[meteorite-list] Meteorite Times - Oriented Irons

From: Bernd Pauli HD <bernd.pauli_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:08:22 2004
Message-ID: <3D78ECC9.7AD8220C_at_lehrer.uni-karlsruhe.de>

Jeff Kuyken wrote:

> G'day List,

G'day Down Under,

> So just how do you get a specimen like this?
> I'm sure someone out there could give a good
> answer. I would love to know. I have included
> the link below to a page I quickly put together
> showing my piece.

http://www.meteoritesaustralia.com/features/taza2.html

Jeff, if you are referring to your button-shape, 2.84-gram
Taza, then my guess is that the word "button" says it all.
This absolutely reminds me of the ablation process that
Australian tektite buttons with flanges underwent:

Scenario 1:

1. a stable, spherical, viscous mass enters the atmosphere,
2. it is is exposed to a high-speed air stream,
3. material ablates away from that part of the meteoroid
   (the smooth rounded area in #1) which faces the direction
   of flight towards Earth
4. the wreath-like, broad ring material did not have enough
   time to flow to the rear surface - maybe already too cool.
5. the warty area in pic #2 represents the rear surface.

Scenario 2:

1 - 3 = scenario 1
4. the smooth front surface in #1 consists of a harder material
   that successfully resisted (further) melting (temperature?)
5. see above

Maybe it thought it wanted to be a flanged
button and should develop a typical flange :-)


Cheers,

Bernd
Received on Fri 06 Sep 2002 01:58:33 PM PDT