Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “OLIVINE”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 127 records · Page 7

Shock-induced fine-grained recrystallization of olivine - Evidence against subsolidus reduction of Fe/2+/

Electron spin resonance (ESR) studies have been carried out on three single grains of terrestrial olivine (Fo90) shock loaded along the 010 line to peak pressures of 280, 330, and 440 kbar. The results indicate that neither metallic Fe similar to that observed in returned lunar soils nor paramagnetic Fe(3+) caused by oxidation of Fe(2+) has been produced in these shock experiments. Trace amounts of Mn (2+) have been detected in both shocked and unshocked olivine. The ESR signals of Mn(2+) show spectral features which are found to correlate with the degree of shock-induced recrystallization observed petrographically. The increasing mass fraction of recrystallized olivine correlates with increasing shock pressures. This phenomenon is modelled assuming it results from the progressive effect of the shock-induced transformation of the olivine to a yet unknown high-pressure phase and its subsequent reversion to the low-pressure olivine phase. The mass fraction of recrystallized material is predicted to be nearly linear with shock pressure.

Ahrens, T. J.↗

Minor elements in lunar olivine as a petrologic indicator

Accurate electron microprobe analyses (approximately 50 ppm) were made for Al, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, and Ni in Mg-rich olivines which may derive from early lunar crust or deeper environments. Low-Ca contents consistently occur only in olivines from dunitic and troctolitic breccia: spinel troctolite and other rock types have high-Ca olivines suggesting derivation by near-surface processes. Rock 15445 has olivine with distinctly low CaO (approximately 0.01 wt.%). Chromium ranges to higher values (max.0.2 oxide wt.%) than for terrestrial harzburgites and lherzolites but is similar to the range in terrestrial komatiites. Divalent chromium may be indicated over trivalent Cr because olivines lack sufficient other elements for charge balance of the latter. NiO values in lunar specimens range from 0.00 to 0.07 wt.% and a weak anticorrelation with Cr2O3 suggests an oxidation state effect. Al2O3 values are mostly below 0.04-wt.% and show no obvious correlation with fragment type. TiO2 values lie below 0.13-wt.% and seem to correlate best with crystallization rate and plagioclase content of the host rock. High values of Al2O3 and TiO2 reported by other workers have not been confirmed, and are probably wrong.

Steele, I. M.↗

Lunar highland rocks - Element partitioning among minerals. II - Electron microprobe analyses of Al, P, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn and Fe in olivine

Lunar olivines from anorthosites, granulitic impactites, and rocks in the Mg-rich plutonic trend were subjected to electron probe measurements for Al, P, Ca, Ti, Cr and Mn, which show that the FeO/MnO ratio for lunar olivines lies between 80 and 110 with little difference among the rock types. The low values of Ca in lunar olivines indicate slow cooling to subsolidus temperatures, with blocking temperatures of about 750 C for 67667 and 1000 C for 60255,73-alpha determined by the Finnerty and Boyd (1978) experiments. An important paradox is noted in the low Ti content of Fe-rich olivines from anorthosites, although both Ti and Fe tend to become enriched in liquid during fractional distillation. Except for Ca and Mn, olivine from anorthosites has lower minor element values than other rock types. Formation from a chemically distinct system is therefore implied.

Smith, J. V.↗

Fine, nickel-poor Fe-Ni grains in the olivine of unequilibrated ordinary chondrites

Nickel-poor Fe-Ni grains smaller than 2.0 microns are common inclusions in ordinary, unequilibrated chondrites' porphyritic chondrule olivine, where the olivine grains seem to be relicts that survived chondrule formation without melting. This 'dusty' metal, whose most common occurrence is in the core of olivine grains having clear, Fe-poor rims, appears to be the product of the in situ reduction of FeO from the host olivine, with H2 or carbonaceous matter being the most likely reductants. H2 may have been implanted by solar wind or solar flare irradiation, but this requires the dissipation of nebular gas before the end of the chondrule formation process. Carbonaceous matter may have been implanted by shock. The large relict olivine grains may be nebular condensates or fragments broken from earlier chondrule generations.

