[meteorite-list] Magnetic susceptibility probe

From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:23:45 2004
Message-ID: <AF564D2B9D91D411B9FE00508BF1C86901B4E77E_at_US-Torrance.mail.saic.com>

Hi Pierre and List,

Pierre suggested:

> yes there is a way, both preserving the magnetic memory and highly
> improving the magnetic discrimination: a simple magnetic
> susceptibility probe, pocket sized, that gives you in a second a
> quantitative estimate of the amount of metal or magnetite in a piece
> of rock. It costs 1800 $.

It sounds intriguing, but at that price I doubt any meteorite hunter
is going to spring for it.

> It can easily discriminate between LL and L, L and H or even eucrite
> and howardite, for example.

Ahhh, but what about weathering? If you can't see into the interior
of a meteorite, you'll know nothing about its weathering grade. The
range of responses corresponding to the various weathering grades of
an H (for instance) will easily intersect that of the L's and probably
even unweathered LL's. Presumably similar difficulties will be
encountered with achondrites. --Rob
Received on Tue 04 Mar 2003 04:00:05 PM PST