Diamond Floats in Liquid Carbon Under Extreme Pressure | Science News

Science News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 20, 2026 · 1m

Scientists have solved a 20-year mystery about diamond’s behavior under extreme pressure, revealing it floats in liquid carbon like ice in water—settling long-standing debates between lab data and simulations. Using lasers to heat samples hotter than the sun and pressurize them beyond Neptune’s core, researchers confirmed diamond retains its structure until melting, with no intermediate phase. This breakthrough could triple fusion energy output and unlock secrets of diamond rain inside ice giants like Uranus and Neptune. Advanced X-ray techniques allowed direct atomic observation, paving the…