Moon Meteorite Dar al Gani 400: Utilizing Mössbauer and Raman Spectroscopy for Extraterrestrial Research

Abstract

Space agencies worldwide are seeking promising analytical tools or novel combinations of established techniques to broaden our understanding of extraterrestrial processes. The constraints for extraterrestrial missions are quite high in terms of volume, mass, power consumption, radiation resistance and data transmission of the instruments used.In this work, the Dar al Gani 400 meteorite (DAG 400), which was found in 1998 in the respective meteorite field in the Libyan Sahara, is utilized as a model for extraterrestrial research employing Mössbauer and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, optical and X-ray microscopic (XRM) investigations were carried out, which provided images of the surface and interior of the meteorite, respectively, and further supported the results.For Mössbauer spectroscopy, the miniaturized Mössbauer spectrometer MIMOS II, which has already gained recognition in extraterrestrial research on Mars, was employed for phase determination. This finding serves as a crucial demonstration that the miniaturized Mössbauer spectrometer MIMOS II is well-suited for future space missions and the analysis of extraterrestrial materials.Notably, this study represents a novel application of Mössbauer spectroscopy in the analysis of DAG 400. The present study demonstrates the feasibility of phase assignment through the analysis of DAG 400, and it underscores the potential for further insights through the determination of oxidation states and mineralogical composition. Our work also underscores the pivotal role of multimodal and complementary analytical methodologies in this domain.