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

[Mark Langenfeld]

Hey, hey.  Not to toot my own horn, but I'll take the cigar!

Mark


> 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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