Quick Search:    advanced search

GSW Home   GeoRef Home   My GSW Alerts   Contact GSW   About GSW   Journals List   Help

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ma, C. Articles by Rossman, G. R. Search for Related Content GeoRef GeoRef Citation

Tistarite, Ti₂O₃, a new refractory mineral from the Allende meteorite

Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A.

Correspondence: ^* E-mail: chi{at}gps.caltech.edu

Tistarite, ideally Ti₂O₃, is a new member of the corundum-hematite group. It is found as one subhedral crystal in a cluster of micrometer-sized refractory grains along with khamrabaevite (TiC), rutile, and corundum crystals within a chondrule from the Allende meteorite. The mean chemical composition determined by electron microprobe analysis is (wt%) Ti₂O₃ 94.94, MgO 2.06, Al₂O₃ 1.50, ZrO₂ 0.44, FeO 0.24, CaO 0.10, Cr₂O₃ 0.06, sum 99.34. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of 3 O atoms is (Ti³⁺_1.90Mg_0.07Al_0.04Zr_0.01)_2.02O₃. Tistarite is rhombohedral, R–c; a = 5.158 Å, c = 13.611 Å, V = 313.61 ų, and Z = 6. Its electron back-scatter diffraction pattern matches that of synthetic Ti₂O₃ with the R–c structure. The strongest calculated X-ray powder diffraction lines from the synthetic Ti₂O₃ data are [d spacing in Å (I) hkl]: 3.734 (84) (012), 2.707 (88) (104), 2.579 (90) (110), 2.242 (38) (113), 1.867 (33) (024), 1.703 (100) (116), 1.512 (28) (214), 1.489 (46) (300), 1.121 (20) (226), 0.896 (25) (416). The mineral is named after the composition "Ti" and the word "star," implying that this new refractory mineral is among the first solids formed in the solar system.

Key Words: Tistarite • Ti₂O₃ • new refractory mineral • titanium oxide • Allende meteorite

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Ma, S. B. Simon, G. R. Rossman, and L. Grossman Calcium Tschermak's pyroxene, CaAlAlSiO6, from the Allende and Murray meteorites: EBSD and micro-Raman characterizations American Mineralogist, October 1, 2009; 94(10): 1483 - 1486. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Ma and G. R. Rossman Grossmanite, CaTi3+AlSiO6, a new pyroxene from the Allende meteorite American Mineralogist, October 1, 2009; 94(10): 1491 - 1494. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Ma and G. R. Rossman Davisite, CaScAlSiO6, a new pyroxene from the Allende meteorite American Mineralogist, May 1, 2009; 94(5-6): 845 - 848. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]