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posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday August 23 2017, @05:21PM   Printer-friendly
from the a-pressing-matter dept.

https://www6.slac.stanford.edu/news/2017-08-21-scientists-create-diamond-rain-forms-interior-icy-giant-planets.aspx

In an experiment designed to mimic the conditions deep inside the icy giant planets of our solar system, scientists were able to observe "diamond rain" for the first time as it formed in high-pressure conditions. Extremely high pressure squeezes hydrogen and carbon found in the interior of these planets to form solid diamonds that sink slowly down further into the interior.

The glittering precipitation has long been hypothesized to arise more than 5,000 miles below the surface of Uranus and Neptune, created from commonly found mixtures of just hydrogen and carbon. The interiors of these planets are similar—both contain solid cores surrounded by a dense slush of different ices. With the icy planets in our solar system, "ice" refers to hydrogen molecules connected to lighter elements, such as carbon, oxygen and/or nitrogen.

Researchers simulated the environment found inside these planets by creating shock waves in plastic with an intense optical laser at the Matter in Extreme Conditions (MEC) instrument at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory's X-ray free-electron laser, the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). SLAC is one of 10 Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science laboratories.

Formation of diamonds in laser-compressed hydrocarbons at planetary interior conditions (DOI: 10.1038/s41550-017-0219-9) (DX)


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  • (Score: 2) by BananaPhone on Wednesday August 23 2017, @08:31PM (3 children)

    by BananaPhone (2488) on Wednesday August 23 2017, @08:31PM (#558156)

    "refers to hydrogen molecules connected to lighter elements, such as carbon, oxygen and/or nitrogen."

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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday August 23 2017, @08:34PM (1 child)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Wednesday August 23 2017, @08:34PM (#558158) Journal

    Maybe they meant "lighter-than-iron" elements [wikipedia.org].

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    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 23 2017, @08:39PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 23 2017, @08:39PM (#558160)

      It is confusing, but I think you are right that they meant, "connected to OTHER lighter elements."

  • (Score: 2) by mhajicek on Thursday August 24 2017, @12:58AM

    by mhajicek (51) on Thursday August 24 2017, @12:58AM (#558255)

    Since diamonds are a solid this would be snow, not rain. Possibly hail.

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