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At least 523 records · Page 29
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NASA NTRS1984

History of the Apollo 15 yellow impact glass and sample 15426 and 15427

Five fragments of the Apollo yellow impact glass from breccias 15426 and 15427 have been dated by the Ar-39/Ar-40 system using a laser microprobe. These glasses were generated by impact at 3.35 + or -0.05 AE and do not confirm the prediction of 1 AE or less by Delano et al. (1982). Since these glasses were probably produced by an impact into a target of moderate-TiO2 basalts, and the only known flows of such material are younger than the impact event, the target for these glasses must be covered up by later basaltic flows. The average Ar-38-Ar-37 exposure age for these glasses is 274 + or -74 m.y.

Spangler, R. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Ar-39-Ar-40 ages for the Apollo 15 green and yellow volcanic glasses

The laser microprobe was used to extend the Ar-39-Ar-40 method to small, low potassium glassy objects in order to determine the ages of Apollo 15 yellow volcanic, green volcanic group A, and green volcanic group D glasses. The apparent solidification ages for these glasses are 3.62 + or -0.07, 3.41 + or -0.12, and 3.35 + or -.18 aeons, respectively. The ages for group A and d green glasses agree well with previously reported ages for aliquots of 'bulk' green glass. No significant difference in the solidification age was found between the A and D groups. The average exposure ages for the yellow and green glasses from 15426 and 15427 were indistinguishable, with ages between 300 and 275 m.y.

Spangler, R. R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Apollo 16 - Impact melt sheets, contrasting nature of the Cayley plains and Descartes mountains, and geologic history

Apollo 16 stations four and five rake samples have been examined petrographically and by electron microprobe and INAA. Lithologic abundances support the idea (Korontev, 1981) that the variation of soil composition at Apollo 16 results from mixing between a component represented by station five and components much like either the dimict breccias or feldspathic fragmental breccias in composition. Pyroxene, olivine, and coexisting plagioclase compositions from within the anorthosite portions of dimict breccias bridge the gap between the Mg-rich and ferroan anorthosite fields. Analyses from associated cumulate and granulitic clasts indicate that they are the source of the intermediate material. Dimict breccias formed about 3.92 b.y. ago, the nectaris event occurred 3.84-3.92 b.y. ago, and the Cayley plains were deposited as a result of the Imbrium event sometime later than 3.84 b.y.

Mckinley, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Highly photoconducting O2-doped CdS films deposited by spray pyrolysis

CdS films have been prepared by spraying in air solutions of thiourea with either cadmium chloride or cadmium acetate with varying mole ratio and substrate temperature, and subsequently heat treating in oxygen. Substrates included both bare glass or sapphire and transparent conducting oxide-coated sapphire for electrical measurements lateral and transverse to the CdS plane, respectively. Dark resistances of over 10 to the 14th ohms and light-to-dark conductivities of up to 10 to the 7th were obtained using uncoated substrates. The use of Cd(C2H3O2)2 in place of CdCl2 greatly increased the speed of response although with some sacrifice in photoconductivity. Deposition of CdS on ITO-coated surfaces led to greatly reduced dark resistances for the case of CdCl2, but not Cd(C2H3O2)2, presumably due to HCl reaction with the ITO coating in the course of spraying with the former. Ion microprobe analysis detected indium within the CdS films exhibiting low dark resistance. Measurements of the dark and light conductivities at temperatures down to 77 K are given as are the response times for unetched and HCl-etched surfaces.

Richards, D.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Chondrule rims and interchondrule matrix in UOC

