* Astronomy

Title: Implementation of micro-ball nanodiamond anvils for high-pressure studies above 6Mbar
Authors: Leonid Dubrovinsky, Natalia Dubrovinskaia, Vitali B Prakapenka & Artem M Abakumov

Since invention of the diamond anvil cell technique in the late 1950s for studying materials at extreme conditions, the maximum static pressure generated so far at room temperature was reported to be about 400GPa. Here we show that use of micro-semi-balls made of nanodiamond as second-stage anvils in conventional diamond anvil cells drastically extends the achievable pressure range in static compression experiments to above 600GPa. Micro-anvils (1050m in diameter) of superhard nanodiamond (with a grain size below ~50nm) were synthesized in a large volume press using a newly developed technique. In our pilot experiments on rhenium and gold we have studied the equation of state of rhenium at pressures up to 640GPa and demonstrated the feasibility and crucial necessity of the in situ ultra high-pressure measurements for accurate determination of material properties at extreme conditions.

Read more