Comparative mineral chemistry of IDPs, micrometeorites and meteorite matrices

• Published in: Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America
• Main Author: Klöck, Wolfgang
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1992
• Subjects: General Medicine; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0424820100133229; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0424820100133229

Chondritic porous aggregates are one subclass of Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs). The remaining classes presently identified are hydrated IDPs consisting mainly of serpentine or smectite. We have been investigating mineral compositions in these types of IDPs, in micrometeorites from Antarctica and compared them to mineral compositions in finegrained meteorite materials, like matrices and chondrule dust mantles from several meteorite classes. Based on our mineral analyses we subdivide anhydrous IDPs into three types. Type I contains olivines and/or pyroxenes having very variable iron contents from Fa 0 to Fa 35 and Fs 0 to Fs 30. Mineral phases in these particles are truly unequilibrated. Mineral grains in several particles of type I IDPs were found to contain solar flare tracks (pers. comm. John Bradley, McCrone Associates, Chicago). Almost all type I IDPs studied contain low-iron manganese enriched (LIME) olivines and/or pyroxenes.