The US military conducted the first nuclear bomb test in New Mexico in July 1945, under the nickname "Trinity". The prototype of the weapons of mass destruction, called the "Gadget", detonated and released energy equivalent to about 21 kilos ofoton TNT.
In the 1980s, scientists discovered that nuclear explosions had accidentally created a completely new material.
Surrounded by sand, the 27m high tower and copper wires are joined together to form a glass-like material called trinitite.
Inside the trinitite, scientists discovered a rare form of matter called "quasicrystal". Instead of atoms arranged in a three-way repeat pattern like conventional crystals in nature, giafying crystals with atoms that are not arranged in a circular pattern.
Some of the trinitite formed during the 1945 nuclear test had a 5-phase symmetry, meaning the atoms were arranged to form a 20-sided solid called icosahedron.
This very unusual symmetry cannot be found in nature and was stated in a new article due in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
Research could shed light on exactly what happens during the nuclear bomb detonation process and how the explosion affects the surrounding environment.
Here, we reported the discovery, in a red trinitite sample, of an unknown ingredient in the synthetic tricuspid crystal phase Si61 Cu30 Ca7Fe2. It represents the oldest known artificial crystal, with the special characteristic of the exact time of its creation being carved deep into history - the international research team stated in the article.
"Pries and crystals are formed in harsh environments that rarely exist on Earth," said Terry Wallace, honorary director of the Los Alamos National laboratory. They need a shocking shock, a huge temperature and pressure. We often dont see it, except in cases as dramatic as a nuclear explosion.
The only comparison material found in nature is a meteorite that is at least hundreds of millions of years old, according to researchers.
This type of fake crystal is enchanting in complexity, but no one can tell us why it was formed in this way, captain Wallace explained. He also hopes that scientists can learn and use that discovery to better understand nuclear explosions and eventually have a more comprehensive picture of nuclear testing.
