Impact-induced shock and the formation of natural quasicrystals in the early solar system

Lincoln S. Hollister; Luca Bindi; Nan Yao; Gerald R. Poirier; Christopher L. Andronicos; Glenn J. Macpherson; Chaney Lin; Vadim V. Distler; Michael P. Eddy; Alexander Kostin; Valery Kryachko; William M. Steinhardt; Marina Yudovskaya; John M. Eiler; Yunbin Guan; Jamil J. Clarke; Paul J. Steinhardt

doi:10.1038/ncomms5040

Impact-induced shock and the formation of natural quasicrystals in the early solar system

Lincoln S. Hollister, Luca Bindi, Nan Yao, Gerald R. Poirier, Christopher L. Andronicos, Glenn J. Macpherson, Chaney Lin, Vadim V. Distler, Michael P. Eddy, Alexander Kostin, Valery Kryachko, William M. Steinhardt, Marina Yudovskaya, John M. Eiler, Yunbin Guan, Jamil J. Clarke, Paul J. Steinhardt

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

50 Scopus citations

Abstract

The discovery of a natural quasicrystal, icosahedrite (Al 63 Cu 24 Fe 13), accompanied by khatyrkite (CuAl 2) and cupalite (CuAl) in the CV3 carbonaceous chondrite Khatyrka has posed a mystery as to what extraterrestrial processes led to the formation and preservation of these metal alloys. Here we present a range of evidence, including the discovery of high-pressure phases never observed before in a CV3 chondrite, indicating that an impact shock generated a heterogeneous distribution of pressures and temperatures in which some portions reached at least GPa and 1,200 C. The conditions were sufficient to melt Al-Cu-bearing minerals, which then rapidly solidified into icosahedrite and other Al-Cu metal phases. The meteorite also contains heretofore unobserved phases of iron-nickel and iron sulphide with substantial amounts of Al and Cu. The presence of these phases in Khatyrka provides further proof that the Al-Cu alloys are natural products of unusual processes that occurred in the early solar system.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	4040
Journal	Nature communications
Volume	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5040
State	Published - Jun 13 2014

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Chemistry
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
General Physics and Astronomy

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Hollister, L. S., Bindi, L., Yao, N., Poirier, G. R., Andronicos, C. L., Macpherson, G. J., Lin, C., Distler, V. V., Eddy, M. P., Kostin, A., Kryachko, V., Steinhardt, W. M., Yudovskaya, M., Eiler, J. M., Guan, Y., Clarke, J. J., & Steinhardt, P. J. (2014). Impact-induced shock and the formation of natural quasicrystals in the early solar system. Nature communications, 5, Article 4040. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5040

@article{5107eaae046a4d18b3bc44940e55e6e1,

title = "Impact-induced shock and the formation of natural quasicrystals in the early solar system",

abstract = "The discovery of a natural quasicrystal, icosahedrite (Al 63 Cu 24 Fe 13), accompanied by khatyrkite (CuAl 2) and cupalite (CuAl) in the CV3 carbonaceous chondrite Khatyrka has posed a mystery as to what extraterrestrial processes led to the formation and preservation of these metal alloys. Here we present a range of evidence, including the discovery of high-pressure phases never observed before in a CV3 chondrite, indicating that an impact shock generated a heterogeneous distribution of pressures and temperatures in which some portions reached at least GPa and 1,200 C. The conditions were sufficient to melt Al-Cu-bearing minerals, which then rapidly solidified into icosahedrite and other Al-Cu metal phases. The meteorite also contains heretofore unobserved phases of iron-nickel and iron sulphide with substantial amounts of Al and Cu. The presence of these phases in Khatyrka provides further proof that the Al-Cu alloys are natural products of unusual processes that occurred in the early solar system.",

author = "Hollister, {Lincoln S.} and Luca Bindi and Nan Yao and Poirier, {Gerald R.} and Andronicos, {Christopher L.} and Macpherson, {Glenn J.} and Chaney Lin and Distler, {Vadim V.} and Eddy, {Michael P.} and Alexander Kostin and Valery Kryachko and Steinhardt, {William M.} and Marina Yudovskaya and Eiler, {John M.} and Yunbin Guan and Clarke, {Jamil J.} and Steinhardt, {Paul J.}",

