Scientists identify new clathrate crystal inside 1945 Trinity red trinitite
Scientists just found a brand-new type of material inside red trinitite—a rare glassy crystal formed during the Trinity test in 1945.
Using advanced scans, they spotted a clathrate (a structure that traps atoms) hidden inside the crystal.
As co-author Luca Bindi put it, this is "a completely new kind of clathrate crystal," and it's the first time anything like this has been discovered in nature or leftover from a nuclear blast.
Trinitite formation reveals extreme heat effects
Red trinitite only exists because sand and debris at the Trinity test site were melted together by extreme heat from the explosion, giving it that unique red color and bubbly look.
This discovery gives scientists fresh insight into what happens to materials under such intense conditions, though collecting trinitite is still off-limits.