Abstrakt
Previous magnetic studies of laser irradiated olivine grains revealed single domain (SD) and superparamagnetic (SPM) grains of iron varying in size [1]. Some of these minute grains are submicroscopic metallic iron (SMFe).
The importance of characterizing SMFe exists to better our interpretations in remote sensing of surface minerals [2]. The presence of SMFe has a strong effect on the spectral reflectance of silicate minerals in the visible (VIS) to near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, cumulatively summed as “space weathering”: (1) SMFe darkens the overall reflectance [3], (2) steepens (or reddens) the spectral slope [4], and (3) decreases the contrast in the 1 μm band [5].
Here we report both laser irradiation on olivine powder and magnetic scanning of the irradiated powder to detect magnetic remanence with a goal of beginning to characterize the sizes and populations of SMFe.