First insights into the trace element composition of the rare, high-pressure mineral reidite from X-ray fluorescence tomography

This project aims to assess of the trace element composition of the mineral reidite, a rare high-pressure polymorph of the mineral zircon (ZrSiO4) that forms during hypervelocity impacts of asteroids with the Earth and other planetary bodies. Zircon is the most widely used chronometer in the geosciences but little is known about the chemical composition of reidite, and thus whether it might be useful in the direct absolute dating of the impact events in which it forms. X-ray fluorescence tomography (XRF-CT) has previously been applied to non-impact-related zircon on the ID16B beamline and we will follow this established protocol to gain the first insights into the chemical composition of reidite.