Something weird happens when you keep squeezing

Summary

This video explores the extraordinary effects of extreme pressures on matter, from Earth's surface to the Sun and beyond. It delves into how substances like water, hydrogen, and sodium undergo bizarre transformations as they experience millions of atmospheres of pressure. Using the Omega EP laser, scientists recreate these conditions to better understand how matter behaves under such forces, leading to discoveries about material science, nuclear fusion, and the evolution of planets. The journey through the layers of Earth, to Jupiter, and to the Sun offers a glimpse into the future of high-pressure physics and its potential to revolutionize energy research.

Takeaways

• 😀 Extreme pressures, such as those inside Earth and the Sun, lead to unusual and not fully understood changes in materials.
• 😀 Water, when subjected to high pressures, transforms into Ice-VII, a cubic form of ice not seen at Earth's surface.
• 😀 At Earth's surface, atmospheric pressure is around 500 times stronger than the pressure exerted by an average phone on your palm.
• 😀 The deeper you go below Earth's surface, the pressure increases drastically, reaching 1000 atmospheres at the Mariana Trench.
• 😀 At depths of 10,000 atmospheres in Earth's mantle, some rock begins to melt, and diamonds form under high pressure.
• 😀 At 100,000 atmospheres, sodium melts, and hydrogen gas turns into liquid under extreme pressure.
• 😀 Water undergoes a phase change at high pressures, turning into Ice-VII, a denser and more compact form than common ice.
• 😀 Scientists are using advanced tools like the Omega EP laser to recreate these extreme pressures and study material behavior under them.
• 😀 Under pressures above 1 million atmospheres, materials like sodium and hydrogen undergo bizarre transformations, such as transparency in metals.
• 😀 Nuclear fusion, which occurs in the Sun under 100 billion atmospheres of pressure, releases massive amounts of energy and is key to solar energy.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the script?

The script explores the behavior of matter under extreme pressure, particularly how substances like water, hydrogen, and sodium behave when subjected to pressures found deep inside the Earth, the Sun, and even planets like Jupiter.

How does atmospheric pressure compare to the pressure exerted by a phone on your palm?

Atmospheric pressure is 500 times stronger than the pressure exerted by a phone on your palm, which is equivalent to the weight of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson balanced on top of it.

What happens to hydrogen gas as pressure increases underwater?

As pressure increases, hydrogen gas shrinks in volume, and at greater depths, it becomes a liquid, eventually forming a small globule under the intense pressure.

Why don't sodium and water change much under the pressures of the Mariana Trench?

Sodium and water remain relatively unchanged because their molecules are tightly packed. The pressure at these depths isn't strong enough to overcome the electrostatic repulsion between the molecules, so they don’t compress much.

What happens to water as pressure increases deeper into the Earth?

As the pressure increases, water turns into a solid, but not the typical ice we know. Instead, it forms a denser cubic lattice, a form of ice known as Ice-VII, which can be trapped inside diamonds.

How does sodium behave under extreme pressure?

Under extreme pressure, sodium metal turns transparent. This happens because the pressure forces its electrons into localized pockets, preventing them from interacting with light, which causes the metal to become transparent.

What is Ice-VII, and why is it significant?

Ice-VII is a variation of ice that forms under extreme pressure, with a cubic lattice structure. It is denser than normal ice and was found inside diamonds, offering insights into how water behaves under immense pressure.

How do scientists study matter under extreme pressures?

Scientists use tools like the Omega EP laser to create extreme pressures in controlled environments. A laser blast generates a shockwave that creates pressures similar to those found deep within Earth, allowing researchers to study the effects on materials.

What is the significance of the laser experiment at the Omega facility?

The Omega laser facility allows scientists to recreate the extreme pressures found deep within Earth by using high-powered laser beams to generate shockwaves. This helps them study how materials like Ice-VII behave under such conditions.

How does pressure in the Sun impact hydrogen nuclei?

In the Sun, pressures are so high that they force hydrogen nuclei to fuse into helium, a process called nuclear fusion, which releases enormous amounts of energy. This is the source of the Sun's power and the ultimate source of energy in the solar system.