Oliver Tschauner (Geoscience), was a coauthor on a paper titled, "Shock synthesis of quasicrystals with implications for their origin in asteroid collisions," which was published in the advance online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Quasicrystals form only under very particular circumstances and for compositions of elements that usually do not occur together as elemental metals in nature. Nevertheless a natural quasicrystal has been found in a meteorite. The research team conducted shock-experiments on a sample that simulates that meteorite in composition and show that shock-induced chemical reactions at high pressure favour quasicrystal formation. Shock, induced by collisions of protoplanetary bodies in space, is probably the origin of natural quasicrystals.
People in the News
People
| April 16, 2024
Advancing Legal and Human Rights
2024 Service-Learning Award recipient Rachel Anderson combines passions of community service and teaching for new legal clinic.
People
| April 16, 2024
Stepping Up for UNLV’s Black Community
2024 UNLV Student Service Award winner Makayla Franklin inspires Black pride and representation on campus through Afrikan Black Coalition Conference.
People
| April 16, 2024
Ensuring Every Nevadan Has Equitable Access to COVID-19 Resources
Public Health professor Erika Marquez receives 2024 Community Engagement Award for her work breaking down barriers to reach marginalized communities.