Planets with possibility of having Oceans of 'Diamonds'
Going by their oceans of diamonds, Uranus and Neptune can be called filthy rich. A research conducted a few years back, confirmed the long held suspicions of the scientists as to the possibility of the two planets having oceans of diamonds.
According to the paper, which was published in Nature Physics, a detailed experiment was conducted, with a focus on the melting point of diamonds. It so happens that when melted, diamonds start behaving like water, where solid form floats atop the liquid. While it may sound simple, the melting process is extremely difficult as diamonds turn into graphite after being heated at a very high temperature, and the challenge was to melt the diamonds without turning them to graphite. To tackle this problem, the diamonds which were exposed to high temperatures were blasted with lasers! The pressure at which the diamonds were liquefied, was 40 million times greater than that found at earth's sea level.
Both Uranus and Neptune are made up of 10% carbon, and also there's an interesting 'anomaly'. Their geographic and magnetic poles' relation is quite different from our Earth's, and the subsequent deviation of the poles may well be attributed to the diamond studded ocean. As of now, researchers are busy assessing about the possibility of diamond rains on the surface of both the planets, and their experiments show that it is very likely! Well, now you know about the two luckiest planets in our solar system, strutting around their respective orbits with all their bling.
Post Written by - Lopamudra
Post Written by - Lopamudra
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