XRD, SEM and petrologic characterization of stony-iron and metallic meteorites

Abstract

Meteorites are remnants of geological processes that occurred in our Solar System. Properly analyzed, the bulk composition, mineralogy, and petrology of meteorites can be used to constrain planet formation processes. Moreover, the laboratorial characterization of meteorite samples plays an important role in the interpretation of asteroid remote observation spectra. In this work, we have characterized three meteorite samples, recovered in Morocco, using XRD, SEM and mineralogical microscopy. The major constituent minerals were identified and their average compositions were determined. From the obtained results, these meteorites were classified as belonging to the classes of the stony-iron and metallic meteorites. Composition profiles across selected chondrules and inter-grain boundaries are presented, along with information on the chondrules texture.