[meteorite-list] "Taza" classification

From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:44:12 2004
Message-ID: <AF564D2B9D91D411B9FE00508BF1C8698E54AE_at_US-Torrance.mail.saic.com>

Hi Matteo,

> Hello all Today, after an hour in order to smooth a face of a fragment
> of the meteorite iron Taza, I have polished and etched the surface
> and have appeared of the strange ones pattern. For my opinion the
> Taza is not ataxite one, could be one octahedrite but it is much
> strange one. The photography you can see it in the situated one: ...

Unfortunately, I am unable to view your JPG image due to a
firewall restriction at my work. However, I can tell you
that "Taza" (name not approved yet!) is an unusual iron
that does not fit well into one of the existing categories.
It has high nickel content (~18%), thus the natural ataxite
assumption. However, the trace metals are different, and
some are calling this meteorite a plessitic octahedrite.

Someone should try etching it with ferric chloride instead of
Nitol to see if that improves the contrast of the underlying
crystal pattern -- Ron/Jim? --Rob
Received on Fri 15 Jun 2001 02:30:03 PM PDT