Conditions in the vast universe can be quite extreme: Violent collisions scar the surfaces of planets. Nuclear reactions in bright stars generate tremendous amounts of energy. Gigantic explosions catapult matter far out into space. But how exactly do processes like these unfold? What do they tell us about the universe? And could their power be harnessed for the benefit of humankind? To find out, researchers from the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory perform sophisticated experiments and computer simulations that recreate violent cosmic conditions on a small scale in the lab. Three recent studies exemplify this approach, shining light on meteor impacts, the cores of giant planets and cosmic particle accelerators a million times more powerful than the Large Hadron Collider, the largest particle racetrack on Earth. http://phys.org/news/2016-04-slac-recreate-extreme-universe-lab.html
"Metallic" hydrogen may be an electrical conductor as the article says, but as far as we know, does not undergo a transition to superconductor. But if it did, that might make for some interesting celestial dynamics with any iron moons or approaching spacecraft.
