Nevertheless,
Structure liquid carbon finally revealed:
In 1981. Nevertheless, the physicist Marvin Ross suggested that in the heart of Neptune and Uranus it rains diamonds! For example, These precious stones, assemblies of carbon atoms forged under very high pressure and temperature conditions, have always fascinated. However. Meanwhile, on these planets, this “rain of diamonds” is not the most surprising phenomenon: in even more extreme conditions – more than 4,000 kelvins (3,726 ° C), and about a hundred gigapascals -, carbon could become liquid! For example, This atypical carbon state would play a role in the formation of the powerful magnetic fields of these giant planets.
But, unlike the well -known atomic structure of diamonds, that of liquid carbon was so far a mystery. However, An international team led by Dominik Kraus. Consequently, from the University of Rostock, Germany, managed to lift the veil for the first time. They mounted that, structure liquid carbon finally revealed under these extreme conditions, liquid carbon has a surprisingly close structure that of the diamond.
To achieve this, the researchers combined two techniques. The first uses a powerful laser to compress. “melt” carbon; And the second is a classic method of analysis of atomic structures: the diffusion of X -rays (we speak of diffusion and not of diffraction for non -crystalline materials). Thanks to the short impulses of the Dipole-100x high energy laser of the European installation XFEL. near Hamburg, the researchers caused a shock wave in a thin glass of glassy carbon (of amorphous structure, non-crystalline). This shock wave causes a rapid rise in pressure and temperature, which reach up to 160 gigapascals and 7,000 kelvins. The wave crosses the carbon plate in less than a dozen nanoseconds. In the last nanosecond. the researchers lit structure liquid carbon finally revealed up the sample with an ultrabref X -ray flash, lasting only twenty femtoseconds, which reveals its atomic structure. The data thus collected show the transition of carbon from the solid state to the liquid state.
By comparing them to quantum molecular dynamics simulations. Additionally, the researchers have established that the structure of liquid carbon is a tetrahedral arrangement, like that of the diamond, but where the links between the atoms are broken. This peculiarity is explained by an intermediate stage in the phase transition during compression: before “liquefying”. carbon atoms are briefly organized according to the structure of the diamond. Then. under the effect of increasing pressure and temperature, the links are broken, while retaining an organization similar to that of diamond thanks to the persistence of lower interactions between atoms.
This ultra -fast experimental device. which makes it structure liquid carbon finally revealed possible to study complex liquids under extreme conditions, opens up new perspectives in materials science. In addition to observing the structure of liquid carbon. the researchers were able to measure its merger point experimentally, questioning certain theoretical models. These new data will enhance modeling of the behavior of the matter under extreme conditions.
Neptune and Uranus liquid carbon diamonds, physicists are gradually revealing amazing treasures in the solar system. What surprises have the exoplanets in which even more exotic conditions have in store for us?
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Structure liquid carbon finally revealed
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