Scientists have discovered that iron atoms in the inner core can switch places with each other in a fraction of a second while keeping the overall shape of the iron crystal intact.
This phenomenon is called "collective motion" – they say it is similar to how guests at a dinner party can swap seats without changing the table layout.
Jung-Fu Lin, one of the lead authors of the study and a professor at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences, revealed they now have a fundamental mechanism that will aid in comprehending the dynamic processes and evolution of the Earth's inner core. Since it is impossible to directly sample the inner core, about 3,728 miles below the surface, Lin and his colleagues from China recreated it in a miniature version in the lab. They used a small iron plate and shot it with a high-speed projectile to mimic the pressure and temperature conditions of the. They then measured the experiment's temperature, pressure, and velocity data. They fed it into a machine-learning computer model that simulated how iron atoms behave in the inner core.
The researchers said that this collective motion could explain why seismic measurements of the inner core show that it is much softer and more deformable than expected at such high pressures. Co-lead author Youjun Zhang, a professor at Sichuan University, said that this discovery challenges the conventional view of the inner core as a rigid and static sphere.
日本 最新ニュース, 日本 見出し
Similar News:他のニュース ソースから収集した、これに似たニュース記事を読むこともできます。
Scientists study how ancient Mayan, Roman buildings are still standingReverse engineering has turned up a surprising list of ingredients that were mixed into old buildings — tree bark, volcanic ash, rice and even urine.
続きを読む »
Nobel Prize in chemistry awarded to scientists studying tiny quantum dotsThe scientists study the dots that are used in televisions, LED devices and other applications.
続きを読む »
Metal-loving microbes could replace chemical processing of rare earthsScientists have characterized the genome of a metal-loving bacteria with an affinity for rare earth elements. The research paves the way towards replacing the harsh chemical processing of these elements with a benign practice called biosorption.
続きを読む »
3 scientists win Nobel Prize in physics for looking at electrons in atoms during split secondsThe Nobel Prize in physics has been awarded to three scientists who look at electrons in atoms during the tiniest of split seconds.
続きを読む »
Scientists win physics Nobel for looking at electrons in atoms during split secondsThe trio's experiments “have given humanity new tools for exploring the world of electrons inside atoms and molecules,” according to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
続きを読む »