Composition and origin of holotype Al‐Cu‐Zn minerals in relation to quasicrystals in the Khatyrka meteorite |
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| Authors: | Marina A Ivanova Cyril A Lorenz Sergey E Borisovskiy Andrey A Burmistrov Dmitriy V Korost Alexander V Korochantsev Maria N Logunova Sergei I Shornikov Michail I Petaev |
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| Institution: | 1. Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia;2. Institute of Geology of Ore Deposits, Petrography, Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia;3. Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia;4. Mining Museum, St. Petersburg Mining University, St. Petersburg, Russia;5. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA |
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| Abstract: | We 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. 2009 , 2011 , 2012 , 2015 ; MacPherson et al. 2013 ; Hollister et al. 2014 ). 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. |
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