Natural quasicrystal with decagonal symmetry

We report the first occurrence of a natural quasicrystal with decagonal symmetry. The quasicrystal, with composition Al(71)Ni(24)Fe(5), was discovered in the Khatyrka meteorite, a recently described CV3 carbonaceous chondrite. Icosahedrite, Al(63)Cu(24)Fe(13), the first natural quasicrystal to be identified, was found in the same meteorite. The new quasicrystal was found associated with steinhardtite (Al(38)Ni(32)Fe(30)), Fe-poor steinhardtite (Al(50)Ni(40)Fe(10)), Al-bearing trevorite (NiFe(2)O(4)) and Al-bearing taenite (FeNi). Laboratory studies of decagonal Al(71)Ni(24)Fe(5) have shown that it is stable over a narrow range of temperatures, 1120 K to 1200 K at standard pressure, providing support for our earlier conclusion that the Khatyrka meteorite reached heterogeneous high temperatures [1100 < T(K) ≤ 1500] and then rapidly cooled after being heated during an impact-induced shock that occurred in outer space 4.5 Gya. The occurrences of metallic Al alloyed with Cu, Ni, and Fe raises new questions regarding conditions that can be achieved in the early solar nebula.