Formation of Widmanstätten Figures in Meteorites

Abstract

INVESTIGATIONS have been conducted in this laboratory during the last few years on the structure of artificially prepared iron-nickel alloys in the iron end of the equilibrium diagram, and during the last year the structure of iron-nickel meteorites has also been examined. An interesting point in connexion with meteorites is the formation of etched patterns known as Widmanstätten figures. Several attempts have been made to explain these figures, but no satisfactory theory seems, so far, to have been advanced.