Replicating Barred Olivine (IMAGE)
Caption
This figure illustrates the formation and numerical replication of barred olivine, a unique crystalline texture found in chondrules within meteorites.
(a) A polarized light micrograph shows a natural chondrule containing barred olivine, characterized by parallel olivine bars within a spherical boundary. These features are considered records of rapid crystallization under the early solar system’s unique environments.
(b) A schematic representation highlights the key structural components: an outer olivine rim and internal parallel bars, which are not separate crystals but continuous parts of a single olivine crystal.
(c) A numerical simulation based on a phase-field model successfully reproduces the distinctive barred olivine texture. The simulation suggests that this texture emerges from rapid crystallization under compositional changes caused by evaporation near the chondrule surface. The resulting rim-bar pattern closely matches the morphology seen in actual chondrules.
This replication marks the first theoretical reproduction of barred olivine and provides strong support for new models of crystal growth and cooling conditions in early solar system environments. The findings may revise existing theories of chondrule formation and offer new constraints on the timescales and processes that led to planetary accretion.
Credit
© Hitoshi Miura, Nagoya City University
Usage Restrictions
Credit must be given to the creator.
License
CC BY