Moon Mineralogy Mapper spectroscopic observations are used to assess the mineralogy of five sites that have recently been proposed to include lunar dark mantle deposits (DMDs). Volcanic glasses have, for the first time, clearly been identified at the location of three of the proposed pyroclastic deposits. This is the first time that volcanic glasses have been identified at such a small scale on...

The purpose of the Enhanced Particulate Matter Surveillance Program was to provide scientifically founded information on the chemical and physical properties of dust collected during a period of approximately 1 year in Djibouti, Afghanistan (Bagram, Khowst), Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Iraq (Balad, Baghdad, Tallil, Tikrit, Taji, Al Asad), and Kuwait (northern, central, coastal, and southern re...

Introduction: The NASA Stardust mission is expected to collect in low-density, silica aerogel more than 1,000 dust particles >10 μm in size from the dust coma surrounding Comet Wild-2. It is planned that Stardust will return these samples to Earth early in 2006. Removal of each particle from the aerogel increases the possibility of contamination or loss, thus we are developing a facility to per...

The discovery of a phase transition in Mg-silicate perovskite (Pv) to postperovskite (pPv) at lowermost mantle pressure-temperature (P - T) conditions may provide an explanation for the discontinuous increase in shear wave velocity found in some regions at a depth range of 200 to 400 km above the core-mantle boundary, hereafter the D('') discontinuity. However, recent studies on binary and tern...

Results are presented of a continued investigation of the infrared colorimetry of the Martian bright and dark areas. Laboratory comparisons indicate that the infrared color profile of the Martian deserts matches that of a naturally occurring limonite stain which forms and is preserved on igneous rocks in a terrestrial desert environment. The co]orimetry of the Martian dark regions is compared t...

Thermomagnetic analysis of magnetic susceptibility k(T) was carried out for a number of natural powder materials from soils, baked clay and anthropogenic dust samples using fast (11C/min) and slow (6.5C/min) heating rates available in the furnace of Kappabridge KLY2 (Agico). Based on the additional data for mineralogy, grain size and magnetic properties of the studied samples, behavior of k(T) ...

A major degradation scenario within safety assessment analysis of nuclear waste repositories is decalcification of cementitious materials due to long-term contact with groundwater. Understanding the changes in Physical and Chemical properties of cementitious barriers is of high importance. In order to decrease the uncertainty in the assessments due to extrapolating short term data sets, acceler...

The effectiveness of magnesium as a substitute material in enzyme-mediated calcite precipitation was evaluated. Magnesium sulfate was added to the injecting solution composed of urea, urease, and calcium chloride. The effect of the substitution on the amount of precipitated materials was evaluated through precipitation tests. X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses we...

A comprehensive micro-Raman spectroscopic analysis of the Nakhla and Vaca Muerta meteorites is reported. The major and minor mineral components were identified from comparison with mineralogical standards and literature databases. The compositions of pyroxenes and olivines were obtained using only this technique and correlation data between band parameters and the chemical composition of refere...

Techniques enabling in situ elemental and mineralogical analysis on extraterrestrial planets are strongly required for upcoming missions and are being continuously developed. There is ample need for quantitative and high-sensitivity analysis of elemental as well as isotopic composition of heterogeneous materials. Here we present in situ spatial and depth elemental profiles of a heterogeneous ro...