Rambaldi, E. R.↗

Achondrite ALHA77005 - Alteration of chromite and olivine

The olivine crystals of the 77005 achondrite are brown except for colorless shock lamellae, mottled patches, and grains adjacent to pools of impact melt. Sporadic dark alteration patches in brown olivine and Cr-rich spinel gave the following average electron-microprobe analyses: (olivine) P2O5 0.9, SiO2 57.9, TiO2 0, Al2O3 0.7, Cr2O3 0.4, V2O3 0, Fe2O3 (assumed oxidation state) 17.0, MgO 1.6, CaO 0.2, Na2O 0, K2O 1.8, SO3 (assumed oxidation state) 9.2, Cl 0.1, sum 89.8 wt pct; (spinel) P2O5 3.5, SiO2 2.1, TiO2 2.2, Al2O3 2.1, Cr2O3 13.4, V2O3 0.8, Fe2O3 40.7, MgO 0.9, CaO 0.1, Na2O 0, K2O 2.0, SO3 11.1, Cl 0.1, sum 79.0 wt pct. Ion-microprobe analyses revealed H in both. Rare orange patches in brown olivine from another area gave SiO2 33-35, FeO 30-28, MgO 28-32, sum 93 wt pct. Thermal metamorphism under dry oxidizing conditions is discussed as a possible alternative to shock-induced oxidation for generation of the brown olivine (McSween and Stoeffler, 1980). Because alteration patches transgress shock lamellae, and because sulfatic alteration occurs in fusion crusts of Antarctic meteorites (Gibson et al., 1983), alteration of the 77005 achondrite at the Antarctic surface is preferred to a complex series of processes needed for preterrestrial alteration.

Smith, J. V.↗

Olivine vitrophyres - A nonpristine high-Mg component in lunar breccia 14321

The presence of olivine vitrophyres in breccia 14321 is discussed, suggesting that olivine vitrophyres could account for the high-Mg component of soils and breccias in the lunar highlands. The olivine vitrophyre clasts from 14321 have high bulk MgO and the Mg/(Mg+Fe) ratio is 78 percent. The olivine vitrophyres are impact melt rocks and are rich in KREEP. The high MgO concentration is manifest by skeletal quench crystals of olivine that constitute about 30 percent of the mode.

Shervais, John W.↗

Chemical dispersion among Apollo 15 olivine-normative mare basalts

Analysis of Apollo 15 olivine-normative mare basalts for major and minor elements suggests that the hypothesis that the coarser-grained varieties (olivine microgabbros) consist of two chemical groups is incorrect. Instead, it is found that there is a single group including vesicular, coarse-grained, and fine-grained basalts. For the entire suite, the dispersion of compositions along the olivine trend is too great to be explained by short-range unmixing of an unfractionated flow. It is suggested that the general trend for the suite is olivine separation, probably through crystal settling. The textures, mineralogical characteristics, and chemical variation of the olivine-normative basalts are shown to be consistent with a sequence of thin fractionating flows, all from a common parent.

Ryder, Graham↗

Chemical variation and zoning of olivine in lunar dunite 72415 - Near-surface accumulation

Electron microprobe remeasurements have been used to reevaluate the range of olivine compositions, including CaO, in lunar dunite sample 72415 and compare that range with olivines in established plutonic rocks. Olivines from ferroan anorthosite 62237 and samples from the Stillwater intrusion were analyzed; literature data for other lunar and terrestrial plutonic samples were used for comparisons. The analyses show that the lunar dunite 72415 contains a range of olivine compositions, that the olivines are zoned, and that they have CaO abundances that are consistent with shallow hypabyssal rather than deep plutonic accumulation.

Ryder, Graham↗

Reduced chromium in olivine grains from lunar basalt 15555 - X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES)

The oxidation state of Cr in 200-micron regions within individual lunar olivine and pyroxene grains from lunar basalt 15555 was inferred using X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES). Reference materials had previously been studied by optical absorption spectroscopy and included Cr-bearing borosilicate glasses synthesized under controlled oxygen fugacity and Cr-doped olivines. The energy dependence of XANES spectral features defined by these reference materials indicated that Cr is predominantly divalent in the lunar olivine and trivalent in the pyroxene. These results, coupled with the apparent f(02)-independence of partitioning coefficients for Cr into olivine, imply that the source magma was dominated by divalent Cr at the time of olivine crystallization.

