Khatyrka Meteorite Research Articles

A naturally occurring Al-Cu-Fe-Si quasicrystal in a micrometeorite from southern Italy

Quasicrystals, solids with rotational symmetries forbidden for crystals, are usually synthesized in the laboratory by mixing specific ratios of selected elemental components in the liquid and quenching under strictly controlled protocols. Nevertheless, the discovery of Al-Cu-Fe natural quasicrystals in the Khatyrka meteorite showed that these exotic phases could also form in high-velocity impact-induced shock events introducing an endeavour to search them in cosmic material. Here we report the discovery of an extraterrestrial icosahedral quasicrystal with an unusual composition Al51.7(6)Cu30.8(9)Fe10.3(4)Si7.2(9), ideally Al52Cu31Fe10Si7, found in a scoriaceous micrometeorite, named FB-A1, recovered at the top of Mt. Gariglione (Italy). The chemistry of the icosahedral phase was characterized by electron microprobe, and the rotational symmetry was confirmed by means of electron backscatter diffraction. The FB-A1 micrometeorite represents the third independent discovery of naturally occurring intermetallic Al-Cu-Fe-(Si) alloys in extraterrestrial bodies and the second case of extraterrestrial material containing a natural quasicrystal, after Khatyrka meteorite.

Trace Element Conundrum of Natural Quasicrystals

We report laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry measurements of the trace element contents of the two naturally occurring quasicrystalline minerals, Al63Cu24Fe13 icosahedrite and Al71Ni24Fe5 decagonite, from their type locality in the Khatyrka meteorite. The isolated quasicrystal fragments were mounted separately from any matrix and are larger than the laser beam diameter. When the elements are sorted in order of volatility, a systematic and unique pattern emerges in both bulk natural quasicrystal specimens. They are highly depleted compared to primitive solar system materials (chondritic meteorites) in moderately refractory elements (those with 50% condensation temperatures near 1350–1300 K; V, Co, Mg, Cr) and significantly enriched in moderately volatile elements (those with 50% condensation temperatures between 1250 and 500 K; Sb, B, Ag, Sn, Bi). We compare the chondrite-normalized trace element patterns and ratios of the quasicrystals to those of scoriaceous cosmic spherules and other meteoritic components. The nonmonotonic shapes of the chondrite-normalized trace element patterns in both icosahedrite and decagonite are incompatible with a single condensation process from the gas of the solar nebula. Previous transmission electron microscopy studies show that the natural quasicrystals contain 3–5 vol % of silicate and oxide nanoparticle inclusions, which we consider to be the main host of the measured trace elements. On this basis, we construct a three-stage model for the formation of the quasicrystals and their inclusions: a high-temperature condensation stage and a low-temperature vapor-fractionation stage to make nanoparticles, followed by a third stage that leads to the formation of quasicrystals incorporating the two different types of nanoparticles and their incorporation into the CV chondrite parent body of the Khatyrka meteorite.

Are quasicrystals really so rare in the Universe?

Abstract Until 2009, the only known quasicrystals were synthetic, formed in the laboratory under highly controlled conditions. Conceivably, the only quasicrystals in the Milky Way, perhaps even in the Universe, were the ones fabricated by humans, or so it seemed. Then came the report that a quasicrystal with icosahedral symmetry had been discovered inside a rock recovered from a remote stream in far eastern Russia, and later that the rock proved to be an extraterrestrial, a piece of a rare CV3 carbonaceous chondrite meteorite (known as Khatyrka) that formed 4.5 billion years ago in the pre-solar nebula. At present, the only known examples of natural quasicrystals are from the Khatyrka meteorite. Does that mean that quasicrystals must be extremely rare in the Universe? In this speculative essay, we present several reasons why the answer might be no. In fact, quasicrystals may prove to be among the most ubiquitous minerals found in the Universe.

Shock-synthesized quasicrystals.

