Editing Trinitite (section)

==Variations==
There are two forms of trinitite glass with differing [[Refractive index|refraction indices]]. The lower-index glass is composed largely of [[silicon dioxide]], with the higher-index variant having mixed components. Red trinitite exists in both variants and contains glass rich in copper, iron, and lead as well as metallic globules.<ref name="auto1"/> Black trinitite's colour is as a result of being rich in iron.<ref name="beauty"/>

In a study published in 2021 a sample of red trinitite was found to contain a previously undiscovered complex [[quasicrystal]], the oldest known manmade quasicrystal, with a [[symmetry group]] in the shape of an [[icosahedron]].<ref name="quasiphys"/> It is composed of iron, silicon, copper and calcium.<ref name="quasinature"/> The quasicrystal's structure displays fivefold [[rotational symmetry]].<ref name="quasiphys">{{cite press release |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=May 17, 2021 |title=Newly discovered quasicrystal was created by the first nuclear explosion at Trinity Site |url=https://discover.lanl.gov/news/0517-quasicrystal |publisher=[[Los Alamos National Laboratory]] |location=Los Alamos, New Mexico |access-date=March 2, 2024}}<!--Note that the author is from the same university as the lead researcher and co-author of the paper, so this is effectively a primary source.--></ref> The quasicrystal research was led by geologist [[Luca Bindi]] of the [[University of Florence]] and [[Paul Steinhardt]], after he theorised red trinitite was likely to contain quasicrystals as they often contain elements that rarely combine.<ref name="quasinature">{{cite news |last=Castelvecchi |first=Davide |date=May 17, 2021 |title=First nuclear detonation created 'impossible' quasicrystals |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01332-0 |work=Nature |location= |access-date=May 23, 2021}}</ref><ref name="everyeye">{{cite news |last=Privitera |first=Salvo |date=May 24, 2021 |title=Un 'quasicristallo' impossibile è stato trovato nel luogo del primo test nucleare |url=https://tech.everyeye.it/notizie/quasicristallo-impossibile-test-nucleare-519415.html |work=Everyeye Tech |location= |access-date=May 24, 2021|language=it}}</ref> The structure has a formula of {{chem2|Si61Cu30Ca7Fe2}}.<ref name="quasiphys"/> A single 10[[micrometre|μm]] grain was detected after ten months of work examining six small samples of red trinitite.<ref name="quasinature"/><ref name="everyeye"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Schultz |first=Isaac |date=May 18, 2021 |title=Researchers Find 'Forbidden' Quasicrystal in Wake of Nuclear Bomb Test |url=https://gizmodo.com/researchers-find-forbidden-quasicrystal-in-wake-of-nu-1846917496 |website=[[Gizmodo]] |access-date=March 2, 2024}}</ref>