Title

Density, porosity, and magnetic susceptibility of achondritic meteorites

Authors

Authors

R. J. Macke; D. T. Britt;G. J. Consolmagno

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

Meteorit. Planet. Sci.

Keywords

PARENT BODY; MARTIAN METEORITES; SNC METEORITES; CLASSIFICATION; UREILITES; SHERGOTTITES; EUCRITE; ORIGIN; BODIES; IMPACT; Geochemistry & Geophysics

Abstract

As part of a large-scale survey of meteorite bulk and grain densities, porosities, and magnetic susceptibilities, we measured these properties for 174 stones from 106 achondritic meteorites. These include four lunar meteorites, 15 stones from 10 shergottites, nakhlites, and chassignites (SNCs), 96 stones from 56 howardites, eucrites, and diogenites (HEDs), 17 stones from nine aubrites, two angrites, and 16 stones from 10 ureilites, four stones of three acapulcoites, as well as four stones of three lodranites, and 15 stones from eight primitive achondrites. Those meteorites derived from basalts and crustal material of differentiated parent bodies have lower densities and magnetic susceptibilities, on an average, than the more primitive achondrites, which have a higher percentage metal. A notable exception is the one chassignite in the study (Chassigny), which has a high grain density of 3.73 +/- 0.04 g cm-3. Ureilites have magnetic susceptibilities consistent with primitive achondrites, but lower grain densities. Porosities do not vary considerably between most of the groups, with most stones 5-14% porous, although on an average, ureilites and brachinites have lower porosities, with most stones less than 7% porous. For primitive achondrites, the higher metal content causes finds to exhibit weathering effects similar to what is observed in ordinary chondrites, with a reduction in grain density, magnetic susceptibility, and porosity as compared with unweathered falls. For lunites, SNCs, and HEDs, no such effect is observed. We also observe that grain density and magnetic susceptibility used in conjunction distinguish shergottites, nakhlites, and chassignites from each other. Shergottites and nakhlites have low grain densities (averaging 3.31 and 3.41 g cm-3, respectively) whereas Chassigny is 3.7 g cm-3. In magnetic susceptibility, shergottities and chassignites are similar (averaging 2.85 and 2.98 in log units of 10-9 m3 kg-1, respectively) with nakhlites averaging higher at 3.42.

Journal Title

Meteoritics & Planetary Science

Volume

46

Issue/Number

2

Publication Date

1-1-2011

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

311

Last Page

326

WOS Identifier

WOS:000287487300009

ISSN

1086-9379

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