Quasicrystals (QCs) are unique materials, whose crystallographic identity has been controversial for many years. Using recent advances in shock synthesis, Hu et al. [(2020), IUCrJ, 7, 434-444] reproduce for the first time the formation conditions of the icosahedral Al62Cu31Fe7 QC (i-phase II) found in the Khatyrka meteorite. The authors demonstrate that shock-recovery experiments provide a novel strategy for preparing and exploring QCs.

First synthesis of a unique icosahedral phase from the Khatyrka meteorite by shock-recovery experiment.

Icosahedral quasicrystals (i-phases) in the Al-Cu-Fe system are of great interest because of their perfect quasicrystalline structure and natural occurrences in the Khatyrka meteorite. The natural quasicrystal of composition Al62Cu31Fe7, referred to as i-phase II, is unique because it deviates significantly from the stability field of i-phase and has not been synthesized in a laboratory setting to date. Synthetic i-phases formed in shock-recovery experiments present a novel strategy for exploring the stability of new quasicrystal compositions and prove the impact origin of natural quasicrystals. In this study, an Al-Cu-W graded density impactor (GDI, originally manufactured as a ramp-generating impactor but here used as a target) disk was shocked to sample a full range of Al/Cu starting ratios in an Fe-bearing 304 stainless-steel target chamber. In a strongly deformed region of the recovered sample, reactions between the GDI and the steel produced an assemblage of co-existing Al61.5Cu30.3Fe6.8Cr1.4 i-phaseII + stolperite (β, AlCu) + khatyrkite (θ, Al2Cu), an exact match to the natural i-phase II assemblage in the meteorite. In a second experiment, the continuous interface between the GDI and steel formed another more Fe-rich quinary i-phase (Al68.6Fe14.5Cu11.2Cr4Ni1.8), together with stolperite and hollisterite (λ, Al13Fe4), which is the expected assemblage at phase equilibrium. This study is the first laboratory reproduction of i-phase II with its natural assemblage. It suggests that the field of thermodynamically stable icosahedrite (Al63Cu24Fe13) could separate into two disconnected fields under shock pressure above 20 GPa, leading to the co-existence of Fe-rich and Fe-poor i-phases like the case in Khatyrka. In light of this, shock-recovery experiments do indeed offer an efficient method of constraining the impact conditions recorded by quasicrystal-bearing meteorite, and exploring formation conditions and mechanisms leading to quasicrystals.

A unique CO-like micrometeorite hosting an exotic Al-Cu-Fe-bearing assemblage \u2013 close affinities with the Khatyrka meteorite

We report the discovery of a unique micrometeorite, containing an exotic Al-Cu-Fe alloy composed of two intermixed phases: khatyrkite (CuAl2) and stolperite (CuAl) and both containing minor Fe (<1.4 wt%). These phases are dendritic and rapidly co-crystallized at the binary system’s peritectic (~550 °C). The host micrometeorite is an otherwise typical S-type micro-porphyritic cosmic spherule containing relict olivine (Fo76–90, Cr2O3: 0.01–0.56 wt%, MnO: 0.03–0.32 wt% and CaO: 0.09–0.22 wt%) and a cumulate layered texture. These properties suggest the micrometeorite is derived from a carbonaceous chondrite (best matched to a CO chondrite) and entered the atmosphere a high speed (~16 kms−1), implying an origin from a highly eccentric orbit. This particle represents the second independent discovery of naturally occurring intermetallic Al-Cu-Fe alloys and is thus similar to the previously reported Khatyrka meteorite - a CV chondrite containing near-identical alloys and the only known natural quasicrystals. We did not observe quasicrystalline phases in this micrometeorite, likely due to the low amounts of Fe in the alloy, insufficient to stabilize quasicrystals. Our discovery confirms the existence of Al-Cu-Fe intermetallic alloys on chondritic parent bodies. These unusual phases require a currently unexplained formation process, we tentatively suggest this could represent the delivery of exotic interstellar material to the inner solar system via impact.

