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Space Science

Asteroid Impacts Make Tiny Diamonds 23

Posted by timothy from the when-you-love-her-just-a-bit dept.
The Bad Astronomer writes: It's long been thought that asteroid impacts create pressures high enough to form diamonds. Now, using high-energy lasers and X-ray crystallography, researchers have confirmed that lonsdaleite, a form of diamond, can be made this way.
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Asteroid Impacts Make Tiny Diamonds More

Asteroid Impacts Make Tiny Diamonds

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  • Just redirect some asteroids here to get rich quick.

    So what if we lose a couple of dinosaurs. They just stink and stomp things anyhow.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ls671 ( 1122017 )

      What do you think led to dinosaur extinction? Some alien species had financial problem and were about to go bankrupted. Then, they directed a few asteroids at planet Earth and afterward collected the diamonds; profit and they are since an inter-galactical economic superpower.

      • and were about to go bankrupted

        I think you are a clever alien disguised in human form . One who had to learn english to converse with the earthlings. Hmm ..

  • That's [youtube.com] one explanation.

    Do you now understand now what CG has spared you?

  • not much special about diamonds (Score:3)

    by daniel23 ( 605413 ) on Thursday March 17, 2016 @08:18PM (#51719199)

    diamonds are not that seldom and there are a number of well known process to artificially create them. The tingle of luxury or uniqueness about them is due to a well guarded monopoly on the supply and distribution side and fine marketing. Linking the mineral to engagement in a mainstream sexually repressive culture like they have in large parts of NA was a mature feat for deBeers and basically it is frustrated testosterone which gives the tingle and wow to all those diamond stories like this one.

    • Howard Hughes Snr invented the rotating drill head ..in 2000 was still 60% of the market. Synthetic diamonds are so cheap now, I hear they don't bother with rotating heads now, just a bunch of diamonds. Is this true?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by whit3 ( 318913 )

      diamonds are not that seldom and there are a number of well known process to artificially create them.

      The researchers who first made artificial diamonds, were informed by the discovery in meteor sites, of diamond in iron matrix. That was their clue that good crystallization could be achieved using iron as a 'solvent'. The Lonsdaleite saga, though, is a carbon story without the iron, and is really new science.

      Also, it involves lasers, X-rays, asteroids... I see the possibility of a really fine video

  • here's your 5-carat lonsdaleite ring to show the girls.

  • Mindat notes the hardness of Lonsdaleite at 7-8. Diamond is 10. TFA says that Lonsdaleite in a pure form might be harder than diamond.

    So which is it?

  • This has been known already for some time: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/ar... [wired.co.uk]

  • Impacts Make Tiny Diamonds? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Strangely understated essay

    Popagai Impact crater diamonds -- The world's largest known diamond deposit was formed by a massive asteroid impact

    http://geology.com/articles/popigai-crater-diamonds/

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