from the Elastic-moduli-of-hexagonal-diamond-and-cubic-diamond dept.
Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
Traditionally we think of diamonds as forming from the intense pressures found in our planet's interior, but a number of the sturdy gems have also been found in meteorites from space -- and the gems are fundamentally different from terrestrial diamonds.
An international team of researchers say they've discovered the largest crystals to date of a rare type of diamond called lonsdaleite. The diamonds have an unusual hexagonal atomic structure (compared with the more common cubic structure) and were found in a meteorite that may have originated from a dwarf planet that experienced a catastrophic collision with an asteroid billions of years ago.
"This study proves categorically that lonsdaleite exists in nature," Dougal McCulloch, director of the RMIT Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility in Australia, said in a statement.
The unusual hexagonal structure of the diamond could make it harder than most diamonds originating from Earth. Lonsdaleite has been found in a certain type of meteorite, called a ureilite, and it has even been manufactured in a lab by shooting graphite disks at a wall at speeds comparable with those of an asteroid impacting a planet.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Thexalon on Wednesday September 14 2022, @11:39PM
In other news, DeBeers has announced a deal in which they are allowed by law to buy up all meteorites that land anywhere on the planet, and also launched an ad campaign telling all the girlfriends of the world to demand space diamonds in the ring before agreeing to an engagement. Meanwhile, futures for fancy clothes, baked goods, and DJ equipment plummeted.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.