Previously unknown quasicrystal periodic approximant found in space

We report the discovery of Al34Ni9Fe2, the first natural known periodic crystalline approximant to decagonite (Al71Ni24Fe5), a natural quasicrystal composed of a periodic stack of planes with quasiperiodic atomic order and ten-fold symmetry. The new mineral has been approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA 2018-038) and officially named proxidecagonite, which derives from its identity to periodic approximant of decagonite. Both decagonite and proxidecagonite were found in fragments from the Khatyrka meteorite. Proxidecagonite is the first natural quasicrystal approximant to be found in the Al-Ni-Fe system. Within this system, the decagonal quasicrystal phase has been reported to transform at ~940 °C to Al13(Fe,Ni)4, Al3(Fe,Ni)2 and the liquid phase, and between 800 and 850 °C to Al13(Fe,Ni)4, Al3(Fe,Ni) and Al3(Fe,Ni)2. The fact that proxidecagonite has not been observed in the laboratory before and formed in a meteorite exposed to high pressures and temperatures during impact-induced shocks suggests that it might be a thermodynamically stable compound at high pressure. The most prominent structural motifs are pseudo-pentagonal symmetry subunits, such as pentagonal bipyramids, that share edges and corners with trigonal bipyramids and which maximize shortest Ni–Al over Ni–Ni contacts.

Comment on “Composition and origin of holotype Al‐Cu‐Zn minerals in relation to quasicrystals in the Khatyrka meteorite” by M. Ivanova et al. (2017)

AbstractIvanova et al. () proposed that the aluminides we described in the Khatyrka meteorite fragments, both crystal and quasicrystal metal phases, were derived from industrial materials used during placer gold mining and that these had been shredded and blast‐propelled into natural meteoritic material that happened to be at the site. The blast hypothesis was not supported by evidence that metal shrapnel or metal parts from mining operations (or from any other industrial use) occur at the site that are similar in composition to the aluminides that we described in Khatyrka; we doubt such compositions would exist because alloys with the compositions we reported have no known industrial applications. We further show that this hypothesis cannot be reconciled geologically, chemically, or physically with our observations. These observations demonstrate that the fragments central to our study have been embedded below gold‐bearing fluvial gravels in undisturbed sediment for at least ~6670 to 8004 14C years before mining operations commenced. The case presented here thus specifically rules out the blast hypothesis and also presents a challenge to other anthropogenic explanations. We also address each of Ivanova et al.'s points challenging our conclusion that the silicates attached to the aluminides were CV3 chondritic minerals.

Reply to the comment by Andronicos et al. (2017) on “Composition and origin of holotype Al‐Cu‐Zn minerals in relation to quasicrystals in the Khatyrka meteorite” by Ivanova et al. (2017)

Reply to the comment by Andronicos et al. (2017) on “Composition and origin of holotype Al‐Cu‐Zn minerals in relation to quasicrystals in the Khatyrka meteorite” by Ivanova et al. (2017)

Shock Synthesis of Decagonal Quasicrystals

The Khatyrka meteorite contains both icosahedral and decagonal quasicrystals. In our previous studies, icosahedral quasicrystals have been synthesized and recovered from shock experiments at the interface between CuAl5 and stainless steel 304 alloys. In this study, we report a new shock recovery experiment aimed at synthesizing decagonal quasicrystals similar to decagonite, natural Al71Ni24Fe5. Aluminum 2024 and permalloy 80 alloys were stacked together and shocked in a stainless steel 304 recovery chamber. Abundant decagonal quasicrystals of average composition Al73Ni19Fe4Cu2Mg0.6Mo0.4Mn0.3 with traces of Si and Cr were found along the recovered interface between the Al and permalloy. The experiment also synthesized AlNiFe alloy with the B2 (CsCl-type) structure and the metastable Al9Ni2 phase. We present chemical (scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe) and structural (electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy) characterization of the recovered phases and discuss the implications of this shock synthesis for the stability of quasicrystals during high-pressure shocks and for the interpretation of the phase assemblage found in Khatyrka.

