[meteorite-list] magnetic or non magnetic?

From: rochette <rochette_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:54:06 2004
Message-ID: <v04003a02b89665dbbef6_at_[193.49.98.39]>

>>
>> Which meteorites would NOT be attracted to a magnet.
>> Lunar and Mars meteorites to my knowledge anymore out their??
>>
>
>I don't know of any. Lunar and Mars meteorites are in fact attracted
>to a strong magnet. Even the carbonaceous chondrites are attracted
>to strong magnets.
>
>Ron Baalke
>
Dear list members

we are discussing on a threshold; the answer is not yes or no, but more or
less. Even air (due to the paramagnetism of oxygen) can be attracted with
the proper magnet! I have hand permanent magnets that are able to lift a
paramagnetic siilicate like olivine from the table.

For meteorites with less than 1% of metal (like Allende, Howardite,LL,
lunar...) if you have a strong magnet, and you take crumbles of the
material on a sheet of paper, you are right Matteo, Ron and Steve, touching
them with a magnet can move the crumbles, may be lift some of them. However
the magnet does not stick to the bulk rock, like for L or H.
On the other hand metal is heterogeneously distributed, so some fragments
of the same howardite or LL can have several percent of metal so behave
like a L. But again the bulk does not!

Saying that the above experiment shows that these low metal meteorites are
magnetic, results in saying that a lot of terrestrial rocks have the same
behavior, thus rending the magnet proof pointless (again check with a
basalt or a Yosemite granite: it behaves like Allende).

Thanks Steve Shoner for your support!

Pierre
Received on Mon 18 Feb 2002 03:18:41 AM PST