The Origin of Lattice Rotation during Dendritic Crystallization of Clinopyroxene

Understanding dendritic crystallization is key to obtaining petrological information about rapid crystallization events. Clinopyroxene dendrites from a basaltic rock fulgurite from Nagpur, India, exhibit curved branches with corresponding lattice rotation that exceeds 180 degrees for some branches. This paper combines crystallographic orientation mapping with microstructural observations and compositional information to determine the dendrites' 3-D morphology and their bending mechanism. Dendrites exhibit a network of branches in the (010) plane, following either {001}* (normal to {001} planes, strong lattice curvature) or < 10-1 > (weak lattice curvature). Three or more orders of branches are observed in the (010) plane, alternating between {001}* and < 10-1>. Side branches with weak lattice curvature extend sub-perpendicular to the (010) plane, following either {021}* (sprouting from {001}* branches) or < 12-1 > (from branches) and defining curved 'ribbons' containing their respective central branch. All branches rotate about [010], with a consistent rotation sense regardless of elongation direction in sample or crystal coordinates. Bending must therefore be caused by local asymmetric thermal and compositional fields in the melt, generated by dendritic growth itself, not by sample-scale compositional, thermal or mechanical gradients. The most likely cause of bending is asymmetric distribution of melt supersaturation around branch tips, related to unequal growth rates perpendicular to different facets. Lattice rotation is inferred to occur via preferential incorporation of high densities of [001] (100) edge dislocations of one sign. High inferred dislocation densities imply that the preservation of bent dendrites requires rapid quenching. Higher inferred degree of undercooling (based on microstructural observations) correlates with greater lattice curvature. Bent dendrites can thus potentially be used to deliver information about spatial variations in degree of undercooling and place limits on the history of a sample after dendritic crystallization. Finally, finding lattice rotation exclusively about [010] is a new criterion to identify cryptic dendritic growth stages in euhedral crystals.

Automated summary

Understanding dendritic crystallization is key to obtaining petrological information about rapid crystallization events. This study investigates the 3-D morphology and bending mechanism of clinopyroxene dendrites from a basaltic rock fulgurite. The bending is caused by local asymmetric thermal and compositional fields generated by dendritic growth. The lattice rotation exclusively about [010] can be used as a new criterion to identify cryptic dendritic growth stages in euhedral crystals.