All articles tagged with #extreme pressures
Physicists are studying the behavior of matter under extreme pressures found deep within planets and stars. Using tools like lasers, they have discovered that water can become a hot black ice that conducts electricity, hydrogen gas can be compressed into a shiny metal, and sodium can turn transparent. These findings have implications for understanding the conditions necessary for life on other planets.
Researchers at RIKEN have measured the sound velocity of pure iron at extreme pressures, providing insights into the composition of Earth's core. The team used a high-resolution spectrometer and a new type of high-pressure cell to perform measurements at pressures about double their previous record, and more than three times higher than any other facility in the world. The results suggest that, in addition to iron and nickel, the Earth's core has small amounts of silicon and sulfur. The method can be extended to other materials, enabling improved measurements of sound velocities at extreme pressures.