LLNL Laser Shocks Diamond to Measure Melting

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers blasted diamond samples with a laser, sending a shockwave that melted the material while X-ray diffraction tracked the process. The measured melting temperature under extreme pressure differs from earlier estimates by hundreds of degrees. The data matters for predicting natural diamond in planetary interiors and for inertial confinement fusion experiments at the National Ignition Facility, though it does not advance magnetic confinement fusion power.