Diamond shock experiment points to lower-power fusion-target path

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory physicists used X-ray diffraction during shock-compression experiments on diamond at the University of Rochester's Omega Laser Facility. The measurements brought the observed diamond melting point into agreement with quantum-physics-based models and found conditions in which solid diamond is less dense than liquid metallic carbon. The researchers say a slower initial shock could still melt a diamond capsule used in inertial-confinement fusion targets; their calculations indicate that could release three times as much fusion energy from the capsule's fuel.