Overview
- Researchers report a previously unknown clathrate crystal inside Trinitite, the glass left by the 1945 Trinity nuclear blast.
- The structure forms cage-like lattices of silicon with 12- and 14-sided shapes that trap calcium, with some copper and iron also present.
- The team located the phase inside a copper-rich metal droplet that was embedded in the glass.
- The authors link its formation to subsecond heat above about 1,500 C and pressures thousands of times higher than air pressure, followed by a rapid quench.
- A 2021 study in the same material found a quasicrystal with a similar mix of elements, reinforcing that rare high-energy events can act as natural labs for novel solids.