Shock Synthesis of Five-component Icosahedral Quasicrystals

Five-component icosahedral quasicrystals with compositions in the range Al68–73Fe11–16Cu10–12Cr1–4Ni1–2 were recently recovered after shocking metallic CuAl5 and (Mg0.75Fe0.25)2SiO4 olivine in a stainless steel 304 chamber, intended to replicate a natural shock that affected the Khatyrka meteorite. The iron in those quasicrystals might have originated either from reduction of Fe2+ in olivine or from the stainless steel chamber. In this study, we clarify the shock synthesis mechanism of icosahedral quasicrystals through two new shock recovery experiments. When CuAl5 and Fe2+-bearing olivine were isolated in a Ta capsule, no quasicrystals were found. However, with only metallic starting materials, numerous micron-sized five-component icosahedral quasicrystals, average composition Al72Cu12Fe12Cr3Ni1, were found at the interface between CuAl5 and stainless steel, demonstrating nucleation of quasicrystals under shock without any redox reaction. We present detailed characterization of recovered quasicrystals and discuss possible mechanisms for generating sufficiently high temperatures to reach melting with relatively weak shocks. We discuss the implications of our five-component quasicrystal for the stability of quasicrystals, which have previously only been considered in alloy systems with four or fewer components. Even small amounts of additional metals expand the stability range of the icosahedral phase and facilitate routine syntheses without extraordinary precision in preparation of starting mixtures.

Phase equilibria in the nominally Al65Cu23Fe12 system at 3, 5 and 21 GPa: Implications for the quasicrystal-bearing Khatyrka meteorite

Two of the three natural quasiperiodic crystals found in the Khatyrka meteorite show a composition within the Al-Cu-Fe system. Icosahedrite, with formula Al63Cu24Fe13, coexists with the new Al62Cu31Fe7 quasicrystal plus additional Al-metallic minerals such as stolperite (AlCu), kryachkoite [(Al,Cu)6(Fe,Cu)], hollisterite (AlFe3), khatyrkite (Al2Cu) and cupalite (AlCu), associated to high-pressure phases like ringwoodite/ahrensite, coesite, and stishovite. These high-pressure minerals represent the evidence that most of the Khatyrka meteoritic fragments formed at least at 5GPa and 1200°C, if not at more extreme conditions. On the other hand, experimental studies on phase equilibria within the representative Al-Cu-Fe system appear mostly limited to ambient pressure conditions, yet. This makes the interpretation of the coexisting mineral phases in the meteoritic sample quite difficult.We performed experiments at 3, 5 and 21GPa and temperatures of 800–1500°C using the multi-anvil apparatus to investigate the phase equilibria in the Al65Cu23Fe12 system representative of the first natural quasicrystal, icosahedrite. Our results, supported by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and analyses by scanning electron microscopy, confirm the stability of icosahedrite at high pressure and temperature along with additional coexisting Al-bearing phases representative of khatyrkite and stolperite as those found in the natural meteorite. One reversal experiment performed at 5GPa and 1200°C shows the formation of the icosahedral quasicrystal from a pure Al, Cu and Fe mixture, a first experimental synthesis of icosahedrite under those conditions. Pressure appears to not play a major role in the distribution of Al, Cu and Fe between the coexisting phases, icosahedrite in particular. Results from this study extend our knowledge on the stability of icosahedral AlCuFe at higher temperature and pressure than previously examined, and provide a new constraint on the stability of icosahedrite.

