Project Team
Students
Alexander Gianvito
Aerospace Engineering
Penn State DuBois
Dylan Treaster
Materials Science
Penn State DuBois
Faculty Mentors
Neyda Abreu
Penn State DuBois
Chemistry
Project
Project Video
Project Abstract
Carbonaceous chondrites are a type of stony meteorite which are often used for research to better understand early solar processes. CM chondrites are parts of meteorites, specifically carbonaceous chondrites which have undergone variable levels of aqueous alterations. Analyzing chemical and petrological compositions of these chondrites provides important information for understanding early solar processes. We use these methods in order to classify chondrites and alteration level. Primary characteristics of these meteorites are still undefined, in particular those materials in which are highly susceptible to aqueous alterations. This subject is one that will hold value to other scientists/researchers in the field who rely on each other in order to further develop knowledge on this topic. It has also been hypothesized by some that asteroid bodies could one day house lucrative business opportunities such as asteroid mining. This study is also of personal importance to me because it grants me an opportunity to learn about a topic that is deeply rooted in my interests and major. Chondrite research is a topic where many conventions still need to be set in order better identify and classify materials and processes. The goal that my team is trying to accomplish is to get an early exposure to topics and build off of them. We are looking to be able to determine the mineralogical features of our samples and using this and chemical composition mapping, determine what level of aqueous alterations took place. We used chemical composition data from samples LAP02333, LAP04514, LAP04527, LAP04565, and QUE97 in order to perform our operations. The data included element and oxide weight percentages contained in a given sample. We can use this information and information from the recently discovered Paris chondrite to determine what mineral group is contained in the chondrite and what level of alterations it has undergone.
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