Opaque rims around chondrules and clasts were distinguished from opaque, interchondrule matrix apparently unrelated spatially to chondrules and clasts. Microprobe and electron microscope techniques were used. The mean chemical composition for dark rim and matrix in Bishunpur and Tieschitz are similar to the opaque matrix of Huss, et al. However, the mean dark rim compositions in Bishunpur have significantly higher Fe, and lower Na, K, Al and Si than opaque interchondrule matrix. The opaque matrix of Huss, et al, essentially lies between these compositions. In Tieschitz only rim material was observed. In Tieschitz the rims are Si-poor and dominated by normative olivine (Fo50). Again there is an Na, K, Al component but is often nepheline normative rather than albitic. It too is probably present as glass, Ashworth (pers.comm.). In Bishunpur rims as well as the silicate-FeS, FeNi layering described by Allen, et al, discontinuous layering was observed within the silicate portion. This is apparently due to variations in the proportions of the components, particularly in the glassy phase. In Bishunpur there is a strong genetic link between matrix and rims, although rims seem to have formed under different, possibly more oxidizing, conditions. Also the presence of the same component in rims, matrix chondrules, and clasts suggests a common source.

Alexander, C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Structural development in the Santa Catharina meteorite

A metallographic study was undertaken to seek support for the idea that Santa Catharina is really massive cloudy taenite. Available metal-rich nuggets of Santa Catharina appear to have been single crystals of taenite in the few centimeter size range, separated from each other by grain boundaries occupied by troilite and schreibersite. Metallographic and electron microprobe data allow one to postulate the following cooling and structural development history: (1) single crystal taenite formed at high temperature; (2) phosphate formed within the taenite and grain boundary schreibersite formed at interfaces with troilite or with other taenite crystals; (3) schreibersite began to precipitate within taenite at about 650 C; (4) at about 450 C the meteorite entered the three phase field at which point kamacite precipitated and started growing; and (5) kamacite/schreibersite interface measurements indicate that cooling continued down to about 350 C, with large Ni diffusion gradients developing within schreibersites.

Clarke, R. S., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Grainsize evolution and differential comminution in an experimental regolith

The comminution of planetary surfaces by exposure to continuous meteorite bombardment was simulated by impacting the same fragmental gabbro target 200 times. The role of comminution and in situ gardening of planetary regoliths was addressed. Mean grain size continuously decreased with increasing shot number. Initially it decreased linearly with accumulated energy, but at some stage comminution efficiency started to decrease gradually. Point counting techniques, aided by the electron microprobe for mineral identification, were performed on a number of comminution products. Bulk chemical analyses of specific grain size fractions were also carried out. The finest sizes ( 10 microns) display generally the strongest enrichment/depletion factors. Similar, if not exactly identical, trends are reported from lunar soils. It is, therefore, not necessarily correct to explain the chemical characteristics of various grain sizes via different admixtures of materials from distant source terrains. Differential comminution of local source rocks may be the dominating factor.

Horz, F.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Pristine highland clasts in consortium breccia 14305 Petrology and geochemistry

Data are presented on the petrography and mineral chemistry of six pristine highland clasts chipped from the polymict lunar breccia 14305. Major and trace elements in the clasts were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis, and mineral analyses were performed by electron microprobe. Mg-suite clasts have 'eastern' geochemical affinities, reaffirming the importance of local variations in geochemistry. These local variations are superimposed on the moon-wide, longitudinal variations noted by Warren and Wasson (1980). Alkali anorthosites and Mg-suite troctolites and anorthosites are not comagmatic, and cannot be related to a single parent magma by either fractional crystallization or variable assimilation of KREEP. Both magma suites may have assimilated varied amounts of KREEP into distinct parent magmas. Alternatively, alkali anorthosites may have crystallized directly from a KREEP-basalt parent magma. A thick crust of ferroan anorthosite probably never existed on the western lunar nearside, or was removed by basin-forming impacts prior to intrusion of later plutonic suites.

Shervais, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Mineralogical comparison and cooling history of lunar and chondritic vesicular melt breccias

Lunar sample 77135, an impact melt breccia full of vesicles, has been reinvestigated by electron microprobe and X-ray diffraction techniques and compared with a vesicular melt LL chondrite, Yamato 790964, in an attempt to understand their impact heating processes and subsequent cooling history. Notable similarities between the lunar and chondritic melt breccias include: abundant vesicles, similar pyroxene chemical zoning trends, the presence of variable amounts of clastic material, and similar chemical compositions except for K and Na contents of glass and mesostasis. Some constraints on the cooling history are estimated from Mg-Fe diffusion profiles in olivine and pyroxene. The burial depth of lunar sample 77135 during cooling was 0.2-100 m; the depth for the chondrite was probably smaller. Impact melts were probably produced and a layer of regolith retained on the parent body sufficiently thick to allow the olivines to homogenize during slow cooling.

