Title

The Significance Of Meteorite Density And Porosity

Keywords

Asteroids; Density; Meteorites; Porosity; Solar nebula; Trans-Neptunian objects

Abstract

Non-destructive, non-contaminating, and relatively simple procedures can be used to measure the bulk density, grain density, and porosity of meteorites. Most stony meteorites show a relatively narrow range of densities, but differences within this range can be useful indicators of the abundance and oxidation state of iron and the presence or absence of volatiles. Typically, ordinary chondrites have a porosity of just under 10%, while most carbonaceous chondrites (with notable exceptions) are more than 20% porous. Such measurements provide important clues to the nature of the physical processes that formed and evolved both the meteorites themselves and their parent bodies. When compared with the densities of small solar system bodies, one can deduce the nature of asteroid and comet interiors, which in turn reflect the accretional and collisional environment of the early solar system. © 2008 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Publication Date

4-30-2008

Publication Title

Chemie der Erde

Volume

68

Issue

1

Number of Pages

1-29

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2008.01.003

Socpus ID

41549152401 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/41549152401

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