Brownleeite

• IMA 2008-011

Brownleeit is a very rare and previously unaccounted for on earth silico-manganese mineral from the mineral class of " elements (metals, intermetallic alloys, metalloids and non-metals, carbides, silicides, nitrides and phosphides ) ". It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system with the chemical composition of MnSi and has so far been detected only in the form of microscopic particles in collected, cosmic dust.

Special Features

As a so-called manganese silicide has Brownleeit semiconductor properties.

Etymology and history

The discovery of the mineral has been published in a NASA report on 12 June 2008. It was named in honor of the professor of astronomy ( planetary scientist ) Donald E. Brownlee of the University of Washington in Seattle.

Brownleeit is by the International Mineralogical Association ( International Mineralogical Association, IMA) has been recognized as a mineral. It has the IMA number 2008-011.

Education and Locations

The formation conditions of the mineral is so far not known. Was discovered in 2003 Brownleeit dust particles that had been captured by a Lockheed ER -2 aircraft in the stratosphere over the southwestern United States. " The mineral was found in the form of an IDP ( interstellar Dust Particle ) of 5 microns in diameter in only three grains with diameters of 100, 450 and 600 nm ." It is assumed that the trapped particles originate from the comet 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup whose dust track the Earth crossed in April 2003. In this way the dust lane could be explored.

Crystal structure

Brownleeit crystallizes in the cubic crystal system in the space group P213 with the lattice parameters a = 4.557 Å and six formula units per unit cell.