1. Louisfuchsite, Ca2(Mg4Ti2)(Al4Si2)O20, a new rhönite-type mineral from the NWA 4964 CK meteorite: A refractory phase from the solar nebula
- Author
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Ma, Chi, Krot, Alexander N., Nagashima, Kazuhide, and Dunn, Tasha
- Abstract
Louisfuchsite (IMA 2022-024), with an end-member formula Ca2(Mg4Ti2)(Al4Si2)O20, is a new refractory mineral identified in a Ca-Al-rich inclusion (CAI) from the NWA 4964 CK3.8 carbonaceous chondrite. Louisfuchsite occurs with spinel, perovskite, grossmanite, plus secondary rutile, titanite, and ilmenite in three regions in the CAI. The mean chemical composition of type louisfuchsite by electron probe microanalysis is (wt%) Al2O325.48, SiO218.40, MgO 17.92, TiO215.36, Ti2O33.13, CaO 14.92, FeO 3.30, V2O30.67, Cr2O30.08, total 99.26, giving rise to an empirical formula of Ca2.00(Mg3.44Ti1.494+Fe0.36Ti0.343+Al0.24V0.073+Ca0.06Cr0.01)Σ6.01(Al3.63Si2.37)Σ6.00O20$\begin{array}{} \displaystyle \mathrm{Ca_{2.00}(Mg_{3.44}Ti_{1.49}^{4+}Fe_{0.36}Ti_{0.34}^{3+}Al_{0.24}V_{0.07}^{3+}Ca_{0.06}Cr_{0.01})_{\Sigma6.01}(Al_{3.63}Si_{2.37})_{\Sigma 6.00}O_{20}} \end{array}$. Louisfuchsite has the P1rhönite structure with a= 10.37(1) Å, b= 10.76(1) Å, c= 8.90(1) Å, α = 106.0(1)°, β = 96.0(1)°, γ = 124.7(1)°, V= 741(2) Å3, and Z = 2, as revealed by electron backscatter diffraction. The calculated density using the measured composition is 3.44 g/cm3. Louisfuchsite is a new refractory phase from the solar nebula, crystallized from an 16O-rich (Δ17O ~ –24 ± 2‰) refractory melt with the initial 26Al/27Al ratio of (5.09 ± 0.58) × 10–5under reduced conditions. The mineral name is in honor of Louis Fuchs (1915–1991), a mineralogist at Argonne National Laboratory, for his many contributions to mineralogical research on meteorites.
- Published
- 2024
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