Surprising discovery: X-rays drive formation of new crystals; crystals resemble some biological structures

X-rays can do a lot of useful things, but who knew they could cause crystals to form? Researchers have discovered that X-rays can trigger the formation of a new type of crystal: charged cylindrical filaments ordered like a bundle of pencils experiencing repulsive forces, which is unknown in crystals. The results open the door to using X-rays to control the structure of materials or to develop novel biomedical therapies.

Read the whole article on Science Daily

More from Science Daily