The extraterrestrial mineral found in the dead meteorites in Germany in 1724 is not amenable to the basic rules of thermal physics. It’s about Fragment of a meteorite SteinbachWhich has just discovered exceptional behavior in its structure.
The main character is Thundimita, the form of silicon dioxide, which was also found on Mars, and in this case showed an unprecedented picture of thermal conduction.
This thunderstorm does not behave like a traditional crystal or as a glass, but occupies an intermediate place, which is still considered “impossible”.
Its hybrid character gives it unpublished thermal properties in ordinary ground materials. Although there are tridimita options on the ground, none of them expressed this type of physical reaction.
Between crystals and glass
Opening in Materials of the National Academy of Sciences An international team led by Michel Simanchelli of the University of Colombia, which means a turning point in understanding the materials.
The difference is that, while crystals reduce their thermal conductivity when warm and the glass increase it, meteorite tridimita supports stable behavior. Its intermediate atomic structure explains that its thermal conductivity remains virtually constant in the temperature range between 80 k to 380 k.
Alien Mineral Tridymite is not amenable to heat rules, leaves Starstruck scientists. A rare mineral, a thridimite found in the meteorite 1724 and on Mars, stunned scientists with its unique thermal properties, behaving both crystal and a glass. Unlike typical materials where heat … pic.twitter.com/sky9Mywklo
– Nirmata (@n_formare) August 12, 2025
According to the media, some researchers describe this as heat transfer thanks “The strange ability to maintain the same thermal conductivity, even if it is subjected to different temperatures.”
This behavior was checked in the laboratory due to the model of the meteorite preserved at the National Museum of Natural Sciences of Paris.
The equation that predicted it
The conclusion was not an accident. In 2019, Simoncelli, together with Nikolai Marzari from the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lauzana and Francesco Mauri from the University of Sapienza, developed a single equation to describe the thermal behavior of crystals, glass and intermediate materials.
When applying this formula to silicon dioxide materials, they believed that Thundimita should demonstrate constant conductivity, Regardless of the temperature. This prediction was confirmed experimentally with the Steinbach meteorite, after receiving a special resolution for maniping the patterns.
Industrial and scientific consequences
In addition to academic interests, researchers note possible applications in this area. This mineral can be formed in refractory bricks from steel furnaces after a decade of thermal exposure.
This opportunity becomes relevant, given that “every kilogram of steel emits approximately 1.3 kg of carbon dioxide”, and that this industry is about 7 % of carbon emissions.
Tridimita may help optimize thermal control in steel productionWith a positive effect on the reduction of carbon release.
The fact that it was also identified on Mars adds an astrophysical component. His study can make tips on the thermal evolution of the planets And open roads in new technologies such as advanced calculations and portable energy sources.
According to Interesting engineeringUnderstanding this material “promises to shed light on the behavior of other excitement in solids, such as cargo carriers and spin carriers” containing it in the science radar that applies to the future.
