General information
What is high pressure?
FORCE provides machines that can simulate conditions that are not directly observable, such as the interiors of planets. All of FORCE’s equipment allows scientists to conduct experiments at “high pressure”, meaning pressures higher than what we experience on the surface of the Earth.
Pressure is a powerful variable that is used in many disciplines, including Earth, planetary, and materials sciences. What can pressure do? Consider a diamond: sparkly, transparent, and valued because it is very strong. A diamond’s strength comes from its internal structure—meaning the arrangement of the carbon atoms that make up the diamond. On Earth’s surface, most raw carbon is black and crumbly (think of graphite). Deep in the earth, where the pressure (and temperature) is much higher than on Earth’s surface, these extreme conditions change how that same carbon is arranged on a microscopic level. These microscopic changes in internal structure are what give a diamond its valued characteristics. At FORCE, we can place samples under the same kind of extreme conditions.
About high pressure
Who uses high pressure?
FORCE’s equipment allows us to create the extremely high pressures and temperatures that are present miles beneath the surface of the Earth. These extreme experimental conditions help us explore environments and arrangements of atoms that are not directly observable in nature.
For Earth scientists, high pressure experiments allow for an understanding of the ingredients that make up our planet. In turn, this gives us clues about how Earth and other planets were made and how they might have changed over time. Planetary scientists can also simulate conditions beneath the surface of other planets, from Mars to planets outside our solar system, called “exoplanets”. For materials scientists, high pressure experiments are used to create new materials that have the potential to revolutionize American industry. FORCE offers experimental methods that can help researchers from fields such as semiconductor manufacturing and quantum materials.
High pressure at FORCE
There are many high-pressure research facilities located across the United States, and even a couple here at Arizona State University. However, FORCE offers a collection of equipment that is unique in the Americas.
Each of FORCE’s primary apparatuses — “Ichiban,” “Jasmine,” “Twister,” and “Nebula” — have specialized capabilities, including tension/stress at high pressure, simulation of volcanic systems, and the possibility of reaching a projected maximum experimental pressure of over 60 gigapascals. To put that into context, the pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the ocean, is just 0.1 gigapascals. FORCE is breaking new ground for the United States in high pressure science, and we are excited to see what the scientists who come from around the world to use FORCE will discover.