Natural Thermoluminescence Levels in Antarctic Meteorites and Related Studies

该奖项支持一个通过测量天然热释光（TL）水平来表征南极陨石的项目。这项工作是对所有南极陨石进行基本表征计划的一部分，并用于确定未来南极陨石的研究途径。这个项目将测量尽可能多的南极陨石中的天然TL水平，并将使数据迅速提供给社区。这些数据将用于确定配对（破碎），轨道分布，估计陨石的大致陆地年龄，并识别具有不寻常的热和辐射历史或矿物学上不寻常的陨石。为了提高这些数据的价值，还对其他地外样本（大型陨石和月球样本）的天然TL剖面进行了研究，并将TL数据与宇宙起源放射性核素丰度进行了比较。在这项奖励的过程中，自然TL实验室将(1)继续系统地测量所有合适的南极样品的自然TL，作为其初步筛选的一部分；(2)检查南极个别地点的配对和自然TL分布，其中可能存在几个非常大的配对群体；(3)继续详细汇编配对数据。(4)进行理论和实验研究，用于解释南极陨石的TL数据，包括对现代陨落、月球样本和世界其他地区发现的额外研究。

This award supports a project to characterize Antarctic meteorites by measuring natural thermoluminescense (TL) levels. This work is part of the basic characterization program carried out on all Antarctic meteorites and is used to determine future research avenues on the Antarctic meteorites. This program will measure the natural TL levels in as many Antarctic meteorites as possible and will make the data rapidly available to the community. The data will be used to determine pairing (fragmentation), orbital distribution, estimate approximate terrestrial ages of meteorites, and to identify meteorites with unusual thermal and radiation histories or those that are mineralogically unusual. To enhance the value of these data, studies are also conducted on natural TL profiles in other extraterrestrial samples (large meteorites and lunar samples) and comparisons are made between TL data and cosmogenic radionuclide abundances. Over the course of this award, the natural TL laboratory will (1) continue systematic measurement of the natural TL of all suitable Antarctic samples as part of their preliminary screening, (2) examine pairing and natural TL distributions for individual Antarctic sites, where several very large pairing groups may exist, (3) continue the detailed compilation of pairing data, and (4) perform theoretical and experimental studies to use in the interpretation of TL data in Antarctic meteorites, including additional studies of modern falls, lunar samples, and of finds from other regions of the world.