Robert Lea is a science journalist in the U.K. whose articles have been published in Physics World, New Scientist, Astronomy Magazine, All About Space, Newsweek and ZME Science. He also writes about science communication for Elsevier and the European Journal of Physics. Rob holds a bachelor of science degree in physics and astronomy from the U.K.’s Open University. Follow him on Twitter @sciencef1rst.
. The new research predicts that the hexagonal shape of lonsdaleite makes it harder than regular diamonds with a cubic structure, which might pen new manufacturing techniques to make ultra-hard materials.
The researchers studied lonsdaleite in ureilite meteorites, a rare class of space rocks that scientists think may contain material from the mantle of. The team analyzed slices of these meteorites under the microscope to identify the lonsdaleite and predict its origins, and also studied regularly shaped diamonds found in the rock.
"There's strong evidence that there's a newly discovered formation process for the lonsdaleite and regular diamond, which is like a supercritical chemical vapor deposition process that has taken place in these space rocks, probably in the dwarf planet shortly after a catastrophic collision," McCulloch said."Chemical vapor deposition is one of the ways that people make diamonds in the lab, essentially by growing them in a specialized chamber.
The scientists think that lonsdaleite in the meteorites formed from a supercritical liquid at high temperatures and under increased pressures. This extreme environment allowed the lonsdaleite to retain the shape and texture of graphite. Eventually, as the environment cooled and the pressure reduced lonsdaleite was partially replaced by diamond.
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