Thermomagnetic behavior of extraterrestrial minerals: An overview
Abstract
For decades, there has been significant interest in the study of meteorites as they reveal important information about the formation and evolution of the Solar System. In particular, rock magnetism and paleomagnetism of meteorites have provided crucial insights into the magnetic field of the early solar system, which could have affected the transfer of mass and angular momentum resulting in the formation of Earth and its planetary neighbors. High-field and low-field thermomagnetic analyses represent a powerful tool within the extensive arsenal of methods used to investigate magnetic characteristics of meteorites. However, the interpretation of thermomagnetic data can be challenging due to the complex and intricate extraterrestrial mineralogy, which includes both primary minerals and the ones formed later due to metamorphic, metasomatic, and other processes. Notably, phase transformations that occur in very strongly magnetic FeNi minerals may dominate measured signals and compete with, or obscure, the presence of other minerals. This is illustrated by new data from the Daule L5 ordinary chondrite that reveal an array of Curie/Néel points, thermomagnetic transitions, and mineral phase transformations. This review seeks to highlight different magnetic phase transitions and mineral transformations that are common in extraterrestrial materials, the debates that are currently present on this topic, and the implications for future study of meteorites.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020AGUFMGP004..05B
- Keywords:
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- 1518 Magnetic fabrics and anisotropy;
- GEOMAGNETISM AND PALEOMAGNETISM;
- 1519 Magnetic mineralogy and petrology;
- GEOMAGNETISM AND PALEOMAGNETISM;
- 1540 Rock and mineral magnetism;
- GEOMAGNETISM AND PALEOMAGNETISM;
- 1594 Instruments and techniques;
- GEOMAGNETISM AND PALEOMAGNETISM