Symmetry breaking in biogenic crystals: morphing calcite through strain and impurities

We will continue our study of strain distribution in coccolith crystals to understand the role of the strain and elemental heterogeneities on asymmetric growth of symmetry-related planes in biogenic calcite. This continuation experiment will be supported by our previous experiment, where optimal conditions for data acquisition were successfully found (Figure 1, LS 3164) and by chemical information obtained using high resolution XRF study of the coccolith crystals on ID16a.