[meteorite-list] Moldavite Update

[MexicoDoug at aol.com]

AL M. wrote:

>Someone mentioned one time of putting tektites in a microwave 
>oven for a bit (on high) to try to determine if it is an Earth based 
>specimen or a possible tektite. This seems reasonable to me 
>but I'm not a real tektite buff. If it is a tektite then it shouldn't 
>get hot as there is a lack of moisture to vibrate and get hot 
>where something Earth based which has more moisture
 
Hola Al, (Mark Fe, and Norm),
 
Funny you should mention this, I promise I also was going to speculate on  
the same microwave musing in my prior post on the subject, but to really  
promise I wasn't trying it with my tektites and don't blame me if the wrong  
authentic tektite blew up.  
 
The reason I didn't mention it afterall, although the keyboard trigger  
fingers were hard to control, was because microwave radiation from microwave  ovens 
is not optimized for absorption by water.  I know this might sound  wrong - 
why wouldn't an oven be more efficient...but the problem is that if the  ovens 
really were optimized for water rotational states, etc., the 'waves would  be 
absorbed by the first water (in food) on the surface that the wave shined on,  
and we would end up with water vapors pouring off the "skin" of the foods and 
 inside the oven, and little penetration or warming inside.  Not a good way  
to cook that hamburger:(
 
So if we put a tektite inside an oven for a long time to work the  
temperature up, we shouldn't forget that micro bubbles are not only possible in  
tektites, but probable.  So whatever is in there, water included could  conceptually 
create a stress and fracture the tektite.  Tektites are  remarkably 
uniform...but they do have built in stresses which can be seen by  measures under 
appropriately using polarized light you can see the  birefringence.
 
Will this be enough to micro or macro fracture the tektite?  I have no  idea. 
 But if anyone is brave enough to do this test, DON'T do it with  layered 
Muong Nong tektites, which not only contain more water (say triple) as  typical 
tektites, but also have greater built in stresses...
 
Either way, there might be something to it Al, just I'd be chicken to try  
it!  Can't wait to hear Norm's results, and ir you or anyone want to do the  
microwave deal...that too out of true interest and a bit of healthy morbid  
curiosity...
Saludos, Doug