Modeling the Electric and Dielectric Behaviors of the Gebel Kamil Iron Meteorite

Abstract

The Gebel Kamil iron meteorite is a famous big meteorite, and it is considered among the rare well-preserved iron meteorites. In this study, its electric and dielectric properties, namely electric conductivity (σ), dielectric constant (ε′), and dielectric loss (ε″), were measured using alternating current at a wide range of frequencies (50 Hz–11.0 MHz). This electrical characterization process was performed to get a diagnostic electric behavior of the electric and dielectric parameters as a function of the applied frequency (f). It is revealed that, by increasing f, the σ increased, while the dielectric properties decreased systematically through three stages of frequency. The well-known octahedral structure of iron meteorites was imaged using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with support by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) to analyze the chemical composition of the meteorite specimen. The EDAX indicated that the Gebel Kamil meteorite is a Ni–Fe alloy with no impurities (Ni = 20.4–22.3%, Fe = 77.7–79.6%). This chemical composition and the electric and dielectric behaviors of the studied Ni-rich Gebel Kamil meteorite specimen can be recorded as diagnostic features and properties of this Fe–Ni meteorite.