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Extreme conditions in molten rock materials

Illustration of earth with laser

Deep inside rocky planets like Earth, the behavior of iron can greatly affect the properties of molten rock materials: properties that influenced how Earth formed and evolved. Scientists used powerful lasers and ultrafast X-rays to recreate the extreme conditions in these molten rock materials, called silicate melts, and measure properties of iron. 

Greg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

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