Hiroshima blast spawns a brand-new metallic alloy, scientists report
Researchers analyzing debris from the 1945 Hiroshima bombing have identified a previously unseen metallic alloy formed under the explosion’s extreme conditions. The alloy, consisting of iron, chromium, nickel, manganese, molybdenum, silicon and aluminum in a unique cubic lattice, acts like a tiny physical archive of the blast. This micro-scale “experiment” helps scientists understand how matter can organize under violent events and may inform broader studies of unusual materials such as quasicrystals and other extreme-condition formations.
