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Cosmos Magazine

Cutting edge

NEXT BIG THING

When material in a molten phase is cooled very slowly, its atoms have time to organise themselves into a crystal phase. Each atom is in a position of mechanical stability with symmetrically arranged nearest-neighbours; the system attains a new rigidity as the material undergoes a phase transition to a solid.

But if you cool the melt down very quickly, the atoms don't have the opportunity to reach these equilibrium positions. The material still solidifies, but retains

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