Evidence of cross-cutting and redox reaction in Khatyrka meteorite reveals metallic-Al minerals formed in outer space

We report on a fragment of the quasicrystal-bearing CV3 carbonaceous chondrite Khatyrka recovered from fine-grained, clay-rich sediments in the Koryak Mountains, Chukotka (Russia). We show higher melting-point silicate glass cross-cutting lower melting-point Al-Cu-Fe alloys, as well as unambiguous evidence of a reduction-oxidation reaction history between Al-Cu-Fe alloys and silicate melt. The redox reactions involve reduction of FeO and SiO2 to Fe and Fe-Si metal, and oxidation of metallic Al to Al2O3, occurring where silicate melt was in contact with Al-Cu-Fe alloys. In the reaction zone, there are metallic Fe and Fe-Si beads, aluminous spinel rinds on the Al-Cu-Fe alloys, and Al2O3 enrichment in the silicate melt surrounding the alloys. From this and other evidence, we demonstrate that Khatyrka must have experienced at least two distinct events: first, an event as early as 4.564 Ga in which the first Al-Cu-Fe alloys formed; and, second, a more recent impact-induced shock in space that led to transformations of and reactions between the alloys and the meteorite matrix. The new evidence firmly establishes that the Al-Cu-Fe alloys (including quasicrystals) formed in outer space in a complex, multi-stage process.

Hollisterite (Al3Fe), kryachkoite (Al,Cu)6(Fe,Cu), and stolperite (AlCu): Three new minerals from the Khatyrka CV3 carbonaceous chondrite

Our nanomineralogy investigation of the Khatyrka CV3 carbonaceous chondrite has revealed three new alloy minerals—hollisterite (IMA 2016-034; Al_3Fe), kryachkoite [IMA 2016-062; (Al,Cu)_6(Fe,Cu)], and stolperite (IMA 2016-033; AlCu)—in section 126A of USNM 7908. Hollisterite occurs only as one crystal with stolperite, icosahedrite, and khatyrkite, showing an empirical formula of Al_(2.89)Fe_(0.77)Cu_(0.32)Si_(0.02) and a monoclinic C2/m structure with a = 15.60 A, b = 7.94 A, c = 12.51 A, b = 108.1°, V = 1472.9 A^3, Z = 24. Kryachkoite occurs with khatyrkite and aluminum, having an empirical formula of Al5.45Cu0.97Fe0.55Cr0.02Si0.01 and an orthorhombic Cmc21 structure with a = 7.460 A, b = 6.434 A, c = 8.777 A, V = 421.3 A^3, Z = 4. Stolperite occurs within khatyrkite, or along with icosahedrite and/or hollisterite and khatyrkite, having an empirical formula of Al_(1.15)Cu_(0.81)Fe_(0.04) and a cubic Embedded Image structure with a = 2.9 A, V = 24.4 A^3, Z = 1. Specific features of the three new minerals, and their relationships with the meteorite matrix material, add significant new evidence for the extraterrestrial origin of the Al-Cu-Fe metal phases in the Khatyrka meteorite. Hollisterite is named in honor of Lincoln S. Hollister at Princeton University for his extraordinary contributions to earth science. Kryachkoite is named in honor of Valery Kryachko who discovered the original samples of the Khatyrka meteorite in 1979. Stolperite is named in honor of Edward M. Stolper at California Institute of Technology for his fundamental contributions to petrology and meteorite research.

Composition and origin of holotype Al‐Cu‐Zn minerals in relation to quasicrystals in the Khatyrka meteorite

AbstractWe investigated the khatyrkite–cupalite holotype sample, 1.2 × 0.5 mm across. It consists of khatyrkite (Cu,Zn)Al2, cupalite (Cu,Zn)Al, and interstitial material with approximate composition (Zn,Cu)Al3. All mineral phases of the holotype sample contain Zn and lack Fe that distinguishes them from khatyrkite and cupalite in the Khatyrka meteorite particles (Bindi et al. , , , ; MacPherson et al. ; Hollister et al. ). Neither highly fractionated natural systems nor geo‐ or cosmochemical processes capable of forming the holotype sample are known so far. The bulk chemistry and thermal history of khatyrkite–cupalite assemblage in the holotype sample hint for its possible industrial origin. Likewise, the aluminides in the Khatyrka meteorite particles may also be derived from industrial materials and mixed with extraterrestrial matter during gold prospecting in the Listvenitovy Stream valley.

