Under extreme pressures, matter defies the rules of physics as we know it.
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Physicists have a pretty good handle on how stuff behaves on the surface of the Earth. But a lot of matter in the universe exists outside this narrow band of relatively low temperatures and pressures. Inside planets and stars, the crushing force of gravity begins to overwhelm the electromagnetic and nuclear forces that keep atoms apart and maintain the shapes of molecules.
What happens next? Scientists (including a consortia of researchers at the NSF’s Center for Matter at Atomic Pressures​​) are just starting to figure that out. They use a variety of tools (including some humongous lasers) to simulate planetary cores and see what happens. A few standout findings so far:
Water can become a hot black ice that conducts electricity: https://www.quantamagazine.org/black-hot-superionic-ice-may-be-natures-most-common-form-of-water-20190508/
Hydrogen gas can be compressed down into a shiny metal: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2119442-metallic-hydrogen-finally-made-in-lab-at-mind-boggling-pressure/
Sodium (a soft, silvery metal at atmospheric pressure) can turn transparent: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312180838.htm
What happens under extreme pressures deep with planets also influences their ability to foster life. Check out our videos about the search for Earth-like worlds beyond our solar system”
What we found when we went looking for another Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrAFaONyLtU
How to find a planet you can’t see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STsI6IbPbGQ
Here’s a closer look at another giant laser (at the National Ignition Facility):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMaKhXkihGQ
To see a classic film that takes a similar approach to understanding distances (from the microscopic to the galactic) check out “Powers of Ten”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0
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