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The recent experience carried out by the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in California has turned our understanding of gold properties. This precious metal, known for its chemical stability and its shine, has demonstrated an unexpected capacity to resist extremely high temperatures, thus defying concepts established for a long time in materials physics. This discovery opens the way to new scientific explorations and questions our understanding of material limits.
Solid supercharging: a rare and fascinating phenomenon
The phenomenon observed during experience is known as Solid supercharging. Under the effect of an ultra fast laser, an extremely fine gold leaf was heated to an incredible temperature of 18,700 ° C. What is remarkable is that gold has retained its crystal structure, not melting despite extreme heat. Normally, gold melts at a temperature of 1,064 ° C, which makes this feat all the more surprising.
This heat resistance is due to the speed of the temperature increase. The laser injected the energy so quickly that the atoms did not have time to disorganize. Thus, gold has remained solid, defying traditional expectations of phase transition. This type of supercharming is extremely rare and had never been observed on such a scale before.
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Measure the immmesurable: a new method
One of the revolutionary aspects of this experience lies in the method used to measure the temperature. Using an X -ray, the researchers were able to capture the exact temperature of moving atoms. This approach offers unprecedented precision, opening the way to new possibilities in the study of materials under extreme conditions.
Until now, temperature measurement in such extreme environments have been subject to significant margins of error. With this new method, researchers now have a tool to explore areas hitherto inaccessible, particularly in the study of planetary nuclei or fusion reactors.
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Theoretical and practical implications
This discovery questions certain theories established since the 1980s, according to which any solid material would end up disintegrating beyond a certain temperature. The experience led by SLAC shows that there are unexpected limits To this principle, emphasizing the importance of the speed at which energy is applied.
The practical implications of this discovery are vast. By better understanding how the materials behave at extreme temperatures, we could improve the design of materials for fusion reactors or space structures. Other materials, such as tungsten or carbon, could also reveal unsuspected properties when subject to similar tests.
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Gold: a messenger of the unexpected
Gold, often associated with wealth and crafts, has played the role of messenger here in scientific discovery. This experience shows that even the materials we think we know can reserve surprises. As Bob Nagler mentioned, one of the researchers involved, if this first experience can already question long -standing theories, the next one could still transform our understanding of materials and their capacities.
This result highlights the importance of continuing to explore the properties of materials under extreme conditions. Do other surprises await us in the world of materials?
This article is based on verified sources and the assistance of editorial technologies.
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