Unique (Al,Cu)-alloys discovered in a micrometeorite from Southern Italy
Abstract We report the discovery of a (Al,Cu)-bearing micrometeorite recovered at the top of Mt. Gariglione (Italy). The micrometeorite exhibits a highly vesicular scoriaceous structure characterized by broadly chondritic silicate-dominated composition (S-type) with relict phenocrystals of forsterit...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02245-w |
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| author | Giovanna Agrosì Paola Manzari Daniela Mele Gioacchino Tempesta Floriana Rizzo Tiziano Catelani Guangming Cheng Nan Yao Johan Villeneuve Luca Bindi |
| author_facet | Giovanna Agrosì Paola Manzari Daniela Mele Gioacchino Tempesta Floriana Rizzo Tiziano Catelani Guangming Cheng Nan Yao Johan Villeneuve Luca Bindi |
| author_sort | Giovanna Agrosì |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract We report the discovery of a (Al,Cu)-bearing micrometeorite recovered at the top of Mt. Gariglione (Italy). The micrometeorite exhibits a highly vesicular scoriaceous structure characterized by broadly chondritic silicate-dominated composition (S-type) with relict phenocrystals of forsteritic olivine dispersed in a Ca-rich silicate glass with pyroxene composition, droplets of FeNi metal, oxides and sporadic Ni-rich sulphides embedded in a magnetite rim. The oxygen 3-isotope analyses give values close to the slope ~1 CCAM. A reduced assemblage of (Al,Cu)-alloys partially fills the open voids of the micrometeorite and shows variable compositions: from almost pure Cu up to Al-dominated phases with a predominance of khatyrkite, stolperite and unnamed Cu3Al2. Locally, small grains (about 1-2 µm in size) embedded in stolperite show a Fe-Si enrichment and are characterized by a long-range ordering resembling a quasicrystalline structure. This finding represents a unique natural quasicrystal approximant with composition Al52Cu31Fe10Si7. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-616eb68db03f480c8956af97ffb9c96d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-616eb68db03f480c8956af97ffb9c96d2025-08-20T02:17:04ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-04-016111010.1038/s43247-025-02245-wUnique (Al,Cu)-alloys discovered in a micrometeorite from Southern ItalyGiovanna Agrosì0Paola Manzari1Daniela Mele2Gioacchino Tempesta3Floriana Rizzo4Tiziano Catelani5Guangming Cheng6Nan Yao7Johan Villeneuve8Luca Bindi9Department of Earth and geoenvironmental sciences, University of Bari Aldo MoroItalian Spatial Agency, Centro Spaziale di Matera, TerlecchiaDepartment of Earth and geoenvironmental sciences, University of Bari Aldo MoroDepartment of Earth and geoenvironmental sciences, University of Bari Aldo MoroDepartment of Earth and geoenvironmental sciences, University of Bari Aldo MoroService Centre MEMA, University of FlorencePrinceton Materials Institute, Princeton UniversityPrinceton Materials Institute, Princeton UniversityUniversity of Lorraine, CNRS, CRPGDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of FlorenceAbstract We report the discovery of a (Al,Cu)-bearing micrometeorite recovered at the top of Mt. Gariglione (Italy). The micrometeorite exhibits a highly vesicular scoriaceous structure characterized by broadly chondritic silicate-dominated composition (S-type) with relict phenocrystals of forsteritic olivine dispersed in a Ca-rich silicate glass with pyroxene composition, droplets of FeNi metal, oxides and sporadic Ni-rich sulphides embedded in a magnetite rim. The oxygen 3-isotope analyses give values close to the slope ~1 CCAM. A reduced assemblage of (Al,Cu)-alloys partially fills the open voids of the micrometeorite and shows variable compositions: from almost pure Cu up to Al-dominated phases with a predominance of khatyrkite, stolperite and unnamed Cu3Al2. Locally, small grains (about 1-2 µm in size) embedded in stolperite show a Fe-Si enrichment and are characterized by a long-range ordering resembling a quasicrystalline structure. This finding represents a unique natural quasicrystal approximant with composition Al52Cu31Fe10Si7.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02245-w |
| spellingShingle | Giovanna Agrosì Paola Manzari Daniela Mele Gioacchino Tempesta Floriana Rizzo Tiziano Catelani Guangming Cheng Nan Yao Johan Villeneuve Luca Bindi Unique (Al,Cu)-alloys discovered in a micrometeorite from Southern Italy Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Unique (Al,Cu)-alloys discovered in a micrometeorite from Southern Italy |
| title_full | Unique (Al,Cu)-alloys discovered in a micrometeorite from Southern Italy |
| title_fullStr | Unique (Al,Cu)-alloys discovered in a micrometeorite from Southern Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unique (Al,Cu)-alloys discovered in a micrometeorite from Southern Italy |
| title_short | Unique (Al,Cu)-alloys discovered in a micrometeorite from Southern Italy |
| title_sort | unique al cu alloys discovered in a micrometeorite from southern italy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02245-w |
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