Multi-analytical characterization of Fe-rich magnetic inclusions in diamonds

Magnetic mineral inclusions, as iron oxides or sulfides, occur quite rarely in natural diamonds. Nonetheless, they represent a key tool not only to unveil the conditions of formation of host diamonds, but also to get hints about the paleointensity of the geomagnetic field present at times of the Ear...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2019-08
Main Authors: Piazzi, Marco, Morana, Marta, Coïsson, Marco, Marone, Federica, Campione, Marcello, Bindi, Luca, Jones, Adrian P, Ferrara, Enzo, Alvaro, Matteo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anisotropy
Crystallography
Diamond tools
Ferrimagnetism
Geomagnetic field
Geomagnetism
Hysteresis loops
Iron oxides
Magnetic measurement
Magnetic properties
Magnetism
Mineral inclusions
Remanence
X-ray diffraction
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Summary:Magnetic mineral inclusions, as iron oxides or sulfides, occur quite rarely in natural diamonds. Nonetheless, they represent a key tool not only to unveil the conditions of formation of host diamonds, but also to get hints about the paleointensity of the geomagnetic field present at times of the Earth's history otherwise not accessible. This possibility is related to their capability to carry a remanent magnetization dependent on their magnetic history. However, comprehensive experimental studies on magnetic inclusions in diamonds have been rarely reported so far. Here we exploit X-ray diffraction, Synchrotron-based X-ray Tomographic Microscopy and Alternating Field Magnetometry to determine the crystallographic, morphological and magnetic properties of ferrimagnetic Fe-oxides entrapped in diamonds coming from Akwatia (Ghana). We exploit the methodology to estimate the natural remanence of the inclusions, associated to the Earth's magnetic field they experienced, and to get insights on the relative time of formation between host and inclusion systems. Furthermore, from the hysteresis loops and First Order Reversal Curves we determine qualitatively the anisotropy, size and domain state configuration of the magnetic grains constituting the inclusions.
ISSN:2331-8422
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.1906.07641