noun
- Plural of kamacite; iron-nickel alloys found in meteorites, characterized by a body-centered cubic crystal structure.
Usage: technical; mineralogy; astronomy
Examples
- Kamacites are the primary iron-nickel phase in iron meteorites.
- Scientists identified kamacites in the meteorite sample using electron microscopy.
- The Widmanstätten pattern visible in iron meteorites results from the intergrowth of kamacites and taenites.
- Kamacites typically contain between 5 and 35 percent nickel by weight.
- The study of kamacites helps researchers understand the cooling history of meteorites.