Natural blue thermoluminescence emission of the recently fallen meteorite in Villalbeto de la Peña (Spain)

Abstract

This paper reports on the thermal stability of the natural blue thermoluminescence (TL) of a well-characterised meteorite fallen in Villalbeto de la Peña (Palencia, Spain) in January 4, 2004. The meteorite specimen exhibits a complex structure of the spectra emission a wide broad maximum peaked at about 320 °C that can be associated with consecutive breaking linking of bonds (e.g. of Al–O, Cr–O, Fe–O) from lattices of several phases, i.e., olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, plagioclase and redox reactions. The natural TL emission seems to be essentially caused by the Na–Ca plagioclase as the brighter material inside this L6 chondrite. The thermal stability tests, at different temperatures, confirm a continuous trap distribution with progressive changes in the glow curve shape, intensity and temperature position of the main peak. In consequence, the glow curve analysis methods commonly used for synthetic materials based on single-discrete traps cannot be applied for this material.