Elemental characterization of the new Czech meteorite ‘Morávka’ by neutron and photon activation analysis

Abstract

Forty two major, minor and some trace elements were determined by activation analysis in the new Czech Morávka H5 chondrite, which fell on May 6, 2000 in the vicinity of Morávka, north-east Moravia. The elements Na, Mg, Al, Si, Cl, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Co, Ni, and Cu were determined by means of instrumental short-time neutron activation analysis (INAA), whereas another group of elements, namely Sc, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Br, Sb, La, Sm, Ir, Au and Hg were assayed using long-time INAA. Most of the rare earth elements (REE) were determined by radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) using precipitation of their oxalates, whilst for the determination of Rb and Cs an RNAA procedure based on selective sorption of the elements on ammonium phosphomolybdenate was employed. Mg, Ca, Ti, Mn, Ni, Sr, Y and Zr were determined by instrumental photon neutron activation analysis (IPAA) using the irradiation with 20 MeV bremsstrahlung from a microtron. For quality control, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reference rocks basalt BCR-1 and diabase W-1 were analyzed. Moreover, the self-verification principle in activation analysis was employed to increase the credibility of the obtained results.