title: Nanodiamonds do not provide unique evidence for a Younger Dryas impact.
abstract: Microstructural, δ(13)C isotope and C/N ratio investigations were conducted on excavated material from the black Younger Dryas boundary in Lommel, Belgium, aiming for a characterisation of the carbon content and structures. Cubic diamond nanoparticles are found in large numbers. The larger ones with diameters around or above 10 nm often exhibit single or multiple twins. The smaller ones around 5 nm in diameter are mostly defect-free. Also larger flake-like particles, around 100 nm in lateral dimension, with a cubic diamond structure are observed as well as large carbon onion structures. The combination of these characteristics does not yield unique evidence for an exogenic impact related to the investigated layer.
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy for Materials Science (EMAT), Department of Physics, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schryvers
authors.forename: Ph
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Claeys
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D018130:Diamond; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D019110:Meteoroids; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D046590:Spectroscopy, Electron Energy-Loss
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D018130:Diamond; D009584:Nitrogen