[meteorite-list] purple inclusion in Pete's meteorite

From: Marc Fries <m.fries_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Oct 10 12:08:10 2005
Message-ID: <1924.10.14.9.1.1128960486.squirrel_at_webmail.ciw.edu>

Howdy, all

   I just finished a quick Raman analysis of Pete's meteorite, the one
with the purple inclusion in a sulfide. The short version - it's an
oxide weathering rind in a void in the sulfide. I don't recall who
raised that possibility, but you win the cigar.

   The long version is that the sulfide appears to be pentlandite or at
least fairly nickel-rich for troilite. The Raman spectrum is fairly
odd, but that probably has to do with the very little information
available on Raman spectra of sulfides rather than anything truly
bizarre about the sample. Examination under a light microscope shows
that the purple bit isn't an inclusion at all but an optical illusion
of one - it's a void space in the sulfide that is coated on all
surfaces with the reflective purple coating. A Raman spectrum shows
that it contains the sulfide along with both hematite and magnetite.
In other words, the sulfide is in the initial stages of rusting.

   Shiny.

Cheers,
MDF

Marc Fries
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Geophysical Laboratory
5251 Broad Branch Rd. NW
Washington, DC 20015
PH: 202 478 7970
FAX: 202 478 8901
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Received on Mon 10 Oct 2005 12:08:06 PM PDT