Cliftonite in meteorites: A proposed origin
January 1, 1967
Cliftonite, a polycrystalline aggregate of graphite with cubic morphology, is known in ten meteorites. Some workers have considered it to be a pseudomorph after diamond, and have used the proposed diamond ancestry as evidence of a meteoritic parent body of at least lunar dimensions. We have synthesized cliftonite in Fe-Ni-C alloys in vacuum, as a product of decomposition of cohenite [(Fe,Ni)3C]. We therefore suggest that a high pressure origin is unnecessary for meteorites which contain cliftonite, and that these meteorites were formed at low pressures. This conclusion is in agreement with other recent evidence.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 1967 |
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Title | Cliftonite in meteorites: A proposed origin |
Authors | R. Brett, G.T. Higgins |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Science |
Index ID | 70011561 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |