Widmanstätten pattern
A characteristic cross-hatched pattern that becomes visible on the surface
of octahedrites (the commonest type
of iron meteorites) and pallasites
after polishing and etching with nital (nitric acid in solution with ethanol).
It is due to an intergrowth of crystals of nickel-rich
taenite and nickel-poor kamacite.
It is named after its discoverer, the Austrain mineralogist Alois von Beckh
Widmanstätten (1754–1849). Related category
METEORS
AND METEORITES
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