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Science
Scientists Got Diamond's Melting Point Wrong by More Than 1,000 Degrees
A new laser experiment gives one of the most precise measurements yet of diamond's melting point, revealing that earlier experiments were off by more than 700°C — a finding relevant to nuclear fusion research.
Scientists have taken some of the most precise measurements yet of diamond's melting point using a powerful laser, and found that previous experiments had been off by more than 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit (700 degrees Celsius).
Diamond, the hardest natural material on Earth, does melt when blasted with extremely powerful lasers under the right conditions. Understanding how diamond responds to the shock waves produced by such lasers is an important part of developing , the process that powers stars and is being explored as a potential energy source for the future.
Because of this, researchers have put significant effort into developing models that describe and predict how diamond behaves under these extreme conditions, and the new, more precise melting-point measurement will help refine those models.
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- Physicists Find a Tiny Built-In Uncertainty in Time Itself
- A Century-Old Physics Effect Just Got a New Dimension
- Scientists Got Diamond's Melting Point Wrong by More Than 1,000 Degrees
#diamond#nuclear fusion#physics#laser experiments
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