Scientists Discover Stronger “Super Diamonds” in Space
Researchers from the University of South Florida and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have made an exciting discovery: there are super diamonds in space that are even stronger than the diamonds we know on Earth.
Using the Frontier supercomputer, the team simulated the formation process of billions of carbon atoms under tremendous pressure, leading to the creation of a specific carbon phase known as “eight-atom body-centered cubic (BC8)” structure. This super diamond structure is composed of 8 atoms and has a pressure resistance that is 30% higher than traditional diamonds.
The reason why these super diamonds have not been observed on Earth before is due to the narrow range of pressure and temperature conditions required for their formation. However, the team is optimistic that with a deeper understanding of BC8’s properties, laboratories may soon have the opportunity to create super diamonds under Earth environmental conditions.
This discovery not only sheds light on the potential for creating super hard materials in the lab but also provides valuable insights into the interiors of carbon-rich exoplanets. Observatories like the Webb Space Telescope are currently searching for and analyzing these exoplanets to further our understanding of the universe.
The research paper detailing this breakthrough is published in the journal Physical Chemistry Letters. With the possibility of creating super diamonds on Earth, the future of material science looks brighter than ever.