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- The researchers theorize that, under the right conditions, carbon-rich exoplanets could generate huge amounts of diamonds below their surface.
- The recipe that includes heat, pressure, carbon, water, and time results in diamonds, and some planets are likely to have the correct combination.
- These planets are most likely not habitable, but they are worth visiting for their resources.
Earth has many resources. The most valuable ones help us stay alive and allowed life to exist on this planet in the first place, but some other resources like precious metals and gems are relatively rare. The cost of these resources reflects that scarcity, but the same may not be true on other worlds. In fact, some planets can be packed with resources that we consider rare.
A new study by researchers at Arizona State University and the University of Chicago has revealed that it is possible for carbon-rich exoplanets to essentially turn into huge diamond spheres floating through space.
As the researchers explain, the probability that a planet is something like a massive diamond is based entirely on the composition of the stars that orbit. Planets that orbit carbon-rich stars are more likely to be made of carbon, mainly because the material that makes up a star is also often responsible for forming the planets that eventually orbit it.
The other key to creating a “diamond exoplanet” is water. Water is abundant on Earth, but it is also believed to be quite common in the cosmos as a whole. Water, carbon and pressure, which the planets would have a lot thanks to gravity, could cause the interior of these plants to fill with diamonds.
The researchers tested their theory by placing silicon carbide in a very high pressure situation. They placed it in water and then compressed it with diamond “anvils” to increase the stress on the carbon, then heated it with a laser to mimic conditions inside a carbon-rich planet. The heat, pressure, water, and carbon formula worked, and the result was diamonds and silica.
One big clue the researchers are quick to point to in their study published in The Journal of Planetary Sciences is that these planets, while attractive, would definitely not be hospitable to life as we know it. The high concentration of carbon would inhibit geological activity and, it is believed, would lead to an inhospitable atmosphere. However, these planets could be targets for human exploration when it comes to resources.
“Regardless of habitability, this is an additional step to help us understand and characterize our ever-increasing and improved observations of exoplanets,” said Harrison Allen-Sutter, lead author of the study, in a statement. “The more we learn, the better we can interpret new data from upcoming future missions such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the Roman Nancy Grace Space Telescope to understand worlds beyond our own solar system. “
Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering the latest news and trends in virtual reality, wearable devices, smartphones, and future technology. Most recently, Mike served as a technology editor at The Daily Dot and has been featured in USA Today, Time.com, and many other print and web media. His love of reporting is second only to his addiction to games.
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