Kepler-186f, first Earth-size distant planet found in an ‘inhabitable zone.’ (Image credit NASA)
Observing and studying distant planets traditionally requires the use of radio or refractive telescopes in order to gain insight of their composition and whether or not they could, or have supported life. Scientists have now made it possible to peer inside those planets for invaluable feedback concerning the material makeup of their interiors.
The Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory recently upgraded a powerful optical laser platform to create shockwaves that provide high-pressure conditions like those found inside celestial bodies. More accurately, a pair of lasers are used for this new type of exploration with the optical mechanism creates extreme temperature and pressure conditions in a material while a secondary X-ray laser captures data on the makeup of the material. Both lasers are part of SLAC’s MEC (Matter in Extreme Conditions) instrument for studying extreme states of matter in the universe.
SLAC’s MEC system for studying extreme states of matter throughout the universe. (Image credit SLAC)
The recent upgrade to the MEC system means it’s three-times more powerful than it was before and is able to pump out power equivalent to 17 Teslas discharging their 100 kilowatt-hour batteries in one second. According to SLAC, the energy upgrade is due in part to the optical laser’s new, homemade diode pumped front-end along with a new automation system for shaping the laser pulses, giving users greater control in their experiments.
Of course, the scientists tested their new platform with the closest celestial body they could find- Earth. They used the system to examine how meteor impacts shock minerals in the Earth’s crust and even simulated conditions in Jupiter’s core by laser-blasting aluminum foil into a warm, dense plasma.
SLAC’s vacuum test chamber where the experiments are carried out. (Image credit SLAC)
The MEC platform functions by using the optical laser to amplify low-powered beams and increasing its energy with each pulse. The problem doing that in increments is that the quality of the laser beam and its ability to be controlled typically diminish with each pulse, resulting in unpredictable shapes, which is ultimately unusable trying to recreate specific conditions.
This is where the new automation system kicks in, which shapes that low-powered beam before it’s amplified. It also allows users to deposit energy on samples with more consistency, resulting in more operational efficiency and data reliability.
To that end, with the newly increased power and accuracy, the scientists can now start exploring material much further away than they could before and plan to explore materials found on Mars sometime in the near future.
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