Scientists discover new state of matter that could rewrite the textbooks
12th April, 2019Category: Science and Technology
Researchers in Scotland have discovered a bizarre new form of matter which is not a solid, liquid or gas. The new type of matter is both solid and liquid at the same time. The research has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
The scientists used machine learning to confirm that when potassium is put under between 20,000 and 40,000 times atmospheric pressure and 260 to 980 degrees Fahrenheit, the element entered a chain-melted state. In this state, the atom chains that make up the potassium dissolve into liquid but the remaining potassium crystals stay solid.
Under the right conditions, over half a dozen elements, including sodium and bismuth, are thought to be capable of existing in the newly discovered state, researchers say.
The matter is made from an unusual state of potassium and could exist deep under the Earth’s crust where extremely hot conditions would enable it to remain in its unusual form. This discovery could teach us more about the substances and matter that make up other planets in the universe.
This is the first time in history that scientists have been able to prove such a state is thermodynamically stable for any element.
Read More: Daily Mail UK, Science Daily, New York Post