The Jilin H5 chondrite, the largest known stony meteorite in the world, with its No.1 fragment weighing1770 kg. It contains submillimeter-to centimeter-sized FeNi metal particles/nodules. Our optical microscopic and electron microprobe analyses revealed that the formation of metal nodules in this meteorite is a complex and long-term process, The early stage is the thermal diffusion-caused migration and concentration of dispersed metallic material along fractures to form root-hair shaped metal grains during thermal metamorphism of this meteorite. The later two collision events experienced by this meteorite led to the further migration and aggregation of metallic material into the shock-produced cracks and openings to form largersized metal grains. The shock-produced shear movement and frictional heating occurred in this meteorite greatly enhanced the migration and aggregation of metallic material to form the large-sized nodules. It was revealed that the metal nodule formation process in the Jilin H5 chondrite might perform in the solid or subsolidus state, and neither melting of chondritic metal grains nor shock-induced vaporization of bulk chondrite material are related with this process.
The Suizhou meteorite is a heavily shocked and melted vein-containing L6 chondrite.It contains a minor amount of diopside with a(Ca_(0.419)Mg_(0.466)Fe_(0.088))SiO_(3)composition,and a shock-metamorphosed diopside grain associated with ringwoodite and lingunite was found in a melt vein of this meteorite.Our electron microprobe,transmission electron microscopic and Raman spectroscopic analyses revealed four silicate phases with different compositions and structures inside this shock-metamorphosed diopside grain,termed phase A,B,C and D in this paper.Phase A is identified as orthorhombic(Ca_(0.663)-Mg_(0.314))SiO_(3)-perovskite which is closely associated with phase B,the vitrified(Mg_(0.642)Ca_(0.290)Fe_(0.098))SiO_(3)perovskite.Phase D is assigned to be(Mg_(0.578)Ca_(0.414))SiO_(3)majorite which is associated with phase C,the vetrified Carich Mg-perovskite with a(Mg_(0.853)Ca_(0.167))SiO_(3)composition.Based on high-pressure and high-temperature experiments,the diopside grain in the melt vein of the Suizhou meteorite would have experienced a P–T regime of 20–24GPa and 1800–>2000℃.Such P–T conditions are high enough for the decomposition of the diopside and the formation of four different silicate phases.The orthorhombic(Ca_(0.663)Mg_(0.314))SiO_(3)perovskite found in the Suizhou L6 chondrite might be considered as the third lower-mantle silicate mineral after bridgmanite and davemaoite after the detailed analyses of its crystal structure and physical properties being completed.
We report the discovery of TiO_(2)-Ⅱ in the unmelted rock of the shocked Suizhou L6 chondrite.Natural TiO_(2)-Ⅱ was previously found in ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic and mantle-derived rocks,terrestrial impact structures,and tektite.Our microscopic,Raman spectroscopic,electron microprobe and transmission electron microscopic investigations have revealed:(1) All observed TiO_(2)-Ⅱ grains are related with ilmenite and pyrophanite;(2) TiO_(2)-Ⅱ occurs as needle-and leaf-shaped inclusions in llmenite and patch-,tape-shaped body in pyrophanite;(3)The composition of TiO_(2)-Ⅱ is identical with that of its precursor rutile;(4) The Raman spectrum of TiO_(2)-Ⅱ is in good agreement with that of natural and synthesized α-PbO_(2)-type TiO_(2);(5) TiO_(2)-Ⅱ occurs mainly in the form of well-ordered nano-domains and small mis-orientation among the domains can be observed.(6) All electron diffraction reflections from TiO_(2)-Ⅱ can be indexed to α-PbO_(2)structure in space group Pbcn with lattice parameters of a=4.481 ?,b=5.578 A and c=4.921 A;(7) The exsolution inclusions of rutile from host ilmenite are mostly connected with an alternation process along the lamellar twinning plane of ilmenite induced by shockinduced high pressure and high temperature;(8) The P-T regime of 20-25 GPa and 1000 ℃ estimated for the Suizhou unmelted rock is suitable for phase transition of rutile into TiO_(2)-Ⅱ phase.
