Versatile gas-loading system for diamond-anvil cells

A gas-loading system has been constructed to load diamond-anvil cells with various kinds of high-pressure gases at room temperature. The gases either serve as hydrostatic pressure media or samples by themselves. The present high-pressure vessel can accommodate various types of diamond-anvil cells simply by changing the holder. The system has been used successfully for high-pressure powder x-ray diffraction experiments with a helium-pressure medium. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.