The Strongest Material in the Universe Found

The Strongest Material in the Universe Found

Scientists have simulated the most powerful material known in the universe, called nuclear paste, as reported by the Daily Mail, September 18, 2018.

Nuclear paste is a material in the heart of the neutron star crust. This material is a very dense structure that takes the shape of various types of pasta, such as lasagna and spaghetti.

Using supercomputers to run simulations that require 2 million hours of processor time, researchers have revealed for the first time, the way in which neutron stars break.

Strongest Material Found

"The strength of neutron star crust, especially the lower crust, is relevant to a large number of astrophysical problems, but is not well understood," said Matthew Caplan, a post-doctoral researcher at McGill University.

A neutron star is a supernova product, and is very dense. According to the researchers, they are one hundred trillion times more dense than anything on Earth.

Under the neutron star crust, protons and neutrons are packaged together into all types of structures, including long cylinders and flat planes. These properties make nuclear paste very stiff, and are very difficult to destroy.

Live Science reported, in a study that will soon be published in the journal Physical Review Letters (and published in the online journal arXiv.org), the research team from the United States and Canada carried out a series of computer simulations to test the strength of nuclear paste, based on everything known about the condition of the neutron star where it is formed.

The team determined that, to destroy a plate of nuclear paste, it would take about 10 billion times the power needed to destroy steel.

"[It] might make nuclear paste the strongest ingredient in the known universe." Our results are very valuable for astronomers who study neutron stars, "Caplan said.

This simulation allows researchers to stretch and damage materials in the neutron star crust to reveal how it behaves under different conditions.

The findings could help answer many questions, the team said. "Many interesting physical phenomena occur here under extreme conditions and understanding the physical properties of neutron stars is a way for scientists to test their theories and models," Caplan said.

Source: tempo