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THERMAL FATIGUE: A POSSIBLE SOURCE OF STRUCTURAL MODIFICATIONS IN METEORITES
Author(s) -
Levi F. A.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
meteoritics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 0026-1114
DOI - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.1973.tb01250.x
Subject(s) - meteorite , cracking , chondrite , thermal , clastic rock , atmospheric temperature range , cleavage (geology) , materials science , geology , thermal fatigue , mineralogy , astrobiology , composite material , geochemistry , thermodynamics , physics , sedimentary rock , fracture (geology)
Periodic thermal excursions, even in a low‐temperature range, may cause internal stresses and give origin to some of the observed plastic and clastic deformations in stony meteorites. An experimental test confirms our hypothesis: lattice distortions, cleavage and cracking were artificially induced in specimens of two H‐chondrites (Mills and Bur‐Gheluai) by low‐temperature “thermal fatigue.” The observed effects appear to be increasing with increasing number of cycles.