Tag

Carbon

All articles tagged with #carbon

Diamond Melts into Metallic Liquid Carbon at Sun-Heat Temperatures Under Planetary Pressures
science7 days ago

Diamond Melts into Metallic Liquid Carbon at Sun-Heat Temperatures Under Planetary Pressures

Scientists at LLNL’s Omega laser facility squeezed synthetic diamonds to about one terapascal and temperatures around 7,300 kelvin, watching the crystal lattice vanish as the diamond melted into a dense, metallic liquid carbon with no intermediate phase. The result pins the melting temperature at ~7,300 K at 1 TPa, resolving a roughly 20-year discrepancy with simulations and confirming diamond’s melt into an electrically conducting carbon fluid under extreme conditions.

Trek Domane SLR 9 Drops IsoSpeed, Embraces Lightness and Wider Tires
technology10 days ago

Trek Domane SLR 9 Drops IsoSpeed, Embraces Lightness and Wider Tires

Trek’s Domane SLR 9 abandons the IsoSpeed dampener in favor of a lighter, cleaner frame using the new 900 Series OCLV carbon, increases tire clearance to 40mm, and adds a round 27.2mm RSL seatpost plus a revised Bontrager riser bar. The updated platform retains Trek’s Road Endurance Geometry across six sizes, adds more storage options, and maintains disc brakes and fender compatibility, while claiming the frame is about 305g lighter (with a lighter overall build) and that a 35mm tire setup remains within a small vibration-penalty compared with IsoSpeed setups. Pricing spans the Domane SL line up to roughly $2,399–$4,199 for SL builds and up to about $10,999–$11,499 (with 1x/2x configurations) for SLR models, plus a Project One ICON edition at $14,999. Early ride impressions describe a bike that feels more like a modern road bike than a niche endurance model—stiff, responsive, and capable on fast, varied pavement.

Diamond melts under extreme pressure, defying expected phase changes
science11 days ago

Diamond melts under extreme pressure, defying expected phase changes

Scientists used the OMEGA laser to shock tiny diamond samples to 0.6–1.8 terapascals, heating them to about 7,300 kelvin. They observed diamond melting directly into liquid carbon without forming the predicted BC8 phase, with the crystal lattice persisting until melting and a surprising density reversal where solid diamond becomes less dense than its liquid. The findings resolve earlier temperature discrepancies, align with theory, and have implications for inertial confinement fusion models and the study of planetary interiors.

AI's Hidden Footprint: Quantifying Carbon, Water, and Land in the Digital Era
environment2 months ago

AI's Hidden Footprint: Quantifying Carbon, Water, and Land in the Digital Era

A UNU-INWEH report finds AI’s environmental costs go beyond carbon to include water use and land impact driven by data centers and electricity sources. Footprints vary by where energy is produced and the patterns of AI use, raising governance and equity concerns. It calls for transparency, efficiency by design, lifecycle responsibility, and global cooperation to align AI development with energy, climate, water, and land-use planning.

Mercury’s Hidden Diamond Layer Redefines Its Inner Story
astronomy3 months ago

Mercury’s Hidden Diamond Layer Redefines Its Inner Story

A study suggests Mercury might contain a 9–11 mile (15–18 km) thick diamond layer at the core–mantle boundary, formed as carbon-rich material crystallized during magma-ocean cooling and core solidification, with sulfur facilitating diamond stability; such a layer could affect heat flow and Mercury’s magnetic field, but the idea awaits confirmation from future missions.

Lab-Forged Pure Hexagonal Diamond Outclasses Natural Diamond
science5 months ago

Lab-Forged Pure Hexagonal Diamond Outclasses Natural Diamond

Chinese researchers at Zhengzhou University report the first laboratory-made pure hexagonal diamond (lonsdaleite), a carbon form that is harder and more oxidation-resistant than cubic natural diamond; produced by compressing graphite under extreme pressure and heat and confirmed by spectroscopy and simulations, with potential applications in cutting tools, abrasives, heat management and quantum sensing, and published in Nature in March 2026.

Lab-made hexagonal diamond edges past regular diamond in hardness
science5 months ago

Lab-made hexagonal diamond edges past regular diamond in hardness

Chinese researchers report synthesizing millimetre-sized bulk hexagonal diamond from oriented graphite under about 20 GPa and 1,300–1,900°C, with diffraction confirming a pure hexagonal carbon phase. They measured a hardness around 114 GPa, slightly higher than typical natural cubic diamond (~110 GPa), and highlight high thermal stability, addressing long-standing debate over hexagonal diamond and suggesting potential for advanced technological uses.

Lab-forged hexagonal diamond edges out natural diamond in hardness
science5 months ago

Lab-forged hexagonal diamond edges out natural diamond in hardness

Chinese researchers synthesized millimetre-sized, phase-pure hexagonal diamond in the lab by compressing highly ordered graphite between tungsten-carbide anvils at 20 gigapascals and heating to 1,300–1,900°C, yielding a material with about 114 gigapascals hardness—slightly tougher than natural cubic diamond—which could enable new technologies and settles long‑standing debates about the phase’s existence.

Strongest evidence yet that hexagonal diamond is real and potentially harder than cubic diamond
science5 months ago

Strongest evidence yet that hexagonal diamond is real and potentially harder than cubic diamond

Chinese researchers report millimeter-sized samples of hexagonal diamond (lonsdaleite) produced by compressing graphite at ~20 GPa and 1300–1900 °C, with X-ray diffraction peaks that conclusively confirm the hexagonal structure; tests show the material is stiffer, more oxidation resistant, and slightly harder than conventional cubic diamond, marking the strongest evidence to date in decades-long debates and offering potential uses in tools, thermal management, and quantum sensing.

science1 year ago

Ceres: A Clue to Life's Origins on a Dwarf Planet

A new study suggests that collisions in space can produce and preserve carbon on dwarf planets like Ceres, which may hold clues to the origins of life. The research highlights the importance of future sample return missions to analyze organic materials on Ceres, especially in light of its potential subsurface ocean and the challenges posed by shock metamorphism during impacts. Funding and mission planning are critical for advancing this research.

Carbon Found in Galaxy 350 Million Years Post-Big Bang
science-and-technology2 years ago

Carbon Found in Galaxy 350 Million Years Post-Big Bang

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected carbon in a galaxy observed just 350 million years after the big bang, suggesting that the conditions for life may have been present much earlier than previously thought. This discovery indicates that vast amounts of carbon were released by the first generation of stars exploding in supernovae, challenging previous beliefs that carbon enrichment occurred about 1 billion years after the big bang. The findings, which will be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, highlight the potential for early life-forming conditions in the universe.