In blue bronze, the wavelength of these charge density ripples is not a rational multiple of the distance between octahedra! As a result [insert math here] it's easy for these ripples to slide back and forth along the octahedra chains.
So we get 'phasons'!
(3/n)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phason
John Carlos Baez
npub1nf…3nqe4
2026-05-11 11:39:57 UTC
in reply to nevent1q…5tk5
Author Public Key
npub1nf4p4rh06z6n6lsvje4txk7eqs23y3hs8vd7nraq6tgwady5qvsqy3nqe4Published at
2026-05-11 11:39:57 UTCEvent JSON
{
"id": "df0c8355bce5bc42e39ba323133e72574c11828d732515de6fcb97a3e6576e8d",
"pubkey": "9a6a1a8eefd0b53d7e0c966ab35bd904151246f03b1be98fa0d2d0eeb4940320",
"created_at": 1778499597,
"kind": 1,
"tags": [
[
"proxy",
"https://mathstodon.xyz/@johncarlosbaez/116555749628137642",
"web"
],
[
"p",
"9a6a1a8eefd0b53d7e0c966ab35bd904151246f03b1be98fa0d2d0eeb4940320"
],
[
"e",
"5407cac57a1366f08fe31f9a6e8a816a1b902514b7e17878b9e6f53e3e0a9cb8",
"",
"root",
"9a6a1a8eefd0b53d7e0c966ab35bd904151246f03b1be98fa0d2d0eeb4940320"
],
[
"e",
"3321a117f20a57dce36d0ff97e4c37bbc85ab5c133f6c6d075821f3175364f42",
"",
"reply",
"9a6a1a8eefd0b53d7e0c966ab35bd904151246f03b1be98fa0d2d0eeb4940320"
],
[
"proxy",
"https://mathstodon.xyz/users/johncarlosbaez/statuses/116555749628137642",
"activitypub"
],
[
"L",
"pink.momostr"
],
[
"l",
"pink.momostr.activitypub:https://mathstodon.xyz/users/johncarlosbaez/statuses/116555749628137642",
"pink.momostr"
],
[
"-"
]
],
"content": "In blue bronze, the wavelength of these charge density ripples is not a rational multiple of the distance between octahedra! As a result [insert math here] it's easy for these ripples to slide back and forth along the octahedra chains.\n\nSo we get 'phasons'! \n\n(3/n)\n\nhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phason",
"sig": "d3d9f25c157eec9d29e99dabfea5ffaa82dbc978b1b93438e538d71d307ddffe221fbed49f18d7bcb4546bd89b546a03b18c875d49bf2d37cf7878b8096e1ccf"
}