Annealing studies of the thermoluminescence of meteorites and implications for their metamorphic history
The application of thermoluminescence to study metamorphism in the type 3 ordinary chondrites and five CAI from the Allende meteorite is explored. It has been found that the changes in the shape of the TL curve provide insight into the thermal history of the meteorites and meteoritic components. It is also shown that for ordinary chondrites, the TL sensitivity depends on the amount of feldspar present which, in turn, is governed by the intensity of metamorphism experienced. A type 3.4 ordinary chondrite shows changes in the peak temperature and width occurred upon annealing. These parameters showed a discontinuous increase after annealing at 800/sup 0/C; the peak temperature jumped from 130 to 200/sup 0/C and peak width increased from 90 to 150/sup 0/C. These changes in the TL emission characteristics suggest that type 3.3-3.5 ordinary chondrites have a low-feldspar as the dominant TL phosphor and > 3.5 have high feldspar as the phosphor. Thermoluminescence therefore provides a means of paleothermometry. In addition, experiments were performed aimed at causing the crystallization of feldspar in mesostasis glass in an attempt to reproduce the trends of increasing TL sensitivity with metamorphism. At high temperatures and longer annealing times, increases in TL sensitivity by factors of up to 40 were observed.
- Research Organization:
- Arkansas Univ., Fayetteville (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 7024090
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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