Only recently an article has been published in the reputable journal Carbon with our colleague Dr. Tatyana Shumilova, Russian Academy of Sciences, as first author and Dr. M.A, Rappenglück from our CIRT research group as one of the co-authors:
T. Shumilova, S.N. Tkachev, S. Isaenko, S. Shevchuk, M.A. Rappenglück & V.A. Kazakov (2016): A “diamond-like star” in the lab. Diamond-like glass. –
The article addresses lab experiments and the discussion on the possible existence of diamond stars and on basic properties of carbon-rich planets and stars and considers the behavior of carbon and oxygen under extreme PT-conditions. As has been reported earlier on this website, our CIRT research group has for some time past been confronted with similar questions and spectacular finds of peculiar carbon allotropes in the Chiemgau impact strewn field which require extreme pressures and extreme temperatures for formation.
ABSTRACT: Tantalizing information about a possible existence of diamond stars has recently refocused attention of the scientific community on the basic properties of carbon-rich planets and stars. Since the carbon-rich star types are known for a usual presence of oxygen, it is not clear how carbon and oxygen can co-exist under extreme PT-conditions at a C/O < 1 atomic ratio. Therefore, the significance of the fact that the “star” PT-conditions (7,000–13,000 K, 40 GPa) have been reached and sustained for a relatively long period of time in the oxygen-rich medium of the continuously laser heated diamond anvil cell, resulting in an optically transparent carbon glass (diamond-like glass) and, subsequently, oxygen-rich solid carbon synthesis, is hard to overestimate. Moreover, our results suggest that pure carbon can co-exist with oxygen under the extreme PT-conditions and have potential to open up a new technological way for production of novel super-refractory alloys and materials.