Miyamoto, M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Cathodoluminescence zoning and minor elements in forsterites from the Murchison (C2) and Allende (C3V) carbonaceous chondrites

Cathodoluminescence has been applied to look for textural features of olivine in carbonaceous meteorites relevant to the unresolved dispute over the origin of the olivine, whether from a vapor or a liquid. Cathodoluminescence photographs of forsterite grains in Murchison (C2) and Allende (C3) meteorites presented here reveal a blue core with planar boundaries to a red or dark rim. High-precision electron microprobe analyses have been performed which reveal unusually large amounts of the 'minor' elements Al, Ti, and Ca in the blue cores of these forsterites, suggesting formation by crystallization at high temperatures from a source rich in these metals. Following conclusions drawn from previous analyses of olivine in meteorites, it is argued that the minor element signature should be able to characterize olivines in micrometeorites and in deep-sea particles.

Steele, I. M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Minor-element signature of relic olivine grains in deep-sea particles - A match with forsterites from C2 meteorites

The results of high-precision electron microprobe analyses on relic forsterites in 13 different deep sea particles (DSP) are described, comparing their 'minor' element (Mn, Cr, Ca, Ti, Al) signatures with those of olivines found in several types of meteorites. The results show that the DSP olivines do not match those from terrestrial and lunar rocks and achondritic meteoroties, match poorly those of the carbonaceous Allende (CV3) and Orgeuil (CI) meteorites, but are well matched with olivines from C2 meteorites, including the unusual Belgica 7904 meteorite.

Steele, I. M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Surface sulfur measurements on stratospheric particles

The surface chemistries of three particulate samples collected from the lower stratosphere have been determined using a Scanning Auger Microprobe (SAM). These samples are typical of the most abundant natural and anthropogenic particles observed within the stratosphere in the greater-than-2-micron diameter size fraction. Succsessive sputtering and analysis below the first few adsorbed monolayers of all particles shows the presence of a thin (less than 150A) sulfur layer. These sulfur regions probably formed by surface reaction of sulfur-rich aerosols with each particle within the stratosphere. Settling rate calculations show that a typical sphere (10-micron diameter) may reside within the aerosol layer for 20 days and thus provide a qualitative guide to surface sulfur reaction rates.

Mackinnon, I. D. R.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The identification of group II inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites by electron probe microanalysis of perovskite

The technique developed by Kornacki (1984) for identifying group II Ca/Al-rich inclusions in carbonaceous chondrites by electron-microprobe analysis of the ZrO2 or Y2O3 content of their perovskite component is demonstrated using material from 20 Allende inclusions. The results are presented in tables and graphs and compared with findings obtained by other procedures. Group II inclusions are found to have perovskites generally containing less than 0.10 wt pct ZrO2 and/or Y2O3 (average of several grains), while those of groups I, III, V, and VI have more than 0.25 wt pct ZrO2. Analysis of data on eight Allende Ca/Al-rich inclusions shows that 75 percent of the fine-grained inclusions belong to group II. The implications of these findings for fractionation processes in the primitive solar nebula are indicated.

Kornacki, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS1985

New eutectic alloys and their heats of transformation

Eutectic compositions and congruently melting intermetallic compounds in binary and multicomponent systems among common elements such as Al, Ca, Cu, Mg, P, Si, and Zn may be useful for high temperature heat storage. In this work, heats of fusion of new multicomponent eutectics and intermetallic phases are reported, some of which are competitive with molten salts in heat storage density at high temperatures. The method used to determine unknown eutectic compositions combined results of differential thermal analysis, metallography, and microprobe analysis. The method allows determination of eutectic compositions in no more than three steps. The heats of fusion of the alloys were measured using commercial calorimeters, a differential thermal analyzer, and a differential scanning calorimeter.

