Changesite-(Y)
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Changesite-(Y), with the chemical formula (Ca8Y) Fe2+(PO4)7, is a
mineral In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): Mi ...
found forming colorless transparent columnar crystals in
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
particles on the
Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...
. Changesite-(Y) is a member of the merrillite group of
phosphate mineral Phosphate minerals are minerals that contain the tetrahedrally coordinated phosphate () anion, sometimes with arsenate () and vanadate () substitutions, along with chloride (Cl−), fluoride (F−), and hydroxide (OH−) anions, that also fit in ...
s.


History

Changesite-(Y) was first identified by researchers at the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology. They discovered a single crystal of Changesite–(Y) using X-ray diffraction while examining particles collected from the
Chinese Lunar Exploration Program The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP; ), also known as the Chang'e Project () after the Chinese Moon goddess Chang'e, is an ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Engineering Program ...
's fifth lunar exploration mission,
Chang'e 5 Chang'e 5 () was the fifth lunar exploration mission in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program of CNSA, and China's first lunar sample-return mission. Like its predecessors, the spacecraft is named after the Chinese moon goddess, Chang'e. ...
, which is also China's first
sample-return mission A sample-return mission is a spacecraft mission to collect and return samples from an extraterrestrial location to Earth for analysis. Sample-return missions may bring back merely atoms and molecules or a deposit of complex compounds such as lo ...
to the Moon. The mineral is named after
Chang'e Chang'e ( ; ), originally known as Heng'e (), is the goddess of the Moon and wife of Hou Yi, the great archer. Renowned for her beauty, Chang'e is also known for her ascending to the Moon with her pet Yu Tu, the Moon Rabbit and living in the Mo ...
, the Moon goddess in
Chinese mythology Chinese mythology () is mythology that has been passed down in oral form or recorded in literature throughout the area now known as Greater China. Chinese mythology encompasses a diverse array of myths derived from regional and cultural tradit ...
.
China National Space Administration The China National Space Administration (CNSA) is a government agency of the People's Republic of China headquartered in Haidian District, Haidian, Beijing, responsible for civil space administration and international space cooperation. These ...
and
China Atomic Energy Authority China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) is the regulatory agency that oversees the development of nuclear energy in the People's Republic of China. History The agency was created out of the regulatory functions department of the China National Nucl ...
jointly announced the discovery of Changesite-(Y) in Beijing on September 9, 2022, and its recognition has been approved by the
International Mineralogical Association Founded in 1958, the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) is an international group of 40 national societies. The goal is to promote the science of mineralogy and to standardize the nomenclature of the 5000 plus known mineral species. ...
and its Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification. The discovery also makes China the third country to discover a new lunar mineral after the United States and former Soviet Union.


Application

Changesite-(Y) contains the isotope
helium-3 Helium-3 (3He see also helion) is a light, stable isotope of helium with two protons and one neutron. (In contrast, the most common isotope, helium-4, has two protons and two neutrons.) Helium-3 and hydrogen-1 are the only stable nuclides with ...
, which is useful in fueling
nuclear fusion reactions Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei combine to form a larger nuclei, nuclei/neutron by-products. The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manifested as either the release or absorption of energy. ...
.


References

Lunar samples Phosphate minerals Calcium minerals Yttrium minerals Iron(II) minerals {{DEFAULTSORT:Changesite-(Y)