Title: Darkening in black and gas-rich ordinary chondrites: The spectral effects of opaque morphology and distribution
Abstract: Darkening of ordinary chondrite surface material by regolith processes such as shock-induced heating may hinder identification of main asteroid belt parent bodies for ordinary chondrites. There are two types of darkened ordinary chondrites, the black chondrites and the gas-rich chondrites. Relative to normal ordinary chondrites, they show reduced reflectance, a modest red continuum slope, and subdued absorption features that can make mineral identification challenging. Both meteorite types are darkened by the dispersion of micron-scale FeNi metal and troilite. The two major morphologies of metal dispersion are (1) a random dispersion of 0.5–5 μm diameter blebs of FeNi metal and troilite throughout the silicates and (2) fine networks of veins up to 5-μm thick.
Publication Year: 1994
Publication Date: 1994-09-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 116
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