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Matter in extreme conditions RSS feed

Under extreme conditions – like those in the hearts of planets or in exploding stars – materials can enter other exotic phases with unique characteristics. At SLAC, researchers are studying some of the most extreme and exotic forms of matter ever created, in detail never before possible.

Concept of Matter in extreme conditions

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New research could offer insights into the formation of planets like Earth and inform the design of more resilient materials.

Iron impact header
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It could offer insights into the evolution of planetary systems and guide scientists hoping to harness nuclear fusion as a new source of energy.

Scattered photons
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In experiments at the National Ignition Facility, a SLAC-led team found new details about how supernovas boost charged particles to nearly the speed of...

A computer simulation of the turbulent magnetic fields in two plasma shock waves, which were created in the lab to mimic astrophysical shocks.
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Learning how liquid silicates behave at these extreme temperatures and pressures has been a longstanding challenge in the geosciences.

atomic arrangements of liquid silicates at the extreme conditions found in the core-mantle boundary.
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Siegfried Glenzer's team and collaborators from Tel Aviv University are working on a method that could make proton accelerators 100 times smaller without giving...

Glenzer-LaserProtonAcceleration
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Chemist Ben Ofori-Okai investigates what happens to matter under extreme conditions at microscopic scales to better understand its behavior at massive scales, such as...

Ben Ofori-Okai
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The SLAC scientists will each receive $2.5 million for their research on fusion energy and advanced radiofrequency technology.

Gleason-Gamzina-ECA2019
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Combined with the lab’s LCLS X-ray laser, it’ll provide unprecedented atomic views of some of nature’s speediest processes.

Alex Reid, ultrafast electron diffraction (UED)
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SLAC’s ‘electron camera’ films rapidly melting tungsten and reveals atomic-level material behavior that could impact the design of future reactors.

Tungsten melting
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The approach could advance our understanding of fundamental forces under extreme conditions with applications from astrophysics to fusion research.

QED extreme
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In the decade since LCLS produced its first light, it has pushed boundaries in countless areas of discovery.

Undulator Hall
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Researchers used a unique approach to learn more about what happens to silicon under intense pressure.

silicon waves