Naturally Occurring Quasicrystals

2 days ago

Quasicrystals have non-repeating patterns and are rare in nature, typically formed by extreme events like asteroid collisions, lightning strikes, or atomic explosions.
The Khatyrka meteorite contains three natural quasicrystals: icosahedrite (with icosahedral symmetry), decagonite (with tenfold rotational symmetry), and i-Phase II (also icosahedral).
Other quasicrystals include one from a lightning-induced fulgurite in Nebraska (with 12-fold symmetry) and one from the Trinity atomic bomb test site (with icosahedral symmetry but different composition).
Most quasicrystals are lab-made, and their rarity in nature may be due to historical oversight or lack of dedicated research in mineralogy.

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