Mass spectrometric evidence for organic constituents in tektites

Since the physical and chemical events leading to the formation of organic molecules in numerous carbon-containing meteorites (e.g. paraffins, alcohols and aromatics have been identified) have been studied in considerable detail, it becomes important to compare and relate similar studies with tektites. For this purpose, various tektite specimens were heated to temperatures up to 1500°C and the vaporizing molecular species identified with a mass spectrometer. In this technique, volatile constituents are selectively vaporized from the sample, ionized to electrically charged positive particles by bombardment with high energy electrons, and separated in an electric and magnetic field according to their respective molecular weights. Mass spectra for the direct volatilization of individual tektites from the Philippine Islands, Viet Nam, Thailand, Australia, Czechoslovakia and Texas were compared with those obtained from the carbonaceous Pueblito de Allende chondrite and terrestrial obsidian.