¹Pengfei Liu (>10)
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (in Press) Link to Article [DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2608395123]
¹Macau Institute of Space Technology and Application, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
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On the lunar surface α-Fe and Fe-Ni alloys are widespread and the dominant carriers of the lunar remanent magnetization. Metallic γ-Fe, however, is stable only at high temperatures and has not been documented in lunar samples. Here we report the identification of ambient stable γ-Fe preserved as nanometer-scale particles in Chang’e-6 impact glass fragments from the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Electron holography analyses reveal that these γ-Fe particles have a magnetic vortex domain state. Based on these results, we propose that the formation and preservation of γ-Fe at lunar surface temperature requires incorporation of trace γ-phase-stabilizing elements together with extremely rapid quenching during lunar impact processes. Our findings provide a basis for understanding the lunar core dynamo evolution and impact-induced magnetic recording mechanisms.