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Mahesh

16/02/23 08:08 AM IST

Scientists discover new ‘quasicrystal’ in Nebraska, US

In News
  • Scientists have discovered a new type of quasicrystal, one with 12-fold symmetry, in the Sand Hills of north central Nebraska, USA, according to a recent study.
Quasicrystal
  • Quasicrystal is essentially a crystal-like substance.
  • However, unlike a crystal, in which atoms are arranged in a repeating pattern, a quasicrystal consists of atoms that are arranged in a pattern that doesn’t repeat itself regularly.
  • The cubic pattern allows the sodium and chloride ions to optimise for factors like density and thermal stability.
  • Quasicrystals, on the other hand, form in a pattern that deviates from the cubic structure and is less optimal.
  • The structure of their atomic lattice still contains the imprints of some stressful event.
Benefits
  • They are used in manufacturing non-stick frying pans, needles for acupuncture and surgery, dental instruments and razor blades.
Discovery
  • The discovery of quasicrystals was made by American-Israeli scientist Dan Shechtman in 1982 in the lab.
  • Dan Shechtman received the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering quasicrystals.
  • The first natural quasicrystal was discovered in the Khatyrka meteorite in Russia in 2009
  • The Khatyrka meteorite is believed to have gone through several collisions in space over millions of years, which would have subjected it to intense pressure and heat.
  • In 2021, scientists discovered a quasicrystal in the remains of the first-ever detonated atomic weapon, the Trinity test of the Manhattan Project.
Source- Indian Express

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