Almost a century after teorizara, the scientists of the Harvard University Isaac Silvera and Ranga Dias claim to have succeeded in creating the material more rare on the planet, that eventually could become one of the most valuable: hydrogen-metal atomic.
In the course of their study, published Thursday in 'Science', the researchers scratched out lines crushed them a small sample of hydrogen to a higher pressure to the center of the Earth: 495 gigapascales, or more of 71.7 million pounds per square inch.
As explained by Silvera, at such extreme pressures the molecular hydrogen solid is decomposed and the molecules close together are dissociated to become atomic hydrogen, which is a metal.
The researchers, who have sought for a long time the material, detailing that it is the first sample of hydrogen metal —"the holy grail of the physics of high pressure"— so, when you see it, "you’re looking at something that has never existed before."
why this discovery could be revolutionary?
The hydrogen-metal atomic can help scientists answer fundamental questions about the nature of matter , and can have a wide range of applications.
Thus, according to Silvera, the predictions suggest that the material could act as a superconductor at room temperature. Currently, 15% of energy is lost by dissipation during the transmission, but "if we can make cables of this material and to use them in the electrical network, it would be possible to change this history."
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