Collisions in outer space produced an icosahedral phase in the Khatyrka meteorite never observed previously in the laboratory.

We report the first occurrence of an icosahedral quasicrystal with composition Al62.0(8)Cu31.2(8)Fe6.8(4), outside the measured equilibrium stability field at standard pressure of the previously reported Al-Cu-Fe quasicrystal (AlxCuyFez, with x between 61 and 64, y between 24 and 26, z between 12 and 13%). The new icosahedral mineral formed naturally and was discovered in the Khatyrka meteorite, a recently described CV3 carbonaceous chondrite that experienced shock metamorphism, local melting (with conditions exceeding 5 GPa and 1,200 °C in some locations), and rapid cooling, all of which likely resulted from impact-induced shock in space. This is the first example of a quasicrystal composition discovered in nature prior to being synthesized in the laboratory. The new composition was found in a grain that has a separate metal assemblage containing icosahedrite (Al63Cu24Fe13), currently the only other known naturally occurring mineral with icosahedral symmetry (though the latter composition had already been observed in the laboratory prior to its discovery in nature). The chemistry of both the icosahedral phases was characterized by electron microprobe, and the rotational symmetry was confirmed by means of electron backscatter diffraction.

Shock synthesis of quasicrystals with implications for their origin in asteroid collisions

We designed a plate impact shock recovery experiment to simulate the starting materials and shock conditions associated with the only known natural quasicrystals, in the Khatyrka meteorite. At the boundaries among CuAl5, (Mg0.75Fe(2+) 0.25)2SiO4 olivine, and the stainless steel chamber walls, the recovered specimen contains numerous micron-scale grains of a quasicrystalline phase displaying face-centered icosahedral symmetry and low phason strain. The compositional range of the icosahedral phase is Al68-73Fe11-16Cu10-12Cr1-4Ni1-2 and extends toward higher Al/(Cu+Fe) and Fe/Cu ratios than those reported for natural icosahedrite or for any previously known synthetic quasicrystal in the Al-Cu-Fe system. The shock-induced synthesis demonstrated in this experiment reinforces the evidence that natural quasicrystals formed during a shock event but leaves open the question of whether this synthesis pathway is attributable to the expanded thermodynamic stability range of the quasicrystalline phase at high pressure, to a favorable kinetic pathway that exists under shock conditions, or to both thermodynamic and kinetic factors.

Quasicrystals at extreme conditions: The role of pressure in stabilizing icosahedral Al63Cu24Fe13at high temperature

Icosahedrite, the first natural quasicrystal with composition Al 63 Cu 24 Fe 13 , was discovered in several grains of the Khatyrka meteorite, a CV3 carbonaceous chondrite. The presence of icosahedrite associated with high-pressure phases like ahrensite and stishovite indicates formation at high pressures and temperatures due to an impact-induced shock. Previous experimental studies on the stability of synthetic icosahedral AlCuFe have either been limited to ambient pressure, for which they indicate incongruent melting at ~1123 K, or limited to room-temperature, for which they indicate structural stability up to about 35 GPa. These data are insufficient to experimentally constrain the formation and stability of icosahedrite under the conditions of high pressure and temperature that formed the Khatyrka meteorite. Here we present the results of room-temperature, high-pressure diamond-anvil cells measurements of the compressional behavior of synthetic icosahedrite up to ~50 GPa. High P - T experiments were also carried out using both laser-heated diamond-anvil cells combined with in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (at ~42 GPa) and multi-anvil apparatus (at 21 GPa) to investigate the structural evolution and crystallization of possible coexisting phases. The results demonstrate that the quasiperiodic order of icosahedrite is retained over the P - T range explored. We find that pressure acts to stabilize the icosahedral symmetry at temperatures much higher than previously reported. Direct solidification of AlCuFe quasicrystals from an unusual Al-Cu-rich melt is possible but it is limited to a narrow temperature range. Alternatively, quasicrystals may form after crystallization through solid-solid reactions of Al-rich phases. In either case, our results show that quasicrystals can preserve their structure even after hypervelocity impacts spanning a broad range of pressures and temperatures.

