Model of the formation of carbon quasicrystals in the gas-dust cloud of the Chelyabinsk Superbolide

A study has been conducted on unique carbon quasicrystalline structures formed during the fall of the Chelyabinsk meteorite on February 15, 2013. Using electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis, it was determined that particles measuring 10–100 mkm possess a sixth-order symmetry axis and structural characteristics of highly ordered graphite. A model has been proposed for the formation of carbon quasicrystals through the thermal dissociation of CO$_2$ in Earth's atmosphere under high temperatures ($\sim\!10^4$ K), followed by crystallization on fullerenes. Quantitative estimates indicate the possibility of forming up to $\sim\!1.72 \cdot 10^{13}$ carbon particles in the gas-dust cloud. The results of DFT and MD simulations confirm the feasibility of such structures forming through an intermediate stage of polyhexacyclooctadecane. The findings are significant for understanding the formation of carbon structures under extreme conditions.