WHY IT MATTERS

Researchers achieved the highest pressure ever recorded in helium using powerful lasers, revealing how this element behaves inside gas giants. The findings could rewrite models of planetary evolution.
KEY TAKEAWAY

Helium reached 112 gigapascals (GPa), surpassing previous records by 40%
KEY TAKEAWAY

Shockwaves revealed helium's unexpected conductivity changes under pressure
KEY TAKEAWAY

Next step: test hydrogen-helium mixtures at Oak Ridge's Z Machine
KEY TAKEAWAY

These findings may solve decades-old puzzles about gas giant interiors
KEY FACT

At 112 GPa, helium conducts electricity as well as seawater—completely unlike its inert behavior at normal pressures.
SCIENCELOOP

Scientists Shatter Record with Laser-Driven Helium Compression

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