Strange crystals found inside wreckage from the first nuclear bomb test

image via New Scientist

May 11, 2026, 8:00 PM

• •A new clathrate crystal, with a unique cagelike structure, has been found in trinitite from the Trinity nuclear test.
• •The extreme conditions of the nuclear blast created this unusual crystal, which has not been seen before in nature.
• •The clathrate contains silicon, calcium, copper, and iron atoms.
• •This discovery highlights how high-energy events can create unexpected crystalline matter.

Scientists have discovered a new clathrate crystal within trinitite, a glass-like material formed during the 1945 Trinity nuclear test. This unique crystal, composed of silicon, calcium, copper, and iron atoms, has a cagelike structure not previously observed in nature or from nuclear explosions. The extreme conditions of the blast, including high temperatures and pressures, allowed for the formation of this metastable phase. This finding adds to the unusual chemistry found in trinitite, which also includes a quasicrystal, offering insights into the creation of novel crystalline matter in high-energy events.

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