Riesite, a New High Pressure Polymorph of TiO2 from the Ries Impact Structure

Tschauner, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Chi Ma, California Institute of Technology
Antonio Lanzirotti, GeoSoilEnviroCARS
Matthew G. Newville, GeoSoilEnviroCARS

Abstract

This paper describes riesite, a new high-pressure polymorph of TiO2 from the Ries impact structure, Germany. Riesite occurs in shock-induced melt veins within xenoliths of bedrock in suevite. It is structurally closely related to srilankite from which it differs by having two distinct cation sites rather than one and through its monoclinic symmetry. It is indicative that riesite forms only upon release from the shock state upon back transformation from akaogiite.