Diamond Floats in Liquid Carbon Under Extreme Pressure | Science News

Scientists have solved a 20-year mystery about diamond’s behavior under extreme pressure, revealing it floats in liquid carbon like ice in water—settling long-standing debates between lab data and simulations. Using lasers to heat samples hotter than the sun and pressurize them beyond Neptune’s core, researchers confirmed diamond retains its structure until melting, with no intermediate phase. This breakthrough could triple fusion energy output and unlock secrets of diamond rain inside ice giants like Uranus and Neptune. Advanced X-ray techniques allowed direct atomic observation, paving the way for future experiments at the National Ignition Facility to explore diamond’s role in fusion implosions and multi-shock dynamics. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/e6562fcfeb20f363