  We have analyzed 14 impact melt glass samples, covering the compositional
range from highly felsic to mafic/basaltic, as part of our effort to provide
mid-infrared spectra (7-14 micron) for MERTIS (Mercury Radiometer and Thermal
Infrared Spectrometer), an instrument onboard of the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo
mission.
  Since Mercury was exposed to many impacts in its history, and impact glasses
are also common on other bodies, powders of tektites (Irghizite, Libyan Desert
Glass, Moldavite, Muong Nong, Thailandite) and impact glasses (from the Dellen,
El'gygytgyn, Lonar, Mien, Mistastin, and Popigai impact structures) were
analyzed in four size fractions of (0-25, 25-63, 93-125 and 125-250 micron)
from 2.5 to 19 micron in bi-directional reflectance. The characteristic
Christiansen Feature (CF) is identified between 7.3 micron (Libyan Desert
Glass) and 8.2 micron (Dellen). Most samples show mid-infrared spectra typical
of highly amorphous material, dominated by a strong Reststrahlen Band (RB)
between 8.9 micron (Libyan Desert Glass) and 10.3 micron (Dellen). Even
substantial amounts of mineral fragments hardly affect this general band shape.
Comparisons of the SiO2 content representing the felsic/mafic composition of
the samples with the CF shows felsic/intermediate glass and tektites forming a
big group, and comparatively mafic samples a second one. An additional sign of
a highly amorphous state is the lack of features at wavelengths longer than
about 15 micron. The tektites and two impact glasses, Irghizite and El'gygytgyn
respectively, have much weaker water features than most of the other impact
glasses.
