Discovery of new mineral addibischoffite, Ca_2Al_6Al_6O_(20) ,IN A Ca-Al-Rich refractory inclusion from the Acfer 214 CH3 meteorite

Abstract

Introduction: During a mineralogy investigation of the Acfer 214 CH3 carbonaceous chondrite, a new calcium aluminate mineral, named "addibischoffite", Ca_2Al_6Al_6O_(20) with the P-1 aenigmatite structure, was identified in a Ca-Al-rich inclusion (CAI). Field-emission scanning electron microscope, electron back-scatter diffraction, electron microprobe and ion microprobe were used to characterize its chemical and oxygen-isotope compositions, structure, and associated phases. Synthetic CaAl_6O_(10) was reported but not fully characterized [e.g., 1]. Presented here is its first natural occurrence as a new refractory mineral in a primitive meteorite. The mineral has been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA 2015-006). The name is in honor of Addi Bischoff, a cosmochemist at Münster University, Germany, for his many contributions to research on CAIs in carbonaceous chondrites, including CH chondrites.

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