Farkas, D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Basaltic volcanism on the eucrite parent body - Petrology and chemistry of the polymict eucrite ALHA80102

The polymict eucrite meteorite ALHA80102 is an unequilibrated breccia of basaltic and gabbroic clasts in a fragmental matrix. Clasts include basalts of many textural types, cumulate gabbro, black 'glass', and ferroan troctolite (plagioclase, silica, Fe-rich olivine, ilmenite, mesostasis). Ferroan troctolite has not been previously reported from eucrites or howardites; it is interpreted as the end-product of fractional crystallization of eucritic magmas. Bulk and trace element compositions (by electron microprobe and INAA) of clasts and matrix from ALHA80102 are similar to those of other eucrites; the meteorite contains clasts similar to Juvinas and to Stannern. A clast of cumulate eucrite gabbro is enriched in the light rare earths (La/Lu = 2XCI). This clast is interpreted as an unrepresentative sample of metamorphically equilibrated gabbro; LREE-enriched magmas need not be invoked. ALHA80102 is similar to other polymict eucrites from the Allan Hills and may be paired with ALHA76005, ALHA77302, and ALHA78040.

Treiman, A. H.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Chemical reactions involved in the initiation of hot corrosion of IN-738

Sodium-sulfate-induced hot corrosion of preoxidized IN-738 was studied at 975 C with special emphasis placed on the processes occurring during the long induction period. Thermogravimetric tests were run for predetermined periods of time, and then one set of specimens was washed with water. Chemical analysis of the wash solutions yielded information about water soluble metal salts and residual sulfate. A second set of samples was cross sectioned dry and polished in a nonaqueous medium. Element distributions within the oxide scale were obtained from electron microprobe X-ray micrographs. Evolution of SO was monitored throughout the thermogravimetric tests. Kinetic rate studies were performed for several pertinent processes; appropriate rate constants were obtained from the following chemical reactions; Cr203 + 2 Na2S04(1) + 3/2 02 yields 2 Na2Cr04(1) + 2 S03(g)n TiO2 + Na2S04(1) yields Na20(T102)n + 503(g)n T102 + Na2Cro4(1) yields Na2(T102)n + Cr03(g).

Fryburg, G. C.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Impact melting of the Cachari eucrite 3.0 Gy ago

The chemical compositions and Ar-isotope gas-retention ages of host phase and glass veins in the Cachari eucrite are determined by microprobe and neutron-activation analysis and mass spectrometry, respectively. The results are presented in tables, graphs, and back-scattered electron images and characterized in detail. The compositions are found to support the thesis that the glass formed by shock melting of the host rock (or of rock having the same composition). The Ar-39/Ar-40 ages of host and glass are given as 3.04 + or - 0.07 Gyr and 3.47 + or - 0.04 Gyr, respectively; the former value is taken as the true data of melting, and the latter is attributed to incomplete postmelt degassing of Ar from the glass phase. The implications of the relative youth of this and other eucrites and howardites for the regolith history of the parent body are considered.

Bogard, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Willy: A prize noble Ur-Fremdling - Its history and implications for the formation of Fremdlinge and CAI

The structure and composition of Willy, a 150-micron-diameter Fremdling in CAI 5241 from the Allende meteorite, are investigated using optical, secondary-electron, and electron-backscatter microscopy and electron-microprobe analysis. The results are presented in diagrams, maps, tables, graphs, and micrographs and compared with those for other Allende Fremdlinge. Willy is found to have a concentric-zone structure comprising a complex porous core of magnetite, metal, sulfide, scheelite, and other minor phases; a compact magnetite-apatite mantle; a thin (20 microns or less) reaction-assemblage zone; and a dense outer rim of fassaite with minor spinel. A multistage formation sequence involving changes in T and fO2 and preceding the introduction of Willy into the CAI (which itself preceded CAI spinel and silicate formation) is postulated, and it is inferred from the apparent lack of post-capture recrystallization that Willy has not been subjected to temperatures in excess of 600 C and may represent the precursor material for many other Fremdlinge.

Armstrong, J. T.↗