Planetary Materials

Recommended Prerequisites

Good understanding of chemistry and geochemistry (in particular isotope geochemistry). Basic understanding of mineralogy.

Teaching Methods

Frontal teaching (powerpoint)

Learning Outcomes

Develop a broad understanding of meteorites in terms of their chemistry,

isotope geochemistry and mineralogy. Understand the environments,

processes of formation and differentiation during the formation of

meteorites, planetesimals, asteroids and planets. Knowledge of the

principle methods used in the study of planetary materials.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Big bang. The Sun. First 100 Ma. Stellar Disk and Telluric eras. Accretion and differentiation - core formation, early atmospheres. Isotopes. Radiogenesis. Decay modes. Isotopic fractionation. Heavy elements. Nucleosynthesis. Solar Nebular Disk Model. 3-D Accretion. Mass spectrometry and its applications. Short-lived radioisotopes. Falls/Finds. Statistics. Classification. C chondrites - classes. Early studies - Prior, Urey-Craig, Anders. CI, CM, CR, CO, CV, CK, CH petrographic indices, petrologic grades. SEM and TEM. Chondrule mineralogy. Nucleation and growth. Mossbauer spectroscopy. Crystal field theory. CAI, REE, L chondrites. Shock. Noble gases. Diffusion. H and E chondrites. Cosmic ray exposure. R and K chondrites. Achondrites, Vesta and HED. Ureilites, aubrites, brachinites. Lunar and martian meteorites, SNC. Pallasites, mesosiderites, iron groups. Core formation models, the asteroid belt and types, H2O on Earth. 

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Project: 33.0%
Exam: 67.0%

Bibliography

 Planetary Materials (1998), Reviews in Mineralogy vol. 36, Mineralogical

Society of America, ISBN 0-939950-46-4