Kryptonite Analysis- Executive Report
Summary
Kryptonite is a crystalline material characterized by green fluorescence, large crystal sizes, extremely high binding energies, and an unknown gravity-defying component bound into the crystal lattice. The properties of kryptonite will require drastic revision of key provisions of twentieth century physics, including the Standard Model of particle physics and the concept of gravity described by Einstein's general theory of relativity.
Kryptonite deposits have been found in Nebraska and off the coast of Nova Scotia. Kryptonite's origins remain unknown, and its material structure is still incompletely understood, making duplication of the mineral impossible at present. However, kryptonite appears to be a relatively safe substance, and has great potential applications as a high-density energy battery and as a clean, emissions-free energy source.
Despite its appearance, kryptonite is
comparatively non-hazardous. It is not corrosive, and the radiation it emits is easily blocked by very thin layers of material. However, unshielded kryptonite it should be kept out of contact with bare skin or delicate electronics; there is risk of damaging electronics. Skin contact with kryptonite will tend to cause rapid onset of a sunburn-like condition, and is judged to be a risk factor for skin cancer on exposed surfaces. Under no circumstances should kryptonite dust be inhaled or ingested. Kryptonite radiation cannot penetrate skin, but would be quite damaging to the lung tissues. Ingestion of kryptonite is likely to be less damaging than inhalation, but still a risk.
Chemical Properties and Synthesis Attempts
While in this report we refer to the product of these deposits as 'natural kryptonite,' we must emphasize the origins of kryptonite are unknown. Kryptonite's nature is not easily explained by known geologic, chemical, or physical processes. Kryptonite may not originate on Earth, and may have appeared on Earth as recently as the past 20-30 years. No known samples were discovered more than 25 years ago. It is possible that kryptonite is artificial in origin, though if so, it would almost certainly be the product of very advanced extraterrestrial technology.
Certain significant aspects of kryptonite's material nature continue to defy analysis. This is demonstrated by failures of attempts to synthesize kryptonite in the laboratory, despite a seemingly complete chemical analysis. Attempts to synthesize the crystal structure, using varying sodium-lithium mixes in a boron-silicon matrix, produce a white
powdery, earthy material. Since the synthesized material is manifestly different from naturally occurring kryptonite samples, this substance will henceforward be referred to as synthetic pseudo-kryptonite.
Some process not described within the Standard Model of particle physics and chemistry appears to be involved in naturally occurring kryptonite. This process, whatever its nature, appears to differentiate natural kryptonite from synthetic pseudo-kryptonite.
There are two measurable differences between natural kryptonite and synthetic pseudo-kryptonite. The first is that in natural kryptonite, atoms of the noble gases, mainly krypton, are trapped within the active crystal matrix. It was originally hypothesized that this was a natural byproduct of radioactive decay, analogous to the helium and radon commonly associated with uranium deposits, but the presence of intermediate elements (e.g. the titular krypton) cannot be explained by such a process. It is not considered plausible that this is the root cause of the differences between synthetic pseudo-kryptonite and natural kryptonite. Attempts to introduce trapped noble gases to pseudo-kryptonite have achieved very limited success and show no signs of inducing natural kryptonite's unusual properties.
Anomalous Mass
The second, and far more relevant, measurable difference between synthetic pseudo-kryptonite and natural kryptonite is that natural kryptonite is the only material known to the authors of this report which exhibits different inertial and gravitational mass. If natural kryptonite is weighed on a conventional spring scale, its mass can be readily measured. However, if the mass of the same sample of kryptonite is measured using a mechanism that does not rely on the force of gravity, a different value will be observed. This difference is found across all forms of measurement thus employed, and is supported by experiments such as ballistic tests.
This violates one of the underlying assumptions of Einstein's general theory of relativity. Hitherto, scientists have assumed that gravitational and inertial mass were one and the same. All experiments attempting to find a difference between the two had previously failed, so far as our research has been able to determine. However, some component of natural kryptonite, not detected by our chemical analysis, apparently has inertia and thus "mass" in the kinetic sense, but is unaffected by gravitation.
The existence of a form of matter that is unaffected by gravity has obvious potential applications, though the fact that it is composed of no known chemical element, cannot be isolated in the laboratory by our experiments to date, and does not appear to be made out of atoms in the normal sense, may present obstacles.
Anomalous Energy
Over and above this anomalous mass of unknown matter, natural kryptonite is unique among known minerals in that it contains binding energies so great that they measurably increase the material's inertial rest mass. Per unit of inertial mass, kryptonite stores within its crystal lattice a quantity of energy
comparable to nuclear fuels. This is its primary technical application, and it is an extremely promising application.
This process cannot be explained by the Standard Model of particle physics; it likely involves interactions within the anomalous mass. As such, it represents a fascinating research opportunity. The nature of kryptonite's anomalous lattice energy may provide clues to other, presently unknown technologies, and to presently unexplained physical phenomena, such as the true nature of the 'dark matter' hypothesized by astrophysicists and cosmologists.
With notable consequences for its physical handling and applications, the anomalous lattice energy does not appear to reinforce the chemical bonds holding the crystal together against physical stress. Kryptonite exhibits no exceptional mechanical strength. Under our current understanding of chemistry, these things properties would be inexplicable for a substance whose molecular structure was bound with specific energy comparable to that of a nuclear reaction. Current models would predict that such a substance would be nearly indestructible by mechanical means (many times harder than diamond, for instance), but kryptonite is by no means indestructible and can be shaped with ordinary jeweler's tools or stonecutting equipment.
