting behavior, trace element fractionation, and alteration effects are presented. Data on the trace elements are grouped according to refractory lithophile elements, refractory siderophile elements, and volatile metals. Variations in ocean ridge basalt chemistry are noted both for regional and temporal characteristics. Ocean ridge basalts are compared to other terrestrial basalts, such as those having La/Yb ratios greater than those of chondrites, and those having La/Yb ratios less than those of chondrites. It is found that (1) as compared to solar or chondrite ratios, ocean ridge basalts have low ratios of large, highly-charged elements to smaller less highly-charged elements, (2) ocean ridge basalts exhibit low ratios of volatile to nonvolatile elements, and (3) the transition metals Cr through Zn in ocean ridge basalts are not fractionated more than a factor of 2 or 3 from the chondritic abundance ratios.

Kay, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Monochromatic brightness variations of comets. II - Core-mantle model

A class of comets, of which Comet Kohoutek (1973f) is typical, show total as well as monochromatic brightness asymmetries about perihelion. They are fainter after perihelion than before at the same heliocentric distance. A model of the cometary nucleus consisting of a growing nonvolatile dust mantle surrounding a volatile icy core is used to discuss this phenomenon. Numerical results are obtained for Comet Kohoutek (1973f). It is found that dust mantles of thickness in the range of 10-75 cm can be grown by perihelion passage for various values of the thermal conductivity of the dust if there is no substantial dust blow-off by the sublimating volatiles. The thermal conductivity of the dust mantle is quite small and is dominated by 'radiative conductivity' for heliocentric distances less than about 2 AU. Since the radiative conductivity is larger for larger grain size, the thickest mantle corresponds to coarsest matrix. The production rate of the 'parent-molecules' as well as the monochromatic brightness of their 'daughter' products increases less steeply than in the mantleless case, as the comet approaches perihelion.

Mendis, D. A.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Chemical fractionation in the solar system

The cosmochemical and geochemical history of planetary material is reflected in relative and absolute abundances of two groups of trace elements; siderophiles and volatiles. Many of these elements can be determined at the required levels only by radiochemical neutron activation analysis. The abundance patterns of elements in chondritic meteorites result from condensation processes in the solar nebula. The composition of planetisimals which bombarded the moon is characterized from trace elements in lunar breccias, and is also related to nebula processes. Trace elements in anorthosites and basalts from earth and moon suggest that the moon is refractory-rich and volatile-poor relative to the earth.

Morgan, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Lunar Science Conference, 6th, Houston, Tex., March 17-21, 1975, Proceedings. Volume 2 - Chemical and isotopic studies

The chemical compositions of lunar rocks and soils are examined, taking into account sulfur abundances and distributions in mare basalts and their source magmas, lithophile trace and major elements in Apollo 16 and 17 lunar samples, the role of vaporization processes in lunar rock formation, chemical studies of the lunar regolith with emphasis on zirconium and hafnium, a model for the lunar anorthositic gabbro, and trace-element chemistry and reducing capacity of size fractions from the Apollo 16 regolith. Other topics considered are related to lunar chronology, volatile meteoritic elements, isotopic studies, light element geochemistry, and agglutinates and regolith processes. Attention is given to meteoritic material in four terrestrial meteorite craters, the state of meteoritic material on the moon, volatile elements in Allende inclusions, oxygen isotope fractionation in Apollo 17 rocks, cosmogenic isotope production in Apollo deep-core samples, and the effects of exposure conditions on cosmic-ray records in lunar rocks.

Merrill, R. B.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Genetic relations between the moon and meteorites

The moon is shown to have an oxygen isotope distribution similar to that of the earth and the differentiated meteorites (achondrites, mesosiderites, pallasites, irons) but, according to the same criterion, the moon is unrelated to the ordinary chondrites or carbonaceous chondrites. The principal differences between the inferred chemical composition of the moon and that of chondritic meteorites is the depletion of volatile and semivolatile elements, the enrichment of uranium by a factor of 10-15, and the enrichment of the source regions of mare basalts in LIL elements by a factor of 5-10. The reported data support the theory that the moon was formed by the capture of differentiated meteorites. Volatile-element depletion and 'refractory' element enrichment are considered.

Clayton, R. N.↗

NASA NTRS1978

A chemical study of the impact glasses and basalts from Lonar Crater, India

Twenty-nine elements were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis in two impact glasses and four basalts from Lonar Crater, India, and the glasses and the underlying core basalt samples are found to be very similar in major, minor, and trace element abundances. This finding seems to indicate that impact-induced chemical fractionation during formation of the glasses from basalt is minimal for many of the principal rock and mineral-forming elements. Since most volatile trace elements were not determined in this study, differences in the volatile trace element contents of the glasses and basalts can not be excluded.

Stroube, W. B., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Precondensed matter - Key to the early solar system

Explicit astrophysical details are developed for the hypothesis that chemical and isotopic anomalies in primitive solar-system samples reflect routine initial chemical conditions within precondensed matter. The central feature of this theory concerns the chemical state of presolar dust, which is regarded as never having been vaporized in the region where the most chemically primitive samples (carbonaceous meteorites) accumulated. It is suggested that the initial chemical state of heavy atoms during meteorite and planetary accumulation was distributed between a refractory-mineral component from high-temperature condensation and a volatile component resulting from cold matter adhering to preexisting grains. Thermal conditions in the solar nebula are considered along with the existence of supernova condensates and other thermal condensates in the interstellar dust. Fractionation into volatile and refractory elements is idealized in terms of four distinct interstellar components, and the fractionated precondensed matter is described.

Clayton, D. D.↗