autoevolution
 

Nuclear Explosion Fused Sand, Metal, and Copper Into Meteorite-Like Crystal

Like it or not, nuclear weapons have kept the larger world at peace for the past seven decades or so. These horrible devices are so frightening that, despite the many local wars that came and went since the first nuke dropped, humanity has steered clear so far of going head on into a new global conflict.
Icosahedral quasicrystal found at the site of the first nuclear blast 1 photo
Photo: Luca Bindi, Paul J. Steinhardt via Live Science
This July, the world will mark the 76th anniversary of the Trinity test. That would be the first detonation of a nuclear weapon, a test that took place as part of the Manhattan Project in New Mexico, and opened the doors to humanity having the means to exterminate itself many times over.

The Alamogordo site when the blast took place is since 1965 a Historic Landmark, and people just go there mostly for sightseeing. But some of them go for research, and at times the results are stunning.

So is the case with the thing you see as the main photo of this piece. They call it icosahedral quasicrystal, and it has been found by a team of researchers at Alamogordo. Their discovery was announced through a paper published in the June issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

You see, when the bomb, called Gadget, was taken to its place of detonation, it was hoisted up a metal tower. Copper transmission lines ran through and from the site, to allow scientists to gather as much data about the explosion as possible.

When the thing cracked open, all hell broke loose and sand, the tower, and the transmission lines became a single material, a glassy substance called trinitite. It was in this trinitite that today’s scientists found this icosahedral quasicrystal.

The thing is not unlike naturally-occuring quasicrystals, like the ones that can be found in meteorites. Scientists believe they can use this finding to better understand the nature of the explosion and the extreme conditions during the blast, but also "the discovery of new quasicrystal-forming systems."

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories