Ph.D. (ANU)
Senior Scientist / Mineralogist
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
Caltech 170-25, Pasadena, California 91125
chi [AT] gps.caltech.edu
626 395 6253
(office: 051 Arms)
626 395 6126 (lab: 052 Arms)
Research Interests: Nanomineralogy; discovering new minerals and new materials in the early solar system; electron beam techniques.
With advanced analytical electron microscopy, one is now capable to characterize solid materials easier and faster down to nanometer scales. During my ongoing nanomineralogy investigation of primitive meteorites, 16 new minerals have been discovered at micron to nanometer scales, including refractory phases like panguite, kangite, tistarite and allendeite, which are among the first solids formed in our solar system. Each of the new extraterrestrial minerals reveals distinctive forming environments, providing new insights into nebula or parent-body processes. Near 40 refractory minerals plus a dozen presolar minerals mark the beginning of the solar mineral evolution 4.568 billion years ago. There are now 4700+ minerals that have been identified on Earth.
New Minerals Discovered:
from Earth to the Solar Nebula
IMA 2006-040, barioperovskite, BaTiO3, in benitoite from California
IMA 2007-027, allendeite, Sc4Zr3O12, from Allende meteorite
IMA 2007-029, hexamolybdenum, (Mo,Ru,Fe), from Allende
IMA 2007-033, monipite, MoNiP, from Allende
IMA 2008-016, tistarite, Ti2O3, from Allende
IMA 2008-030, davisite, CaScAlSiO6, from Allende
IMA 2008-042, grossmanite, CaTi3+AlSiO6, from Allende
IMA 2009-027, hibonite-(Fe), (Fe,Mg)Al12O19, from Allende
IMA 2010-003, murchisite, Cr5S6, from Murchison meteorite
IMA 2010-038, krotite, CaAl2O4, from a CV3 meteorite
IMA 2010-057, panguite, (Ti,Al,Sc,Mg,Zr,Ca)1.8O3, from Allende
IMA 2010-062, brearleyite, Ca12Al14O32Cl2, from a CV3 meteorite
IMA 2011-070, buseckite, (Fe,Zn,Mn)S, from Zaklodzie
IMA 2011-092, kangite, (Sc,Ti,Al,Zr,Mg,Ca,[])2O3, from Allende
IMA 2012-008, browneite, MnS, from Zaklodzie
IMA 2012-079, majindeite, Mg2Mo3O8, from Allende
IMA 2013-018, nuwaite, Ni6GeS2, from Allende
(Approved by IMA-CNMNC) [Mineral Names]
In the News: Caltech News,
LiveScience,
CBS,
Wired,
thestar (2012);
National Geographic (2011);
E&S (2007)