The Khor Temiki meteorite

Abstract

The Khor Temiki meteorite is an aubrite, containing metal both in small fragments with about 5 1 2 % Ni and in minute inclusions (with only 2 1 2 –3 built1 2 %Ni) in the silicates, which are almost wholly enstatite, with high-albite (An 4, anal.) and a very little forsterite, diopside and clinoenstatite. Troilite appears to be absent, but there is a little oldhamite. There are appreciable differences in the minor element content of the large enstatite fragments and the enstatite in the fine-grained groundmass. A small black inclusion differs from the bulk mainly in a higher content of free metal and in higher iron and lower alumina, lime, and alkalis in the silicates. A metal fragment examined is not a single phase despite its low nickel content, but consists of minute inclusions of an Ni-rich alloy (≈50 % Ni) in oriented arrangement in an Ni-poor alloy (≈4 1 2 %Ni).