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Mineralogical, magnetic and mössbauer data of symthite (Fe9S11)

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Summary

The mineralogical and magnetic properties of the magnetic iron-sulfide symthite (Fe9S11 from the Sokolov Basin, Czech Republic, were studied. Our experimental results show that smythite is hexagonal with cell edges a0=3.468 Å and c0=34.470 Å. Thermomagnetic measurements Ms(T) (Ms: saturation magnetization) and χ(T) (χ: susceptibility) were performed in order to study the thermal alteration of the smythite. Its Curie point could not be determined. The hysteresis loops had a shape typical for SD - grains with relatively low values of saturation magnetization (Ms=10.3 Am2/kg) and coercive forces of ≈ 37 mT. Similarities in the magnetic, crystallographic, and the Mössbauer parameters to the structure of pyrrhotite (Fe7S8) suggest that smythite could be antiferromagnetic with vacancy ordering resulting in a small net magnetic moment similar to that in pyrrhotite.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of General and Applied Geophysics, Munich University, Theresienstraße 41/4, 80333, Munich, Germany

    Viktor Hoffmann

  2. Department of Soil Research, TU-Munich, D-85350, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany

    Helge Stanjek & Enver Murad

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  1. Viktor Hoffmann
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  2. Helge Stanjek
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  3. Enver Murad
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Hoffmann, V., Stanjek, H. & Murad, E. Mineralogical, magnetic and mössbauer data of symthite (Fe9S11). Stud Geophys Geod 37, 366–381 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01613583

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