Mössbauer Spectroscopic Studies of an Oxidized Ordinary Chondrite Fallen at Itawa-Bhopji,India

Mössbauer studies of the Itawa-Bhopji meteorite fallen on May 30, 2000 in Rajasthan, India, show that the main iron minerals in it are Fe–Ni (kamacite/taenite), troilite, olivine and pyroxene. These provide characteristic signatures of an ordinary chondrite. Mössbauer absorption areas corresponding to different phases favour its classification as L/LL-type ordinary chondrite. The iron in the olivine is unusually high and the metallic iron is quite low, showing that it has faced oxidizing conditions prior to fall.