Raman spectroscopy analysis of artificial space weathering effects of NWA 10580 CO3 meteorite

Abstract

AbstractA medium‐grade, poorly weathered CO3‐type meteorite was subjected to artificial space weathering by 1 keV protons in three subsequent steps, with gradually increasing doses from 1011 to 1017 protons per cm2. The resulting mineral modifications were identified by Raman spectroscopy, with specific emphasis on main minerals such as olivine (bands: 817, 845 cm−1), pyroxene (1007 cm−1), and partly amorphous feldspar (509 cm−1), considering variation in band shift and bandwidth (full width at half maximum, FWHM). After the first and second irradiations, variable band position changes were observed, probably from metastable alterations by Mg loss of the minerals, while the third stronger irradiation showed band shift dominated by amorphization. The olivine and pyroxene show weak increase in FWHM after the first irradiation, while more changes happened after the second and third irradiations. The flux after the third irradiation was higher than in other works, caused stronger damage in crystal lattice, partly resembling to dimerization as described by shock metamorphism. The glassy feldspar was characterized by high FWHM values already at the beginning, indicating weak crystallinity already that become even less crystallized, thus their bands disappeared after the third irradiation. Bands of hydrous minerals (goethite clay, chlorite) were not visible after the third irradiation, confirming some earlier results in the literature. Based on our results, moderately fresh surfaces could show stochastic but small spectral differences compared to the fresh most meteorites by metastable mineral alterations. The interpretation of Raman spectra of heavily space‐weathered surfaces could further benefit from the joint evaluation of alteration induced by both shock impact alteration and space weathering.