The Gao-Guenie fall in 1960 produced many oriented stones. I bought this small one from Marcin Cimała and had it thin sectioned.
It has the classic shield shape from atmospheric flight.
The back has a thick vesiculated fusion crust.
The cut face is 3cm long.
Thin section in transmitted light.
There is very little fusion crust on the front surface. The back is crusted about a half millimeter thick overall.
The melted crust overlies a heat affected substrate of metal veins, sulfide droplets and melted and unmelted, silicates.
See Genge and Grady (1999) for an extensive treatment of fusion crusts.
The same area in cross-polarized light. Field of view is 4.3mm wide.
A different area in transmitted light. FOV=4.3mm wide.
Same area as above in reflected light. Metal and sulfides appear bright.
Another 4.3mm wide area in transmitted light.
Detail of above. Reflected light.
Same area in XPL.
Another close-up in XPL.
Another close-up in XPL.
