This animation shows the results of a recent study at SLAC, in which researchers used a powerful beam of electrons to watch gold melt extremely rapidly after being heated by a laser pulse. The data reveal that the melting starts at the surfaces of nanosized grains and the boundaries between them, leading to the formation of pockets of liquid that are surrounded by solid. This mix evolves over time until only liquid is left.
Farrin Abbott/Greg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
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