A Mössbauer effect study of Fe-site occupancy in Australasian tektites

Abstract A number of different splash-form Australasian tektites and one Muong Nong tektite from Laos have been investigated by room temperature 57 Fe Mossbauer effect spectroscopy. Multiple spectra of thailandite samples have been obtained in order to establish uncertainties in fitted parameters. Results indicate that most of the samples investigated have Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ ratios that are close to zero. The Muong Nong tektite shows the largest Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ ratio and this is interpreted in terms of proposed mechanisms for the formation of this class of tektite that have been presented in the literature.