Decagonite, Al71Ni24Fe5, a quasicrystal with decagonal symmetry from the Khatyrka CV3 carbonaceous chondrite

Decagonite is the second natural quasicrystal, after icosahedrite (Al63Cu24Fe13), and the first to exhibit the crystallographically forbidden decagonal symmetry. It was found as rare fragments up to ~60 mm across in one of the grains (labeled number 126) of the Khatyrka meteorite, a CV3 carbonaceous chondrite. The meteoritic grain contains evidence of a heterogeneous distribution of pressures and temperatures that occurred during impact shock, in which some portions of the meteorite reached at least 5 GPa and 1200 °C. Decagonite is associated with Al-bearing trevorite, diopside, forsterite, ahrensite, clinoenstatite, nepheline, coesite, pentlandite, Cu-bearing troilite, icosahedrite, khatyrkite, taenite, Al-bearing taenite, and steinhardtite. Given the exceedingly small size of decagonite, it was not possible to determine most of the physical properties for the mineral. A mean of seven electron microprobe analyses (obtained from three different fragments) gave the formula Al70.2(3)Ni24.5(4)Fe5.3(2), on the basis of 100 atoms. A combined TEM and single-crystal X-ray diffraction study revealed the unmistakable signature of a decagonal quasicrystal: a pattern of sharp peaks arranged in straight lines with 10-fold symmetry together with periodic patterns taken perpendicular to the 10-fold direction. For quasicrystals, by definition, the structure is not reducible to a single three-dimensional unit cell, so neither cell parameters nor Z can be given. The likely space group is P105/mmc, as is the case for synthetic Al71Ni24Fe5. The five strongest powder-diffraction lines [ d in A (I/I0)] are: 2.024 (100), 3.765 (50), 2.051 (45), 3.405 (40), 1.9799 (40). The new mineral has been approved by the IMA-NMNC Commission (IMA2015-017) and named decagonite for the 10-fold symmetry of its structure. The find ing of a second natural quasicrystal informs the longstanding debate about the stability and robustness of quasicrystals among condensed matter physicists and demonstrates that mineralogy can continue to surprise us and have a strong impact on other disciplines.

Natural quasicrystal with decagonal symmetry.

We report the first occurrence of a natural quasicrystal with decagonal symmetry. The quasicrystal, with composition Al71Ni24Fe5, was discovered in the Khatyrka meteorite, a recently described CV3 carbonaceous chondrite. Icosahedrite, Al63Cu24Fe13, the first natural quasicrystal to be identified, was found in the same meteorite. The new quasicrystal was found associated with steinhardtite (Al38Ni32Fe30), Fe-poor steinhardtite (Al50Ni40Fe10), Al-bearing trevorite (NiFe2O4) and Al-bearing taenite (FeNi). Laboratory studies of decagonal Al71Ni24Fe5 have shown that it is stable over a narrow range of temperatures, 1120 K to 1200 K at standard pressure, providing support for our earlier conclusion that the Khatyrka meteorite reached heterogeneous high temperatures [1100 < T(K) ≤ 1500] and then rapidly cooled after being heated during an impact-induced shock that occurred in outer space 4.5 Gya. The occurrences of metallic Al alloyed with Cu, Ni, and Fe raises new questions regarding conditions that can be achieved in the early solar nebula.