Tag

High Pressure Physics

All articles tagged with #high pressure physics

science5 days ago•6 min saved

Diamond Remains Diamond Under Extreme Shocks, Solving 20-Year Melting Mystery

Laser-driven shock experiments up to pressures beyond Neptune’s core show diamond melts without forming an intermediate phase, and melting temperatures now match quantum simulations—resolving a 20-year discrepancy. The results hint that slightly slower initial shocks could triple fusion energy gain in inertial confinement fusion and provide tighter constraints for modeling diamond rain in ice giants like Neptune and Uranus.

via Science Daily|

#diamond #high-pressure-physics #ice-giants

space8 days ago•40 min saved

Diamond melts under extreme pressure, aligning with theory and boosting fusion energy prospects

LLNL researchers used the Omega Laser Facility to shock-compress synthetic diamond up to about 1 terapascals, directly observing melting via X-ray diffraction and finding the diamond retains its cubic structure all the way to melting. The results resolve a ~20-year gap between experiments and theory, show that a weaker initial shock could fully melt diamond in NIF implosions to improve fuel compressibility and energy yield, and provide tighter constraints on carbon behavior under extreme pressures relevant to ice-giant interiors (diamond rain).

via The Brighter Side of News|

#diamond-melting #fusion-energy #high-pressure-physics

energy10 days ago•7 min saved

Diamond under extreme pressure hints at 3x fusion energy gain

Researchers at LLNL found that diamond melts under extreme pressures (up to 1 TPa) and temperatures around 7,300 K via shock compression, resolving decades-long discrepancies between experiments and simulations; the findings, which indicate a shock-induced melting pathway and persistence of diamond structure, could triple energy gain in laser-driven inertial confinement fusion and inform models of planetary interiors.

via Interesting Engineering|

#diamond-melting #energy #high-pressure-physics

space2 months ago•12 min saved

Lab Reproduces Neptune’s Diamond Rain in Real Time

Researchers replicated the extreme interior conditions of ice giants on a lab bench by driving a thin plastic sheet with two shockwaves and then using an X-ray laser to image the moment carbon atoms crystallize into a diamond lattice as hydrogen separates. The experiment provides direct evidence for the core chemical step behind the long-standing diamond‑rain idea, though it does not prove Neptune or Uranus actually rain diamonds—the planets’ interiors remain modeled rather than observed. The diamonds formed were nanometer-scale, but if similar processes occur in these planets, sinking diamonds could release heat and subtly affect their internal dynamics.

via Space Daily|

#diamond-rain #high-pressure-physics #lab-experiment

space2 months ago•14 min saved

Lab Reproduces Neptune’s Diamond Rain, Revealing Diamonds Form Deep Inside Ice Giants

Scientists at SLAC used ultrafast laser-driven shocks on a hydrocarbon surrogate to mimic Neptune’s deep-interior pressures and temperatures, triggering carbon to crystallize as nanometer-scale diamonds in a femtosecond window and confirming the long-predicted “diamond rain.” Subsequent work shows these conditions can occur at lower thresholds than first thought, implying diamond rain could occur over a broader region of Neptune’s and Uranus’s interiors, potentially influence magnetic fields, and hint at diamond-rich mantles in many exoplanets.

via Space Daily|

#diamond-rain #exoplanets #high-pressure-physics

science3 months ago•5 min saved

A Quasi-1D Superionic Phase Could Lurk Inside Uranus and Neptune

Researchers using first-principles simulations predict a new quasi-1D superionic phase in a carbon–hydrogen compound that could exist inside ice giants Uranus and Neptune at extreme pressures and temperatures. In this phase, hydrogen diffuses along a carbon lattice that forms a helical structure, producing anisotropic heat and electrical conduction. This could influence our understanding of the planets’ unusual magnetic fields and guides how such materials might behave under the extreme conditions found in their interiors.

via ScienceAlert|

#carbon-hydrogen-compound #high-pressure-physics #ice-giants

science10 months ago•3 min saved

Scientists Achieve Room-Temperature Ice, Challenging Physics Norms

Scientists have discovered a new phase of ice, called ice XXI, formed by rapidly compressing water at room temperature, revealing new insights into ice's diverse crystalline structures and potential implications for understanding icy moons.

via Gizmodo|

#crystallization #extraterrestrial-surfaces #high-pressure-physics

science-and-technology2 years ago•3 min saved

"Revolutionizing Superconductivity: High-Pressure Breakthroughs and Quantum Sensor Imaging"

Harvard scientists have developed a groundbreaking tool that integrates quantum sensors into a standard pressure-inducing device, allowing direct imaging of superconducting materials under extreme conditions. This innovation could revolutionize the study of superconducting hydrides, enabling the discovery of new materials and easier access to coveted characteristics in existing ones. The tool, which uses naturally occurring defects in diamond crystals, has the potential to optimize material synthesis and facilitate further research in the field of high-pressure physics.

via SciTechDaily|

#diamond-anvil-cell #harvard-university #high-pressure-physics