| Abstract Scope |
Shocked silicates deform during hyper-velocity impacts, a common process in planetary evolution. Olivine and pyroxene are key rock-forming minerals, recording shock via microstructural changes. Olivine (isolated SiO₄ tetrahedra as orthosilicates) and pyroxene (two shared oxygen atoms as single chain silicates) respond differently to shock deformation. Orthosilicates have interstitial cation bonding for stability, whereas single-chain silicates exhibit directional O-Si-O bonds that facilitate cleavage planes and directional deformation. High energy shock events trigger dislocation migration, enhanced by post-shock heating. The O-Si-O bonding in pyroxene, in particular, may allow greater ductility, accommodating deformation through bending, kinking, twisting, or fracturing along cleavage planes.
Using dark-field X-ray microscopy (DFXM), we mapped 3D lattice mosaicity, revealing development of dislocation networks in low-shock meteoritic olivine indicative of shock mosaicism. We aim to further explore dislocation behavior in shocked pyroxene to confirm directional effects along its (110) plane, providing insights into shock deformation histories in planetary materials. |