Mössbauer Effect and High-Voltage Electron Microscopy of Pyroxenes in Type B Samples

Abstract

Lunar bulk sample 10084,85 (< 1 mm size dust), and samples from rocks 10017,17 (fine grained, vesicular), 10046,17 (breccia), 10057,59 (fine grained, vesicular, top surface), 10057,60 (fine grained, vesicular, interior), and 10058,24 (medium grained, not vesicular) have been investigated by ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. Iron metal and the Fe²⁺ minerals ilmenite, pyroxene, troilite, and iron containing glass have been identified. An iron line of sample 10084,85 (originally sealed in nitrogen) showed no significant intensity change when the sample was exposed to air. The antiferromagnetic transition in several lunar ilmenites at 57⁰ ± 2°K corresponds to stoichiometric FeTiO,. Magneticallv separated 10057 showed troilite and somne metallic iron.