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Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory used
high-powered lasers to put molten magnesium silicate under extreme
pressure. They found out that that it goes through a liquid state
phase change by suddenly becoming a denser liquid as pressure
increases.
It is thought that the research will give improve the understanding
of planet formation because such phase changes have never been
considered in planetary evolution models.
The critical point about planetary evolution models is that all of
the current models are probably wrong because they are based on
inaccurate models of how materials change under extreme pressure.
It also suggests that so called supper Earths could have
significantly different internal structures from that of the Earth.
The result of is that these called supper Earths could be
significantly denser than previously thought. Meaning that they
would be smaller in diameter, giving them a higher surface gravity
making them even less hospitable to life, |
