Title
The Measurement Of Meteorite Heat Capacity At Low Temperatures Using Liquid Nitrogen Vaporization
Keywords
Asteroids; Heat capacity; Laboratory; Meteorites; Physical properties
Abstract
Meteorite heat capacity (specific heat) is an essential parameter in modeling many aspects of the orbital and internal evolution of small solar system bodies, and can be a tool for characterization of the material in a meteorite itself. We have devised a novel method for the measurement of this quantity in whole- rock samples of meteorites, at low temperatures typical of asteroids. We insert the sample in liquid nitrogen, measure the mass of nitrogen boiled off due to the heat within the sample, and calibrating against measurements of pure quartz with a temperature-averaged heat capacity of 494J/kgK we calculate the temperature-average heat capacity of the sample. We show that this method is accurate, rapid, inexpensive, and non-destructive. Preliminary results for chondrites and metal rich meteorites are in excellent agreement with the literature data for meteorites, and hold the promise that such measurements may not only produce values useful to modelers but they also may provide an efficient way to classify whole meteorite samples and characterize subtle differences between meteorites of different compositional classes. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.
Publication Date
1-1-2013
Publication Title
Planetary and Space Science
Volume
87
Number of Pages
146-156
Document Type
Article
Personal Identifier
scopus
DOI Link
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2013.07.009
Copyright Status
Unknown
Socpus ID
84888347784 (Scopus)
Source API URL
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84888347784
STARS Citation
Consolmagno, Guy J.; Schaefer, Martha W.; Schaefer, Bradley E.; Britt, Daniel T.; and Macke, Robert J., "The Measurement Of Meteorite Heat Capacity At Low Temperatures Using Liquid Nitrogen Vaporization" (2013). Scopus Export 2010-2014. 7305.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/scopus2010/7305