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Re: Halite/sylvite; Cu in meteorites



2) Native Cu is fairly common in ordinary chondrites.  Rubin wrote
a paper on this occurrence (Meteoritics 29, 93-98, 1994).  The
grains are tiny and rare (<20 micrometers, 1 part per million by 
volume of rock).  The Cu grains are found in association with 
metallic minerals and troilite, and may have formed by shock
processes.  Most of the Cu in chondrites, even those with native
Cu grains, is dissolved in the metal.  The presence of these
grains probably has no effect on the color of a fireball.

1) With regard to the NaCl/KCl in Monahans (1998), nobody that I've 
talked to knows of any similar occurrences.  These minerals have
apparently been found in some achondrites (ureilites?), but not
like this in a chondrite (to my knowledge).  Of course, I'll bet
that these salts would be quite reactive in the presence of 
atmospheric water and meteoritic metal, so they may have been
overlooked before (how many ordinary chondrites go right into a
dessicator one day after falling?)  Nevertheless, it looks like
an extraordinary meteorite.