Researchers Unravel Two-Decade Enigma of Diamond Melting

Experts at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have clarified a long-standing question regarding the melting process of diamond when subjected to extreme pressure. By conducting laser-based experiments at the Omega Laser Facility of the University of Rochester, the team managed to compress diamond to pressures nearly threefold that of the Earth's core while applying extreme temperatures for approximately one billionth of a second. X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrated that diamond maintained its integrity until the melting point, showing no intermediate crystalline phase. The findings align closely with quantum-mechanical models and may enhance inertial confinement fusion theories as well as our understanding of carbon's behavior in Neptune and Uranus.

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