Evidence for the extraterrestrial origin of a natural quasicrystal

Evidence for the extraterrestrial origin of a natural quasicrystal. Bindi, L., Eiler, J., M., Guan, Y., Hollister, L., S., MacPherson, G., Steinhardt, P., J., & Yao, N. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 109(5):1396-1401, NATL ACAD SCIENCES, 1, 2012.
abstract bibtex

We present evidence that a rock sample found in the Koryak Mountains in Russia and containing icosahedrite, an icosahedral quasicrystalline phase with composition Al63Cu24Fe13, is part of a meteorite, likely formed in the early solar system about 4.5 Gya. The quasicrystal grains are intergrown with diopside, forsterite, stishovite, and additional metallic phases [khatyrkite (CuAl2), cupalite (CuAl), and beta-phase (AlCuFe)]. This assemblage, in turn, is enclosed in a white rind consisting of diopside, hedenbergite, spinel (MgAl2O4), nepheline, and forsterite. Particularly notable is a grain of stishovite (from the interior), a tetragonal polymorph of silica that only occurs at ultrahigh pressures (>= 10 Gpa), that contains an inclusion of quasicrystal. An extraterrestrial origin is inferred from secondary ion mass spectrometry O-18/O-16 and O-17/O-16 measurements of the pyroxene and olivine intergrown with the metal that show them to have isotopic compositions unlike any terrestrial minerals and instead overlap those of anhydrous phases in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. The spinel from the white rind has an isotopic composition suggesting that it was part of a calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion similar to those found in CV3 chondrites. The mechanism that produced this exotic assemblage is not yet understood. The assemblage (metallic copper-aluminum alloy) is extremely reduced, and the close association of aluminum (high temperature refractory lithophile) with copper (low temperature chalcophile) is unexpected. Nevertheless, our evidence indicates that quasicrystals can form naturally under astrophysical conditions and remain stable over cosmic timescales, giving unique insights on their existence in nature and stability.

@article{
 title = {Evidence for the extraterrestrial origin of a natural quasicrystal},
 type = {article},
 year = {2012},
 identifiers = {[object Object]},
 pages = {1396-1401},
 volume = {109},
 month = {1},
 publisher = {NATL ACAD SCIENCES},
 city = {2101 CONSTITUTION AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20418 USA},
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 abstract = {We present evidence that a rock sample found in the Koryak Mountains in
Russia and containing icosahedrite, an icosahedral quasicrystalline
phase with composition Al63Cu24Fe13, is part of a meteorite, likely
formed in the early solar system about 4.5 Gya. The quasicrystal grains
are intergrown with diopside, forsterite, stishovite, and additional
metallic phases [khatyrkite (CuAl2), cupalite (CuAl), and beta-phase
(AlCuFe)]. This assemblage, in turn, is enclosed in a white rind
consisting of diopside, hedenbergite, spinel (MgAl2O4), nepheline, and
forsterite. Particularly notable is a grain of stishovite (from the
interior), a tetragonal polymorph of silica that only occurs at
ultrahigh pressures (>= 10 Gpa), that contains an inclusion of
quasicrystal. An extraterrestrial origin is inferred from secondary ion
mass spectrometry O-18/O-16 and O-17/O-16 measurements of the pyroxene
and olivine intergrown with the metal that show them to have isotopic
compositions unlike any terrestrial minerals and instead overlap those
of anhydrous phases in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. The spinel
from the white rind has an isotopic composition suggesting that it was
part of a calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion similar to those found in CV3
chondrites. The mechanism that produced this exotic assemblage is not
yet understood. The assemblage (metallic copper-aluminum alloy) is
extremely reduced, and the close association of aluminum (high
temperature refractory lithophile) with copper (low temperature
chalcophile) is unexpected. Nevertheless, our evidence indicates that
quasicrystals can form naturally under astrophysical conditions and
remain stable over cosmic timescales, giving unique insights on their
existence in nature and stability.},
 bibtype = {article},
 author = {Bindi, Luca and Eiler, John M and Guan, Yunbin and Hollister, Lincoln S and MacPherson, Glenn and Steinhardt, Paul J and Yao, Nan},
 journal = {PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA},
 number = {5}
}

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