Nearly 81 years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, scientists have discovered a previously unknown material in the city’s bay. The study’s findings were published in the journal Science Advances.
Experts examined “Hiroshimites”—small glass particles formed on August 6, 1945, during the nuclear explosion. Due to extreme temperatures—exceeding 7,000 degrees Celsius at the epicenter—building materials, metals, soil, and water melted and transformed into microscopic droplets that rapidly solidified in the atmosphere.
Researchers discovered a previously unknown alloy inside one of these spheres. It consists primarily of iron and chromium, while also containing nickel, manganese, molybdenum, and silicon. Scientists believe the material formed through the ultra-fast cooling of a molten droplet under conditions impossible to replicate in a standard environment.
The study’s authors believe that analyzing such samples will help improve our understanding of how substances behave under extreme temperatures and pressures, and could also aid in the creation of new synthetic materials.
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