0000000000825424
AUTHOR
Goestar Klingelhöfer
In situ Mössbauer spectroscopy: Evidence for green rust (fougerite) in a gleysol and its mineralogical transformations with time and depth
Abstract A miniaturized Mossbauer spectrometer, adapted to the Earth’s conditions from the instrument developed for Mars space missions, has been used for the first time to study in situ variations with depth and transformations with time of iron minerals in a gleysol. The instrument is set into a PVC tube and can be moved up and down precisely (±1 mm) at the desired depth. Mossbauer spectra were obtained from 15 to 106 cm depth and repeated exactly at the same point at different times to follow mineralogical transformations with time. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and selective extraction techniques were performed on soil samples. The piezometric level of the water table was measured and the com…
Non-conventional Fe3C-based nanostructures
Novel Fe3C-based nanostructures with an inner layered structure have been synthesized by a simple medium-temperature (T = 700 °C) process based on carbothermal reduction. In this process, the iron precursor reacts with a selected nitrogen rich carbon source (namely, 4,5-dicyanoimidazole) to form wrapped nano-sheets of Fe3C@C(N). The nanosheets are composed of 5 nm crystalline Fe3C nanoparticles, which are integrated into a nitrogen-doped carbon phase giving rise to the wrapped morphology. By variation of reaction parameters (such as initial concentration, temperature, reaction time), the typical accompanying side products of iron carbide such as metallic iron and amorphous carbon can be kep…
Evidence for montmorillonite or its compositional equivalent in Columbia Hills, Mars
During its exploration of the Columbia Hills, the Mars Exploration Rover ‘‘Spirit’’ encountered several similar samples that are distinctly different from Martian meteorites and known Gusev crater soils, rocks, and sediments. Occurring in a variety of contexts and locations, these ‘‘Independence class’’ samples are rough-textured, iron-poor (equivalent FeO 4 wt%), have high Al/Si ratios, and often contain unexpectedly high concentrations of one or more minor or trace elements (including Cr, Ni, Cu, Sr, and Y). Apart from accessory minerals, the major component common to these samples has a compositional profile of major and minor elements whic…