Investigation of the meteorites porosity by X-ray tomography and 3D image processing

In recent years an interest has emerged in the fields of meteoritic sciences such as X-ray Computed Tomography (CT), which is a nondestructive method that produces three-dimensional (3D) images of the internal features of rock specimens. To analyze the characteristics of meteorites, it is critical that the elements constituting can be distinguished. The use of X-ray CT and various 3D image processing techniques can isolate the porosity from the meteorite materials. The porosity is an essential element for the characterization of meteorites. Two samples of achondrite meteorites (Aubrite and Brachinite) with variable alteration and shock histories were examined. The 3D images were acquired with a high resolution CT scanner (Nanotom Phoenix). The isotropic voxel size is 3.6 μm. We found that the size and structure of porosity varies with the degree of alteration and shock loading experienced by the materials.