Quasi – Unusual crystals fell into the Earth from the Space

The rock sample in which the quasi-crystals have been found. © Paul Steinhardt

Unusual construction crystals identified in the Korjak-mountain, Russia. The substance is not formed on earth, but fell into our planet from space. The so-called quasi-crystals have existed only in the laboratory, and not even the experts expected to occur in nature. Previously, only a vacuum chamber, the procedure was difficult to establish quasi-crystals. Such crystals are different  from “classical” counterparts, do not follow the usual rules of spatial symmetries and different physical and electrical properties are also shown. The sample has the isotopic composition was analyzed and found that the material of the oxygen isotope ratio of the observed carbonaceous chondrite meteoritkban like – so the body fell to earth from space. This strange material described first by scientist Daniel Schechtman, who received the Nobel Prize for chemistry because of this experiments in 2011. The researcher spotted a unique diffraction pattern of concentric circles made up of ten bright dots, all at the same distance from each other.  At the time, scientists thought a crystal could have only four to six such dots. The quasi-crystals are similar like  the fascinating Aperiodic mosaics of the Arabic world ( the medieval Islamic mosaics of the Alhambra Palace in Spain or the Darb-i Imam Shrine in Iran), have helped scientists understand what quasi-crystals look like at the atomic level.  It has unique physical properties, so scientists are also experimenting with using the crystals in products ranging from diesel engines to frying pans.

Written by Ilona Kaszanyi

source: Origo.hu

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