terapascal

Terapascal (symbol: TPa) is a unit of pressure in the International System of Units (SI). It equals 10^12 pascals, or one trillion newtons per square meter. The terapascal is also equal to 1,000 gigapascals or 1,000,000 megapascals. The prefix tera- denotes 10^12, making the terapascal a convenient scale for describing extremely high pressures that exceed laboratory gigapascal ranges.

In scientific use, terapascal-level pressures appear in discussions of planetary and stellar interiors, materials under extreme compression, and high-energy-density physics. In geophysics and planetary science, models of cores and giant planets may involve pressures in the terapascal regime. In materials science, researchers discuss the behavior of substances under ultra-high pressures that would correspond to the terapascal range in certain theoretical or dynamic compression contexts.

Experimental techniques related to ultra-high pressures include static methods such as diamond anvil cells, and dynamic methods such as pulsed-laser compression or shock experiments. While most static laboratory measurements currently reach up to several hundred gigapascals, terapascal pressures are primarily encountered in theoretical studies, simulations, and discussions of extreme physical conditions.

As a decimal SI unit, the terapascal follows standard prefix rules, and its use is confined to specialized scientific literature and contexts where pressures exceed the gigapascal scale.