"A brand new... substance that cannot be called an element yet. It is extremely dense, with a mass of one cubic centimeter exceeding one thousand tons! Although this is not yet at the level of neutron star material, it is already equivalent to a white dwarf star. "
Lin Xi was very surprised, "Without external pressure, how could it have such a high density?"
"That's what we need to study. Maybe it's because their particles are very tiny, but more because of its internal composition and structure. Once we figure out its internal structure and why it appears, it will be An epoch-making discovery.”
"If this research is successful, what significance will it have to us?" Chu Jungui asked.
Le Mans said: "The significance is very important, and can even be compared with controllable nuclear fusion! Simply put, normally high-density substances are not elements in our sense. They are generally formed when stars exhaust their lifespan and collapse under gravity. . A star with a certain mass will form a white dwarf when it dies. When the star is more massive, its gravity is greater than the electron degeneracy pressure, which will cause the electrons in the atom to be compressed together, thus forming a neutron star. We The unit mass of the crystal we are facing now exceeds that of ordinary white dwarfs."
In the interstellar age, this is common sense that every student must learn in elementary school.
Le Mans continued: "What if we dug out a small piece of material from the neutron star? What would happen? It's simple. After losing the gravitational constraints, the material that makes up the neutron star would return to its original shape and become various elements again. , releasing huge energy at the same time.”
"In other words, the crystal grains we see should not exist in a conventional gravitational environment, but they appear in front of us. If they become various basic elements again, the energy released will be far greater. More than nuclear fusion. However, I am not an expert in this field and cannot give an accurate answer. However, the first conclusion can be drawn, that is, we will invent a new super weapon, which is equivalent to the first Invented the atomic bomb for the first time."
"What about the second conclusion?" Lin Xi asked.
"The second conclusion is that at least this type of matter can exist in a regular gravitational environment, although we don't know how it does this yet. Perhaps we can call it a miracle of the universe. But when their volume Increase it a little bit, say a few cubic centimeters, or even more, and we get an unprecedentedly solid substance. With it, we can even land on the surface of stars."
"Or, we can use it to create a special warhead, which will have unparalleled strike power, and no armor of a main battle starship can withstand it. We can even imagine a little more boldly, if, I mean Suppose we build a warhead the size of an asteroid. Oh no, it doesn’t need to be that big. Maybe 100 cubic meters is enough, and its mass will exceed 100 billion tons. If such a thing is aimed at a planet and dropped, it will It will cause serious damage to the entire planet. Isn’t this the planet-destroying weapon that we humans have been dreaming of 1,500 years ago?”
"What's the technical difficulty of implementation?"
Le Mans said, "I'm not a physicist. You need to ask other people about this."
Hathaway was a little curious and asked: "Aren't you an expert in the field of electromagnetism? How come you are so proficient in biology? You can tell something is wrong just by looking at the structure?"
Le Mans smiled awkwardly and said: "My interest has always been in alien biology. However, experts in the field of electromagnetics are more likely to find jobs. In order to find a job, I learned another subject of electromagnetics."
A very real reason, but Le Mans probably didn't expect that his status as an electromagnetic expert would lead him to find a job on Planet 4. If he could predict it, I'm afraid he would rather endure unemployment for a period of time.
"If I remember correctly, we now have two physicists and a materials scientist. Do you want to call them in for joint research?" Hathaway asked.
"Okay." Lin Xi nodded. While the discovery at Le Mans is significant, this is not the time for secrecy. If super weapons can really be developed, then the significance of survival cannot be overestimated.
After a while, several experts gathered in the conference room and looked at the research materials in their hands attentively. Le Mans sat next to him, looking a little nervous. Compared with these experts, his identity and academic status are an order of magnitude lower. Of course, these researchers are not people with status in the Federation, otherwise they would not be assigned to the landing force.
A physicist finally raised his head and said: "Based on the current data, I have to say that super weapons are still very, very far away from us."
"How far is it?" Lin Xi asked.
"It's like how far we went from our home planet when we first saw Venus to when we successfully landed on Venus."
Another physicist also said: "The first difficulty is how we can figure out the internal structure of these crystals. The second is how to destroy its stability and let it release energy. For example, this is like It's like taking a rock out of a white dwarf. The final question is how do we control this energy."
The former physicist knocked on the table subconsciously and said: "Anyway, we already have natural samples, which is the most important thing. We just want to study it, not only do we not have the equipment at hand now, but also looking at the entire federation, There was no corresponding instrumentation either. Everything had to be designed and researched from scratch.”
After the physicists finished speaking, the materials scientist said: "These samples are priceless treasures. However, their value is not just in research. The samples themselves are of extremely high value. In fact, we only need to sell a few grains, presumably." You can get back a few advanced starships."
Chu Jungui felt that this materials scientist seemed to be a little unprofessional and was more suitable to be a businessman.
Unexpectedly, Le Mans was very supportive of this approach. "The content of these grains in double-leaf trees is not large, and there are double-leaf trees almost everywhere on this planet. We can indeed sell some first, in units of grains. Wait until the research When it’s almost consumed, increase the supply.”
Another profiteer. Chu Jungui thought silently.
Lin Xi refused directly, "These are strategic materials and must not be sold. In addition, the information about it must be kept strictly confidential and cannot be disclosed to anyone."
Le Mans and materials scientists just stood aside and did not object. Even if you want to sell it now, there is no place to sell it.
The meeting ended and it was still Le Mans' job: trying to extract these grains individually.
Chu Jungui then left the conference room, and Le Mans caught up with him. He asked awkwardly: "Well, what is the name of this new material?"