Sutton, S. R.↗

The Mn-Fe negative correlation in olivines in ALHA 77257 ureilite

An electron probe microanalyzer is used to measure the Mn, Fe, and oxygen zoning profiles of olivines in the ALHA 77257 ureilite. This is done to study the effects of reduction on the Mn-Fe value, as ureilite olivines exhibit thin reduced rims. Since the Mn content gradually increases toward the rim of ureilite olivines, while the Fa (= 100 x Fe/(Mg + Fe), mol percent) component decreases, the Mn-Fe content of olivine is likely related to redox conditions. The results of melting experiments suggest that the Mn-Fe positive correlation is related to temperature and that the negative correlation of Mn-Fe in olivine and low-Ca pyroxene is related to reduction.

Miyamoto, M.↗

Fe/Mn in olivine of carbonaceous meteorites

Olivines in primitive meteorites show a range of Fe/Mn both within one grain and among grains suggesting that they have recorded changing conditions during or after growth. Because olivine should be an early forming phase, Fe/Mn is used here to infer these earliest conditions. Initial Fe/Mn in cores of isolated, euhedral forsterite in both C2 and C3 meteorites ranges from 25 to 35 but differs at grain edge. Murchison (C2) forsterites show Fe/Mn approaching 1.0 at the grain edge while Ornans Fe/Mn is near 60 at grain edge. These values are lower than the matrix Fe/Mn for both meteorites and the distinct difference in zoning profile indicates different processes operating during and after grain growth. The Fe/Mn of bulk samples from a particular source such as the Moon is nearly constant. Individual samples show variation suggesting that there is some fractionation of Mn from Fe. Minerals have their individual ranges of Fe/Mn which has been used to recognize different types of olivine within one meteorite. Extreme values of Fe/Mn below 1.0 occur in forsterite from some IDP's, UOC matrix, and C1 meteorites. There are apparently no detailed studies of Fe/Mn variation within single olivine grains. Forsterite grains in C2 and C3 carbonaceous chondrites show complex zoning, and the nearly pure forsterites (Fo greater than approximately 99.5) have high levels of some minor elements including Ti, Al, V, and Sc. There is disagreement on the original source of these grains and both chondrule and vapor growth have been proposed. In addition, there is clear evidence that diffusion has affected the outer margins but in some cases the whole grain. Within the cores, the FeO range is limited, and if growing under constant conditions, the Fe/Mn should be near constant as there is little fractionation of Mn from Fe by forsterite. Additionally, there are apparently no co-crystallizing phases as evidenced by a lack of common inclusions in the forsterites. These observations are now followed by analyses of isolated olivine grains in C2 and C3 meteorites.

Steele, Ian M.↗

Origin of magnetite in oxidized CV chondrites: in situ measurement of oxygen isotope compositions of Allende magnetite and olivine

Magnetite in the oxidized CV chondrite Allende mainly occurs as spherical nodules in porphyritic-olivine (PO) chondrules, where it is associated with Ni-rich metal and/or sulfides. To help constrain the origin of the magnetite, we measured oxygen isotopic compositions of magnetite and coexisting olivine grains in PO chondrules of Allende by an in situ ion microprobe technique. Five magnetite nodules form a relatively tight cluster in oxygen isotopic composition with delta 18O values from -4.8 to -7.1% and delta 17O values from -2.9 to -6.3%. Seven coexisting olivine grains have oxygen isotopic compositions from -0.9 to -6.3% in delta 18O and from -4.6 to -7.9% in delta 17O. The delta 17O values of the magnetite and coexisting olivine do not overlap; they range from -0.4 to -2.6%, and from -4.0 to -5.7%, respectively. Thus, the magnetite is not in isotopic equilibrium with the olivine in PO chondrules, implying that it formed after the chondrule formation. The delta 17O of the magnetite is somewhat more negative than estimates for the ambient solar nebula gas. We infer that the magnetite formed on the parent asteroid by oxidation of metal by H2O which had previously experienced minor O isotope exchange with fine-grained silicates.

