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posted by takyon on Tuesday November 13 2018, @05:59PM   Printer-friendly
from the crystal-nitro-brewing dept.

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

Get your nitrogen crystals here!

Intense tests reveal elusive, complex form of nitrogen

Researchers created a crystallised version of nitrogen -- which at normal conditions is the main constituent of air -- by subjecting it to extreme pressures and temperatures.

The study shows for the first time that simple molecular elements can have complex structures at high pressures. It could inform similar studies in other elements, researchers say.

An international team of scientists led by the University of Edinburgh used a high-pressure diamond-tipped anvil to squeeze tiny amounts of nitrogen at pressures half a million times that of Earth's atmosphere, while heating it to about 500 Celsius.

[...] Their findings resolve speculation over the structure of this form of nitrogen, known as ι-N2. It was discovered 15 years ago but its structure was unknown until now.

Unusually complex phase of dense nitrogen at extreme conditions (open, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07074-4) (DX)


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  • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 13 2018, @07:11PM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 13 2018, @07:11PM (#761418)

    Are you sure this isn't just vaporware?

    • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday November 13 2018, @10:01PM (1 child)

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday November 13 2018, @10:01PM (#761462) Journal

      Does inhaling nitrogen make your voice sound funny? I don't think so.

      --
      People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
      • (Score: 2) by Immerman on Wednesday November 14 2018, @12:34AM

        by Immerman (3985) on Wednesday November 14 2018, @12:34AM (#761529)

        Absolutely - that's why so many people sound ridiculous - all the time breathing 78% nitrogen.

        Go a step further and try to inhale crystallized nitrogen at these sorts of temperatures, and I'm sure your screams would sound even odder than that.

    • (Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Tuesday November 13 2018, @10:31PM

      by Joe Desertrat (2454) on Tuesday November 13 2018, @10:31PM (#761479)

      Just hope they don't find Nitrogen-9.

  • (Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday November 13 2018, @07:45PM

    by PartTimeZombie (4827) on Tuesday November 13 2018, @07:45PM (#761428)

    The easiest* way to find these sorts of exotic materials would probably be to explore the lower levels of Jupiter's structure.

    At some point it seems to be metallic hydrogen and possibly helium, which means there might be nitrogen in there too. We just need to go and have a look.

    .

    .

    * May not actually be easy. Terms and Conditions apply.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 13 2018, @09:01PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 13 2018, @09:01PM (#761447)

    So, I guess applying the pressure would push the atoms in the right configuration... but wouldn't cooling it be more logical than heating it?
    Any chemist/physicist that could explain that?

    • (Score: 1) by Gault.Drakkor on Tuesday November 13 2018, @10:10PM

      by Gault.Drakkor (1079) on Tuesday November 13 2018, @10:10PM (#761467)

      I would guess its something similar to frozen water.
      Depending on temperature/pressure at creation and then what temperature pressures that are maintained you get different crystals/arrangements properties etc.
      Look at wikipedia ice, phases for example. That is crystallization only happens within certain pressure temperature zones.

      Also when you pressurize a gas you get increased temperatures, general properties of ideal gasses. So, side affect of pressurization is contributory at least, if not all.

  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday November 13 2018, @09:57PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday November 13 2018, @09:57PM (#761460) Journal

    There's really nothing to see here.

     


     


      


      


      


      


     


     


      


     


      


     


    There's nothing down here.

      


      


     


     


      


     


      


     


    No Nitrogen crystals here.

      


     


      


     


     


      


     


    I said there's nothing down here.

     


     


      


     


     


     


    So don't even bother looking.

     


     


      


     


     


     


      


     


    I told you so. No Nitrogen crystals here. Imagine the possibilities of someone who wanted to be a real Anonymous jerk. Just a PSA.

    Of course, under intense enough pressure, this text would collapse into crystals like Nitrogen.

    --
    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
  • (Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Tuesday November 13 2018, @11:51PM (1 child)

    by MichaelDavidCrawford (2339) Subscriber Badge <mdcrawford@gmail.com> on Tuesday November 13 2018, @11:51PM (#761504) Homepage Journal

    "...suppose, young man, that one Marine had with him a tiny capsule containing a seed of ice-nine, a new way for the atoms of water to stack and lock, to freeze. If that Marine threw that seed into the nearest puddle...?"
    "The puddle would freeze?" I guessed.
    "And all the muck around the puddle?"
    "It would freeze?"
    "And all the puddles in the frozen muck?"
    "They would freeze?"
    "And the pools and the streams in the frozen muck?"
    "They would freeze?"
    "You bet they would !" He cried. "And the United States Marines would rise from the swamp and march on!"

    Hilarity Ensued, because every speck of liquid water that Ice 9 touched, froze. Somewhat above room temperature so it could easily be melted on a stove.

    Vonnegut happened to meet a Crystallographer at a party, explained Ice 9 to him then asked if it were possible.

    The Crystollographer looked deeply disturbed, and went off to think about it for quite a long time, eventually to say, "No, it's not possible".

    But then so was crystalline nitrogen.

    --
    Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 14 2018, @03:00AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 14 2018, @03:00AM (#761575)

      deeply disturbed

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