At the same time, the anomalous lattice energy
does affect heating and cooling of kryptonite. Kryptonite has the highest specific heat capacity of any known material, as the vast majority of heat energy applied to the kryptonite is simply absorbed into the anomalous lattice energy. Conversely, attempting to refrigerate kryptonite is nearly futile, since it simply taps into the nearly bottomless well of lattice energy. Our experiments have confirmed that kryptonite can in fact be heated and cooled; it is simply several orders of magnitude more efficient as a heat sink than other known materials, making it resistant to this result.
The binding energy of kryptonite crystals can be gradually released without damage to the lattice structure, over extended periods of time. This extremely convenient property is the root of all currently projected applications for kryptonite.
Abrupt destruction of the lattice structure releases little or none of the lattice energy. Chemical agents attacking the internal bonds of kryptonite's atomic structure do not cause anomalous energy release, possibly because they do not interact with the unknown anomalous matter component. Likewise, through application of heat energy kryptonite can, with extraordinary difficulty, be induced to explode- but may set records as the least efficient chemical explosive known to man. Due to the anomalous specific heat capacity described previously, it requires exceptional amounts of work to alter the temperature of a kryptonite sample by even a single degree, and the explosive reaction takes place at approximately 1000 °C. Further experimentation may refine this temperature value.
Initial experiments on kryptonite's reaction to excessive heating were performed with extreme caution and very low sample masses. Should the entire lattice energy of a kryptonite sample be released at once, the resulting explosion would be nuclear-equivalent. As such, only microgram quantities were observed, via remote control apparatus from locations comfortably outside the anticipated blast radius. To the considerable surprise of our project team, exploding kryptonite releases so little energy that the explosion of the microgram samples could not be detected save by replaying camera footage. The energy release of exploding kryptonite is approximately 10 MJ/kg, roughly twice that of an equivalent mass of dynamite or slightly more than twice that of TNT.
This result appears paradoxical, given that far more than 10 MJ of input heat energy is needed to heat a kilogram of kryptonite from room temperature to 1000 °C. We hypothesize that the vast majority of the kryptonite's anomalous lattice energy is being released by some unknown physical process that does not interact with normal matter.
Kryptonite Radiation
The only
detectable forms of radiation observed from kryptonite are the characteristic green fluorescence and (comparatively) low energy electron emission off the kryptonite's surface, with characteristic energies peaking between 100 and 200 eV depending on circumstances. Given the magnitude of energy releases associated with kryptonite, we hypothesize that these are in fact a form of
delta rays: electrons ejected as secondary byproducts of a much more energetic process not described by the Standard Model of particle physics.
We further hypothesize that there may be other forms of radiation associated with the material. The existence of a secondary byproduct would seem to imply a primary process, and analysis of the angular distribution patterns of the delta rays emitted by kryptonite is suggestive along these lines. But if so, the primary radiation form does not interact significantly with ordinary matter by any process yet observed. No detector so far brought to bear on kryptonite samples has detected them. This type of radiation may have to be deduced and analyzed indirectly for some time to come, as was the case for neutrino radiation until the 1950s.
The delta radiation emitted by natural kryptonite can cause harm to human skin or sensitive electronics, especially as a result of prolonged contact. However, it is easily blocked by a conducting material or a thickness of a few millimeters of air. The green fluorescence is, so far as we can determine, purely ordinary light and entirely harmless. The unknown 'primary' kryptonite radiation is, likewise, entirely harmless so far as we can determine; it is a general principle that if radiation does not interact with detectors made out of ordinary matter, it will likely not interact with the human body.
Kryptonite Applications
Kryptonite contains binding energies greater than those associated with any known chemical process, and comparable to those found in nuclear reactions. Given proper methods of excitation, kryptonite could feasibly be used to power clean energy reactors equivalent to nuclear reactors. Unlike nuclear reactors, kryptonite power supplies would be scalable down to relatively small sizes, permitting the creation of 'nuclear battery' technology for powering machinery.
Furthermore, kryptonite's measurable radioactivity is much less dangerous, and much more easily contained, than that associated with nuclear fission. Kryptonite reactions produce no radioactive byproducts. Kryptonite is considered to have extremely promising green energy applications.
Kryptonite excitation can be achieved through stimulation by various combinations of ultrasonic and oscillating magnetic fields, which apparently act to catalyze the emission of delta rays. With appropriate placement of anode plates and electrical contacts surrounding a piece of kryptonite, this stimulated delta-ray emission produces high-amperage DC electric currents, which can then be regulated and calibrated to operate a wide variety of machinery. Use of kryptonite to generate alternating current will require engineering work, but is not judged to be infeasible, though it might be more practical to achieve this result by rotating the kryptonite through a set of cathode plates than by modulating the input to the kryptonite itself.
Summary
Kryptonite is an extremely unusual mineral; speculations that it is of extraterrestrial or artificial origin cannot be discounted. It is moderately hazardous to humans if ingested or otherwise brought into direct contact with human skin, but is no more hazardous than many commonly used chemical substances, and can be handled safely with minimal precautions. It exhibits properties that violate multiple laws of 20th century physics, and shows evidence of containing at least one type of matter not described by the 20th century Standard Model. It has extreme practical potential as an energy source, with added secondary potential as a heat sink or heat reservoir.
A/N: This is current as of Turn 14. It does not include Kryptonite Man or the recent discovery of red kryptonite.
