Citlalmitl: A laser-based device for meteoritical sample fabrication with arbitrary thermal histories

Abstract

We present Citlalmitl (the word for meteorite in the Nahuatl language), a new experimental device designed and built to simulate high-temperature processes relevant for meteoritics, including chondrule formation and the atmospheric entry of micrometeorites (MMs). The main component of Citlalmitl is a 50 W CO2 laser, used to melt samples that simulate the precursors of meteoritical materials. As examples of the operation of our device, we have irradiated silicate samples controlling the laser duty cycle to reproduce heating profiles predicted by shock-wave simulations. Citlalmitl records the sample temperature during and after irradiation, a unique feature that allows us to directly measure the thermal history of the sample, a key parameter for the characteristics observed in MMs and chondrules. We demonstrate that Citlalmitl can reproduce different heating profiles useful to mimic thermal histories in meteoritical processes.