Iron/analysis/chemistry↗

Tracing Oxygen Fugacity in Asteroids and Meteorites Through Olivine Composition

Olivine absorptions are known to dominate telescopic spectra of several asteroids. Among the meteorite collection, three groups (excluding Martian meteorites), the pallasites, brachinites, and R group chondrites are plausible analogs to olivine-rich asteroids in that they are dominated by olivine. These meteorite groups have distinct petrologic origins. The primitive achondrite brachinites (which include both depleted and undeleted subgroups) are products of relatively minor differentiation and evolved in oxidizing environments. R chondrites are also thought to have formed in high oxygen states, but are closely related to ordinary chondrites (yet with their own distinct compositions and oxygen isotopic signatures). In contrast, pallasites, widely thought to be mantle components from much more evolved bodies, formed in more reducing environments. Petrologic indicators that are identifiable in spectral data must be used in order to infer the petrologic history of asteroids from surveys of their actual population. As discussed below, olivine composition (e.g. Fa#) can provide key constraints in exploring the origin and significance of olivine dominated asteroids.

Sunshine, J. M.↗

Olivine and Carbonate Globules in ALH84001: A Terrestrial Analog, and Implications for Water on Mars

Carbonate globules in ALH84001 are associated with small olivine grains an unexpected finding because the olivines equilibrated at high T while the carbonate is chemically zoned and unequilibrated. A possible explanation comes from a terrestrial analog on Spitsbergen (Norway), where some carbonate globules grew in cavities left by aqueous dissolution of olivine. For ALH84001, the same process may have acted, with larger olivines dissolved out and smaller ones shielded inside orthopyroxene. Carbonate would have been deposited in holes where the olivine had been. Later shocks crushed remaining void space, and mobilized feldspathic glass around the carbonates.

Treiman, A. H.↗

Deducing Wild 2 Components with a Statistical Dataset of Olivine in Chondrite Matrix

Introduction: A preliminary exam of the Wild 2 olivine yielded a major element distribution that is strikingly similar to those for aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrites (CI, CM, and CR) [1], in which FeO-rich olivine is preferentially altered. With evidence lacking for large-scale alteration in Wild 2, the mechanism for this apparent selectivity is poorly understood. We use a statistical approach to explain this distribution in terms of relative contributions from different chondrite forming regions. Samples and Analyses: We have made a particular effort to obtain the best possible analyses of both major and minor elements in Wild 2 olivine and the 5-30 micrometer population in chondrite matrix. Previous studies of chondrite matrix either include larger isolated grains (not found in the Wild 2 collection) or lack minor element abundances. To overcome this gap in the existing data, we have now compiled greater than 10(exp 3) EPMA analyses of matrix olivine in CI, CM, CR, CH, Kakangari, C2-ungrouped, and the least equilibrated CO, CV, LL, and EH chondrites. Also, we are acquiring TEM/EDXS analyses of the Wild 2 olivine with 500s count times, to reduce relative errors of minor elements with respect to those otherwise available. Results: Using our Wild 2 analyses and those from [2], the revised major element distribution is more similar to anhydrous IDPs than previous results, which were based on more limited statistics (see figure below). However, a large frequency peak at Fa(sub 0-1) still persists. All but one of these grains has no detectable Cr, which is dissimilar to the Fa(sub 0-1) found in the CI and CM matrices. In fact, Fa(sub 0-1) with strongly depleted Cr content is a composition that appears to be unique to Kakangari and enstatite (highly reduced) chondrites. We also note the paucity of Fa(sub greater than 58), which would typically indicate crystallization in a more oxidizing environment [3]. We conclude that, relative to the bulk of anhydrous IDPs, Wild 2 may have received a larger contribution from the Kakangari and/or enstatite chondrite forming regions. Alternatively, Wild 2 may have undergone accretion in an anomalously reducing region, marked by nebular condensation of this atypical forsterite. In [4], a similar conclusion was reached with an Fe-XANES study. We will also use similar lines of reasoning, and our previous conclusions in [5], to constrain the relative contributions of silicates that appear to have been radially transported from different ordinary and carbonaceous chondrite forming regions to the Kuiper Belt. In addition, the widespread depletion of Cr in these FeO-rich (Fa(sub greater than 20)) fragments is consistent with mild thermal metamorphism in Wild 2.