note = "Funding Information: L.B. thanks M.I.U.R., P.R.I.N. 2009 project {\textquoteleft}Structure, microstructure and properties of minerals{\textquoteright}, the {\textquoteleft}MEMA{\textquoteright}, Centro di Microscopia Elettronica e Microanalisi, Florence, Italy, and {\textquoteleft}CRIST{\textquoteright}, Centro di Cristallografia Strutturale, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation-MRSEC program through New York University (DMR-0820341; P.J.S.), through the Princeton Center for Complex Materials (DMR-0819860; N.Y.) and NASA grant NNX11AD43G (G.J.M.). The expedition to Chukotka was supported by a grant from an anonymous donor to Princeton University (P.J.S., Principal Investigator).",

year = "2014",

month = jun,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1038/ncomms5040",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "5",

journal = "Nature communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

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}

Hollister, LS, Bindi, L, Yao, N, Poirier, GR, Andronicos, CL, Macpherson, GJ, Lin, C, Distler, VV, Eddy, MP, Kostin, A, Kryachko, V, Steinhardt, WM, Yudovskaya, M, Eiler, JM, Guan, Y, Clarke, JJ & Steinhardt, PJ 2014, 'Impact-induced shock and the formation of natural quasicrystals in the early solar system', Nature communications, vol. 5, 4040. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5040

TY - JOUR

T1 - Impact-induced shock and the formation of natural quasicrystals in the early solar system

AU - Hollister, Lincoln S.

AU - Bindi, Luca

AU - Yao, Nan

AU - Poirier, Gerald R.

AU - Andronicos, Christopher L.

AU - Macpherson, Glenn J.

AU - Lin, Chaney

AU - Distler, Vadim V.

AU - Eddy, Michael P.

AU - Kostin, Alexander

AU - Kryachko, Valery

AU - Steinhardt, William M.

AU - Yudovskaya, Marina

AU - Eiler, John M.

AU - Guan, Yunbin

AU - Clarke, Jamil J.

AU - Steinhardt, Paul J.

N1 - Funding Information: L.B. thanks M.I.U.R., P.R.I.N. 2009 project ‘Structure, microstructure and properties of minerals’, the ‘MEMA’, Centro di Microscopia Elettronica e Microanalisi, Florence, Italy, and ‘CRIST’, Centro di Cristallografia Strutturale, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation-MRSEC program through New York University (DMR-0820341; P.J.S.), through the Princeton Center for Complex Materials (DMR-0819860; N.Y.) and NASA grant NNX11AD43G (G.J.M.). The expedition to Chukotka was supported by a grant from an anonymous donor to Princeton University (P.J.S., Principal Investigator).

PY - 2014/6/13

Y1 - 2014/6/13

N2 - The discovery of a natural quasicrystal, icosahedrite (Al 63 Cu 24 Fe 13), accompanied by khatyrkite (CuAl 2) and cupalite (CuAl) in the CV3 carbonaceous chondrite Khatyrka has posed a mystery as to what extraterrestrial processes led to the formation and preservation of these metal alloys. Here we present a range of evidence, including the discovery of high-pressure phases never observed before in a CV3 chondrite, indicating that an impact shock generated a heterogeneous distribution of pressures and temperatures in which some portions reached at least GPa and 1,200 C. The conditions were sufficient to melt Al-Cu-bearing minerals, which then rapidly solidified into icosahedrite and other Al-Cu metal phases. The meteorite also contains heretofore unobserved phases of iron-nickel and iron sulphide with substantial amounts of Al and Cu. The presence of these phases in Khatyrka provides further proof that the Al-Cu alloys are natural products of unusual processes that occurred in the early solar system.

AB - The discovery of a natural quasicrystal, icosahedrite (Al 63 Cu 24 Fe 13), accompanied by khatyrkite (CuAl 2) and cupalite (CuAl) in the CV3 carbonaceous chondrite Khatyrka has posed a mystery as to what extraterrestrial processes led to the formation and preservation of these metal alloys. Here we present a range of evidence, including the discovery of high-pressure phases never observed before in a CV3 chondrite, indicating that an impact shock generated a heterogeneous distribution of pressures and temperatures in which some portions reached at least GPa and 1,200 C. The conditions were sufficient to melt Al-Cu-bearing minerals, which then rapidly solidified into icosahedrite and other Al-Cu metal phases. The meteorite also contains heretofore unobserved phases of iron-nickel and iron sulphide with substantial amounts of Al and Cu. The presence of these phases in Khatyrka provides further proof that the Al-Cu alloys are natural products of unusual processes that occurred in the early solar system.

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DO - 10.1038/ncomms5040

M3 - Article

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SN - 2041-1723

VL - 5

JO - Nature communications

JF - Nature communications

M1 - 4040

ER -

Impact-induced shock and the formation of natural quasicrystals in the early solar system

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