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How to do this? Chondrule separation from matrix.
- To: Meteorite List <meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com>
- Subject: How to do this? Chondrule separation from matrix.
- From: Jim Hurley <hurleyj@arachnaut.org>
- Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 02:27:13 -0700
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- Organization: Mind Your Own, a division of None of Your
- Resent-Date: Fri, 10 Jul 1998 05:29:32 -0400 (EDT)
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I have a number of meteorite specimens that have a fragmented
area on a broken surface that exhibit extruded chondrules -
that is, there are roundish chondrules just begging to be unleashed.
Such specimens are Allende and other petrological type 3 and 4
meteorites.
What I would like to do is extract a single chondrule (about
1 mm in size or thereabouts) from the matrix of a few meteorite
specimens and make a small selection of various chondrule types.
I don't want to disturb the matrix very much, but a small hole is
acceptable - it's on the back side of an endslice, usually,
in a broken area not showing fusion crust. I don't want to scratch
the chondrule if I can.
I'd like to have 5 or 6 little chondrules in a small 'box' with
labels showing the source.
Has anyone tried this? What happened? What should and shouldn't I do?
If I did this, what's a good way to display these small objects -
obviously I will observe them mostly though a microscope. If I use a
slide to store them, how can I attach them - Canadian Balsam,
put them on a clean blank slide and spray them with acrylic to glue
them? How do I keep from blowing them away if I spray them? ETC., etc.
I'd appreciate advice from someone who did this or who has some ideas
on an approach.
Some possible sources would be Allende, Saratov, Jilin, etc.
Trying to get a small microprobe is difficult - in biology, one usually
fires the center of a glass rod to melt it, makes a quick pull, and then observes
what results. Doing this several times eventually results in a nice
very sharp point on a microscopic scale - by comparison a common pin
is a crowbar.
I can do this - but I don't think glass will be strong enough to pry
a chondrule.
Maybe I can drill or sand a dental probe to a microscopic point? I tried
a Dremel tool on some tips with no success - still the points are very
gross on the sub-millimter scale. Maybe I need a special bit to sand
these - or just sand by hand on 1200 grit silicon carbide?
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