Magnetic properties and natural remanent magnetization of carbonaceous chondrites containing pyrrhotite

Abstract

Magnetic properties, NRM characteristics and magnetic minerals of four carbonaceous chondrites, the Allende, the Leoville, Y-74662 and Y-81020,are examined. These C-chondrites contain ferrimagnetic pyrrhotite grains in addition to magnetite, kamacite and/or taenite as magnetic minerals possessing NRM. The low temperature NRM component which is possessed by ferrimagnetic pyrrhotite at temperatures below 300℃, indicates that the corresponding paleointensity (F_p) is around 1 Oe in order of magnitude. The high temperature NRM component possessed by magnetite and/or taenite is magnetic at temperatures below about 600℃, giving rise to F_p≲0.1 Oe. The kamacite magnetization contributes very little at temperatures below 770℃