The investigations of chondritic meteorites by X-ray diffraction and Mossbauer effect methods

Abstract

The Mossbauer spectroscopy and X -ray diffraction techniques were used to investigate the mineral and magnetic fractions of two meteorites : carbonaceous chondrite named Allende (CV 3) and ordinary chondrite - El Hammami (H 5). The investigations of a powder mixture of chondrules and matrix show that the meteorites studied contain iron mainly in the silicates, olivine, and pyroxene. The metallic fractions of the El Hammami meteorite contain the ferromagnetic mineral kamacite (bcc iron-nickel alloy). This phase with cubic symmetry was identified by symmetric M ossbauer spectrum with disturbance in relative line intensities. The results suggest that the Allende meteorite does not contain a pure metallic phase.