Slashdot Mirror
X-ray Facility To Simulate Conditions At Earth's Core
Diggester sends this quote from an article at the BBC:
"The ID24 beam line at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility will use X-ray beams to subject iron and other materials to extraordinary temperatures and pressures. How the X-rays are absorbed should give insight into the mysterious processes going on at and near the Earth's core. For example, the work could unravel why the Earth's magnetic field can 'flip.' ... The samples are compressed at a pressure millions of times higher than that on the Earth's surface. High-power lasers are then fired through the diamonds at the samples, heating them to higher than 10,000C. Then X-rays are used as a probe to determine the precise composition and chemistry of samples."
Press release at http://www.esrf.eu/news/general/inauguration-ID24/index_html/
This post contains no rudeness or derision of any kind. All arguments are friendly. Terms and exclusions may apply.
The summary makes its seem like they're using the X-rays to do the heating and compressing when in reality the material is compressed in a diamond anvil cell. The X-rays are used to study how the material changes under heat and pressure. The original article makes the same mistake.
If I disagree with you it's because you are wrong.