February** Dynamic Incentive Program
In Liu Cixin's science fiction masterpiece "The Three-Body Problem", the Three-Body Civilization has created a novel called ".Water droplets"The space probe.
It is named for its streamlined appearance that resembles a drop of water. In the process of microscopic analysis of the surface material of "water droplets", scientists encountered an astonishing discovery that subverted common sense:Even with the use of state-of-the-art microscopy equipment, the scale of observation can be magnified to a factor of 10 millionThe surface is still as flat as a mirror, with no molecular level structural details
This discovery intuitively reveals "The hardness of the "water droplet" material has reached an unbelievable level, beyond the limits of what human beings could understand at the time.
The morphological design of the "water droplet" detector mentioned by Liu Cixin is borrowed from ".Rupert's tears". The water drop detector does not directly resemble Rupert's tears, but there are striking similarities in their strength and structural properties.
Rupert's Tears is named after the younger brother of King Charles II of EnglandPrince Rupert
Prince Rupert discovered a unique glass artifact that was formed by rapid cooling by dripping molten glass into ice waterA tadpole-shaped vitreousWhen hit with a force, its head is unusually hard and is able to withstand a lot of impact without breakingBut if its elongated tail is slightly damaged, the entire teardrop will be shattered in an instant due to the release of internal stress。Later generations called this physically stressed glass drop "Rupert's tears".
Everyone knows that on the Mohs hardness scale,Diamond (diamond) has a hardness rating of 10, which means that it has the highest hardness of all natural minerals and cannot be scratched by other minerals.
Although in terms of hardness, "Rupert's Tears" cannot be compared, but inIn terms of compressive strength, the head of "Rupert's Tears" almost has to fight, or even greatly surpasses。Someone has done a set of experiments, and "Rupert's tears" can not only resist the impact of bullets, but also resist the pressure of about 20 tons.
Rupert's Tears are passedQuickly drop the red-hot glass droplets into cold waterMade.
When the high-temperature molten glass comes into contact with the icy water surface, the droplet surface quickly cools and solidifies to form an outer shell due to extreme temperature differences, while the interior remains in a high-temperature liquid state. Subsequently, the interiorThe glass shrinks as it cools slowlyBut since the exterior has hardenedAs a result, a huge internal tensile stress is generated, which makes the glass beads form an uneven stress distribution state
While Rupert's Tears has a very high resistance to compression, its weak link lies in its elongated tail, which has relatively low stress levels and is small in size, so even minor injuries can quickly trigger the release of accumulated internal stress.
Once the tail is damaged, it can lead to a disruption of the stress balanceThe pressure accumulated inside spreads instantaneously along the crack, like a chain reactionCausing the entire "tear" to burst and disintegrate in milliseconds
The Three-Body Problem ** is designed like thisDroplet pattern, to emphasize the technological sophistication of extraterrestrial civilizations, to create a solid material and structure that has never been seen before on Earth, like "Rupert's Tears".It has unusual physical properties
This design not only creates an atmosphere of tension and suspenseAlso "like Rupert's tears" is a vulnerability, the water drop detector may have its unknown weaknesses, and the human character needs to figure out how to fight this formidable opponent.
Although Rupert's Tears have few real-life applications, it is researchAn ideal model of material mechanical properties, stress distribution, and fracture mechanics
By studying this strange phenomenon, scientists can better understand how materials respond to complex stress environments and develop new onesComposites and structural design, e.g. in automotive safety glass, ballistic materials, etcSeek inspiration.
In conclusion, Rupert's tears, with their contradictory and fascinating characteristics, reveal the wonderful world of stress control and material fracture behavior, which is a wonderful flower in the scientific community and an excellent case study of materials science and engineering in popular science education.