Insights into the Micromechanical Properties of Different Planetary Bodies: Nanoindentation Studies of Martian Olivines and PyroxenesOPEN ACCESS 

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Pau Grèbol-Tomàs, Jordi Ibáñez-Insa, Josep Maria Trigo-Rodríguez, Abigail Jiménez-Franco, Lysa Chizmadia and Jordi Sort

The Planetary Science Journal, Volume 7, Number 11

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“This study systematically evaluated the micro/nanomechanical properties of olivine and pyroxene phases within two minimally weathered Martian meteorites: Nakhla and ALHA77005 (shergottite). Using joint analyses of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and nanoindentation, these mineral phases were characterized on a submicron scale. Results demonstrate that mineral phases in the Nakhla meteorite exhibit lower hardness (H) and reduced elastic modulus (Er) values compared to ALHA77005, alongside higher plasticity indices, indicating a greater susceptibility to permanent deformation. Morphological and compositional analyses consistently reveal that mechanical softening and high data dispersion in Nakhla are primarily driven by its intrinsic porosity, which is nonexistent in the ALHA77005 sample. This work also compares the properties of these achondrites to those from terrestrial, lunar, and asteroidal counterparts. It is demonstrated that the mechanical responses are inherently dependent on each individual parent body and the sample evolutionary history. Notably, asteroidal olivines and pyroxenes display the lowest plasticity indices and highest H/Er ratios, which might be a result of space weathering. Overall, these findings emphasize that the properties of extraterrestrial materials can differ from those of terrestrial counterparts, providing crucial micromechanical constraints for extraterrestrial soil simulants and upscaling mechanical property models.”

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