The Stability of Quasi-Crystals

Aluminum was forming solids when copper was still a gas, McPherson said. The shock could have jolted the quasi-crystal and other aluminum copper alloys into being - which might also explain why they show telltale signs of rapid cooling. It is still unclear how aluminum and copper came together inside iron nickel alloys in the first place. Extensive studies in the laboratory by Si and others have shown that icosahedrite is almost certainly a stable state of matter rather than a random decomposing aggregate.