A team of researchers has successfully measured the temperature of atoms within warm dense matter by directly measuring the speed of atoms, a breakthrough that could revolutionize our understanding of superheated materials.
The researchers, led by Bob Nagler and Thomas White, used the world’s brightest x-ray source, SLAC National Accelerator’s Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), to heat solid gold to 19,000 kelvins, far beyond its theoretical limit. Despite the extreme temperatures, the gold lattice persisted beyond what standard thermodynamics would predict.
The experiment revealed that superheated matter in nonequilibrium states can behave differently than expected, and it challenges traditional thermodynamic frameworks. The researchers’ direct method for measuring ion temperatures in extreme conditions opens up new avenues for studying high-energy-density physics, planetary and astrophysics, and inertial confinement fusion.
The findings also have significant implications for geophysics, as the Earth’s core is primarily composed of iron, which could be probed with accurate temperature measurements. The researchers plan to conduct further experiments using long-pulse lasers to compress and heat materials to pressures comparable to those found at planetary centers.
This breakthrough demonstrates that superheated matter can persist beyond what traditional thermodynamics predicts, raising questions about the true limits of superheating in intensely driven systems.
Source: https://www.laserfocusworld.com/lasers-sources/article/55310401/lcls-lets-researchers-explore-superheating-and-limits-of-solid-state-matter