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1d ago
Scientists Found a New Type of Crystal Formed by the World’s First Nuclear Explosion
- Researchers found a quasicrystal and a clathrate coexisting in the same red trinitite sample from Trinity.
- The study shows the clathrate is silicon-based cages trapping calcium, a first for a nuclear explosion.
- Mathematical modeling indicated both crystal types formed independently under the explosion’s extreme conditions.
- The red trinitite’s color results from copper-infused glass formed during the blast.
- The discovery adds insight into how other natural phenomena create unusual crystals beyond conventional synthesis.
- Researchers used electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction to study the clathrate’s composition.
- The Trinity event released 18.6 kilotons and fused desert sand with tower materials to form trinitite.
- The article notes ongoing questions about a potential link between the two crystal types.
- The study places findings within a broader context of natural extreme crystallization phenomena.
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