Mossbauer study of El-Bahrain meteorite

A stone of brick-like shape, measuring roughly 25x12.5x10.5 cm(3) and weigh ing 14 kg was found in 1983, in the western desert of Egypt. The meteorite was named El-Bahrain meteorite and classified as L-chondrite. In the presen t paper, the principal constituents of El-Bahrain meteorite have been studi ed by means of Mossbauer spectroscopy. The chemical composition as obtained by the conventional wet analyses of L-chondritic meteorites showed that th e meteorite contains 23.38% Fe and 1.23% Ni. While the analysis of the atom ic absorption showed the presence of 27.03% as a total iron. The Mossbauer analysis of El-Bahrain meteorite showed that the iron constituent minerals were determined to be olivine, metallic iron-nickel alloys (kamacite, taeni te and tetrataenite), ferrous sulfide (troilite) and weathering products su ch as maghemite and nanocrystalline hematite. The structure of meteoritic i ron obtained by the Mossbauer analysis has been discussed on the basis of t hese constituents.