Frank, D. R.↗

Understanding Olivine and Pyroxene in Chondritic IDPs

There is a widespread depletion of Cr from the FeO-rich olivine in Wild-2, relative to type IIA chondrules(Frank et al., 2014)-the degree of this depletion is akin to that in unequilibrated chondrites such as Krymka (LL3.2) or Rainbow (CO3.2).Since Cr is highly mobile under even mild thermal metamorphism(as low as 200ºC), it is a sensitive indicator of such an event, showing greater depletion in smaller grains (i.e., matrix vs. chondrules) (Grossman and Brearley, 2005). Grossman and Brearley (2005) found that the distribution of Cr in FeO-rich olivine systematically changes as metamorphism increases between type 3.0 and type 3.2. Thus, Wild-2 olivine appears to carry evidence of mild thermal metamorphism. It is critical to determine whether there is any evidence for this from samples of other comets. For this we can examine an hydrous chondritic IDPs. Unfortunately, the data for olivine and pyroxene in IDPs is sparse, mainly decades old and lacks useful information on minor elements. We have begun to collect new compositional data for olivine and pyroxene in chondritic interplanetary dust particles (filling a major gap in our knowledge, as approximately half of these grains derive from comets), to determine whether the results obtained for Wild-2 are typical for comets in general, or whether Wild-2 (or its accretion components) has experienced an atypical geological history. A determination that a comet, or its accretion components, had experienced significant thermal metamorphism would greatly alter models of early solar system history.

Michael Zolensky↗

An olivine cumulate outcrop on the floor of Jezero crater, Mars

The geological units on the floor of Jezero crater, Mars, are part of a wider regional stratigraphy of olivine-rich rocks, which extends well beyond the crater. We investigate the petrology of olivine and carbonate-bearing rocks of the Séítah formation in the floor of Jezero. Using multispectral images and x-ray fluorescence data, acquired by the Perseverance rover, we performed a petrographic analysis of the Bastide and Brac outcrops within this unit. We find that these outcrops are composed of igneous rock, moderately altered by aqueous fluid. The igneous rocks are mainly made of coarse-grained olivine, similar to some Martian meteorites. We interpret them as an olivine cumulate, formed by settling and enrichment of olivine through multi-stage cooling of a thick magma body.

Mars↗

Hypervelocity Dust Impact in Olivine: Fib/Tem Characterization and Comparison of Experimental and Natural Microcraters

The flux of objects impacting the surfaces of solar system airless bodies is dominated by micrometeoroids less than 1 mm diameter whose impact effects play a major role in the space weathering of airless body surfaces. To obtain better understanding of how small scale impact effects vary as a function of impact speed in an important lunar and asteroidal mineral, we produced artificial microcraters in San Carlos olivine using Fe metal dust particles 0.10 to 5 µm in diameter electrostatically accelerated to speeds between 0.35 to 25 km s-1. The crater morphologies, size distrrubiton and microstruc-tures were characterized by field-emission SEM (FE-SEM) and also by FIB cross sectioning of selected craters for field-emission scanning transmission electron microscopy (FE-STEM). These same techniques were also applied to study a natural 20 µm-diameter microcrater in a olivine grain on the surface of lunar rock 12075. Measured microcrater diameters in the experimental sample range between 0.20 to 5 µm with larger craters having more irregular outlines dominated by spallation fractures. FE-SEM and FE-STEM imaging docu-ment the formation of shock melt in the size population of experimental craters below approximately 1 µm in diameter, corresponding to particle impact speeds in the 10-25 km s-1 range. The natural olivine crater exhibits similar shock melt features along the perimeter of its cavity, but the shock melt also contains nanophase Fe metal particles, something not observed in the experimental samples. FE-STEM imaging of the experimental craters reveals complex shock-generated dislocation and nanofracture microstructures in zones extend-ing 1-2 µm into the olivine from the crater cavity. The natural microcrater shows a lower density of shock-generated disloca-tions that extends a factor of 2 deeper into the the olivine than in the experimental samples.

Roy Gray Christoffersen↗