Diamond melting breakthrough could deliver 3x energy gain in fusion

Key Points:

• Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have advanced the understanding of diamond melting under pressures three times greater than Earth's core, reaching temperatures hotter than the sun's surface.
• The study resolves a 20% discrepancy between experimental and theoretical melting temperatures of diamond, showing the diamond structure remains stable up to 1 terapascal (TPa), contradicting previous predictions of a phase transition.
• Findings have significant implications for inertial confinement fusion, potentially tripling energy gain by improving the understanding of diamond's behavior under extreme pressures, as diamond encases fusion fuel pellets.
• The research also enhances models of planetary interiors, particularly for ice giants like Neptune and Uranus, where diamond exists under immense pressure and may "rain" down in the planets' depths.
• Published in Nature, the study provides atomic-scale benchmarks for quantum simulations of condensed matter at extreme conditions, offering insights into both fusion energy and planetary science.