The Villalbeto de la Peña meteorite fall: III. Bulk chemistry, porosity, magnetic properties, 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy

Abstract

Detailed mineralogical and chemical studies and measurements of the magnetic properties and porosity of the Villalbeto de la Peña (L6) chondrite are reported. The measured abundances of 36 chemical elements are within the range observed for L6 chondrites for most elements, except for Pd and Os, which are particularly abundant in Villalbeto de la Pea. The specific magnetic susceptibility of the meteorite is 4.85 ± 0.05 (in 10^(-9) m^3kg^(-1)) and the porosity is 4.7%. The JRS/JS (1.2 ±  0.2 x  10^(-3)) and HC (3.3 x  10^(-4) T) values recorded are among the lowest ever reported for a chondrite. 57Fe Mssbauer spectroscopy of the whole rock indicates that the meteorite faced oxidizing conditions prior to fall. The Mössbauer spectrum of the metal fraction shows the presence of the only ferromagnetic phases kamacite and taenite. No tetrataenite is present, which is in total accordance to magnetic studies. Raman spectra yield compositional values for olivine (χMg ~0.76), orthopyroxene (χMg ~0.79), and clinopyroxene (χMg ~0.49). Raman spectra of phosphate in shock veins indicates that Villalbeto de la Pea was not severely shock-metamorphosed.