Near-order structure and symmetry elements of an icosahedral quasicrystal alloy: Al70Mn9Pd21

Abstract
The presence of twofold-, threefold- and fivefold-symmetry elements in an icosahedral quasicrystal, Al70Mn9Pd21, can be deduced from observations in real space, using the technique of secondary-electron imaging. The angles measured between different symmetry axes confirm the icosahedral point-group symmetry (53 m) in the investigated alloy. The clusters having this local point symmetry must have identical orientation and most probably occur in large amounts in the quasicrystal material.