| Abstract |
GEMS (Glass with Embedded Metal and Sulfide), which is included in cometary IDPs, is a sub-micron sized grain composed of an amorphous silicate with embedded Fe, Ni metals and sulfides. Keller and Messenger (2011) proposed that GEMS is condensed products from gases in the early solar system. However, no condensate experiments reported producing similar materials to GEMS. ITP (induction thermal plasma) provides so high temperature (~ 10,000 K) environment with rapid cooling rate (105-106 K/sec) that it makes vapor phase easily and produces nano-sized and non-equilibrium materials. We injected MgO, Fe, SiO2 on the mean composition of GEMS into ITP. Run products were characterized by XRD and TEM. Sub-micron sized (about 50 nm) spherical grains were observed and their morphology were that each grains have amorphous silicate with embedded an iron (about 10 nm). |
