Meteorite Challenges Thermal Laws – DW
- A fallen meteorite fragment in Germany, dating back over 300 years, has revealed remarkable thermal behavior, expanding our understanding of how materials behave at the atomic level.
- This unique silicon dioxide form doesn't behave as a conventional crystal or glass, occupying an intermediate state previously considered impossible.
- The findings,published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are led by Michele Simoncelli of Columbia University and have implications for industries like steel, perhaps opening new...
Meteorite Fragment Reveals Unexpected Thermal Behavior
A fallen meteorite fragment in Germany, dating back over 300 years, has revealed remarkable thermal behavior, expanding our understanding of how materials behave at the atomic level. The key is a mineral called Tridimite,a form of silicon dioxide found in the meteorite and also on Mars,which exhibits unusual thermal properties.
This unique silicon dioxide form doesn’t behave as a conventional crystal or glass, occupying an intermediate state previously considered impossible. This hybrid nature results in thermal properties absent in conventional terrestrial materials, despite Tridimite being present on Earth in other forms.
The findings,published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are led by Michele Simoncelli of Columbia University and have implications for industries like steel, perhaps opening new technological avenues.
Thermal Conduction: Crystals vs. Glass
Traditionally, materials are categorized by their thermal behavior. Crystals reduce thermal conductivity when heated,while glass increases it. This meteoric Tridimite defies these rules, maintaining essentially constant thermal conductivity between 80k and 380k due to its intermediate atomic structure.
Researchers consider this material heat resistant due to its ability to maintain consistent thermal conductivity across varying temperatures. The property was experimentally validated using a sample from a meteorite that fell in Steinbach, Germany, in 1724.
Unified Equation
This research builds on a 2019 equation developed by Simoncelli, Nicola Marzari, and Francesco Mauri, which describes the thermal behavior of crystals, glass, and intermediate materials. Applying this equation to silicon dioxide predicted constant thermal behavior in Tridimite.
to confirm this, researchers collaborated with experimental groups at the University of La Sorbonne in Paris, obtaining permission to analyze a Tridimite sample from the German meteorite at the National Museum of Natural history of Paris.