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Re: (meteorobs) Pyrophoric metals a novel combustion mechanism for hot meteors
Hating to reject observations of incandescent meteorites on the ground that
there is no known mechanism for their existence; I would like to suggest a
possible mechanism that I have never heard mentioned before, which has just
occured to me.
Nickel in a finely powder form is spontaneously inflammable in air
(pyrophoric). Such finely divided nickel known as Raney nickel is used in
organic chemistry as a reducing agent. Finely divided iron is readily
inflammable if ignited.
It seem at least within the bounds of possibilty that some meteors
especially those of cometary origin could contain losely consolidated fine
particles of nickel and iron derived from cosmic dust particles from the
primaeval solar nebula which have not undergone any melting before being
consolidated into the meteor particles. Meteors containing or composed of
semi consolidated nickel dust either alone or admixed with iron and
carbonaceous material could generate enough heat through oxidation to
achieve incandescence when in the oxygen rich lower atmosphere. Such
oxidation would probably result in the complete disintegration of the
meteorite thus explaining why no meteorite is found assosciated with such
reports. Combustion of finely divided iron could also produce sparking
another feature of reports of hot meteors.
Any comments would be gratefully received for this hypothesis. Going for it
is that it is based on known chemical processes and it does not require the
meteorite to retain heat from the kinetic heating stage of its flight.
Nick Martin, Bonnyton House, By Ayr, Ayrshire KA6 7EW ,Scotland, UK.
Latitude 55 24'56" Longitude 4 26' 00".
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