Laser-heated diamond anvil cell experiments at high pressure: Melting curve of nickel up to 700 kbar

Laser-heated experiments in a diamond anvil cell have been performed on high pressure melting of nickel up to 700 kbar. The laser heating system consists of diamond anvil cell, Nd:YAG and argon lasers, spectrograph with diode array, computer with software, CCD camera with monitor and optics. Experiments on melting of tungsten, nickel and platinum at 1 bar outside the diamond anvil cell and melting of nickel below 80 kbar in the cell were carried out to check the system for pressure and temperature measurements. The results show that for solid pressure medium the uncertainties in measurements of pressure at the experimental spot vary between ±5 kbar at 100 kbar and ±25 kbar at 660 kbar. Spectroradiometrically determined temperature is reliable within ±70 K. Melting was detected in situ by visual observation. The melting point of nickel at 660 kbar has been found to be 2557 ±66 K.