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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1974

Low orthopyroxene from a lunar deep crustal rock - A new pyroxene polymorph of space group P21ca

Bronzite crystals (En86Fs11Wo3) from a slowly-cooled lunar troctolitic granulite, have space group P21ca, a postulated, but previously unreported space group. Diffractions violating the b-glide extinction conditions have been observed in long-exposure X-ray precession photographs from three of these crystals and on an automated X-ray diffractometer. P21ca is a subgroup of the common orthopyroxene space group Pbca, and its cell dimensions (a = 18.235 plus or minus 0.004 A, b = 8.831 plus or minus 0.002 A, c = 5.189 plus or minus 0.001 A) are similar to those of terrestrial bronzites. It is postulated that the lower symmetry space group has developed as a result of very slow cooling at pressures of one to two kilobars deep in the lunar crust.

Smyth, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The Yamato-74659 ureilite and some new findings on the Yamato achondritic pyroxenes

A cube-like fragment with an approximately 4 mm edge was taken from the Yamato-74659 meteorite for the mineralogical and crystallographic examination discussed in the present paper. An analysis of powdered fragments by a standard wet chemical method showed that it matched to weathered ureilite. The chemical composition was found to differ from other ureilites in that the FeO content (8.83 wt%) is the lowest among known ureilites and it is richer in SiO2 contents (42.91 wt%).

Takeda, H.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The pyroxene chemistry of four mesosiderites

The four mesosiderites studied in the present paper have samples similar to pyroxenitic and noritic rocks, but two of them (Morristown and Dyarrl Island) lack the very magnesian orthopyroxenes found in Estherville and Lowicz. Pigeonite crystallized at minimum temperatures of 1170 C in Estherville source rocks (before plagioclase crystallization), 1150 C in Lowicz and Morristown, and 1120 C in Dyarrl Island (after plagioclase crystallization).

Hewins, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Pyroxene whiskers and platelets in interplanetary dust - Evidence of vapour phase growth

Enstatite crystals with whisker and platelet morphologies have been observed within chondritic porous micrometeorites. Samples of such crystals collected from the stratosphere are described. The samples display unique crystal morphologies and microstructures, such as axial screw dislocations, that strongly suggest that they are primary vapor phase condensates which could have formed either in the solar nebula or in presolar environments. The relationship between the crystal polymorphism and the thermal conditions of growth is discussed, adopting the view that protoenstatite and orthoenstatite are the stable high and low temperature forms, respectively. The kinetic aspects and mechanisms of whisker and platelet growth are considered, and the nature of the likely growth medium for the crystals is addressed. It is concluded that growth from a relatively low-pressure vapor phase is the most likely mode of growth.

Bradley, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Fe-Mg-Mn relations of ureilite olivines and pyroxenes and the genesis of ureilites

Microprobe analyses of ureilite and pigeonite cores are studied. The Fe/Mn-Fe/Mg relationship in the olivine core is examined. It is observed that magnetic processs such as fractional crystallization and partial melting, and FeO reduction contribute to the olivine core composition. The study of the Mg/Mn and Fe/Mn distributions reveals that these two distributions are not in equilibrium in the olivine and pigeonite cores. The effect of a reducing agent, carbon, on the ureilite genesis is investigated. It is concluded that fractional crystallization and FeO reduction are the major processes of ureilite genesis.

Mittlefehldt, D. W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Formation conditions of pyroxene-olivine and magnesian olivine chondrules

Dynamic crystallization experiments performed on a Type I and an intermediate Type II/III composition demonstrate chondrule texture is controlled by the abundance of heterogeneous nuclei. This factor is controlled by the maximum initial temperature relative to the olivine disappearance temperature for the given heating time. Glassy and excentroradial textures form from superheated melts with no nuclei, and barred textures form with initial temperatures near the olivine disappearance temperature. Porphyritic and granular textures form with initial temperatures below the liquidus with abundant nuclei. Comparison of zoning characteristics of experimental olivines with those in natural porphyritic olivine chondrules indicates cooling rates of 100 to 1000 C/h, whereas olivine morphology indicates barred olivines cooled at rates of 250 to 1000 C/h. Texture/composition relationships suggest chondrules experienced initial temperatures below 1750 C. These observations are consistent with the idea that chondrules formed by transient heating in dust-rich regions (i.e., in the midplane) of the solar nebula.

Radomsky, Patrick M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The spectral effects of subsolidus reduction of olivine and pyroxene

The surfaces of atmosphereless bodies are subjected to a variety of chemical, thermal, accretionary, and shock processes related to their regolith environment. These processes are responsible for a number of alterations that occur in regoliths. Alterations include particle size commutation, implantation of solar wind gases, formation of agglutinates, spectral darkening, and, in the lunar case, the development of the very strong red continuum slope in the visible and near infrared spectra. A great deal of work has pointed to the role of agglutinates as the principal agent for darkening and reddening the lunar soil. The measures of regolith maturity are strongly linked to the accumulation of agglutinates. Recent work has suggested that the finest fractions of agglutinitic glass are major source of the spectral red slope. In particular, the red slope is most strongly associated with the agglutinitic glasses that are rich in blebs of sub-micron sized metal particles. It is thought that these metal particles, because of their size and scattering efficiently relative to the wavelength of light, are responsible for the red continuum slope. This fine fraction of metal particles is produced primarily by reduction of Fe(+2) from silicates. One mechanism for the reduction process is the reaction of solar implanted wind protons with the regolith soil during impact events. In this case the presence of hydrogen creates a reducing environment and the thermal pulse from the impact greatly speeds the reaction kinetics. To explore other reducing and thermal environments a series of experiments were done using samples in evacuated capsules buffered by Tantalum and heated to subsolidus temperatures.

Britt, D. T.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Water in Earth's mantle: Hydrogen analysis of mantle olivine, pyroxenes and garnet using the SIMS

Hydrogen (or water) in the Earth's interior plays a key role in the evolution and dynamics of the planet. However, the abundance and the existence form of the hydrogen have scarcely been clear in practice. Hydrogen in the mantle was incorporated in the interior during the formation of the Earth. The incorporated hydrogen was hardly possible to concentrate locally inside the Earth considering its high mobility and high reactivity. The hydrogen, preferably, could be distributed homogeneously over the mantle and the core by the subsequent physical and chemical processes. Therefore, hydrogen in the mantle could be present in the form of trace hydrogen in nominally anhydrous mantle minerals. The hydrogen and the other trace elements in mantle olivines, orthopyroxenes, clinopyroxenes, and garnets were determined using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for elucidating (1) the exact hydrogen contents, (2) the correlation between the hydrogen and the other trace elements, (3) the dependence of the hydrogen contents on the depth, and (4) the dependence of the whole rock water contents on the depth.

Kurosawa, Masanori↗