Super-ionic ice is both black and hot: Strange state of water may exist in a planet's core

Most of us know the three solid, liquid, and gaseous forms of liquids. But depending on the conditions, water can take on strange structures and unusual properties. Using a new test, scientists have discovered yet another state of water, which they call superionic ice .

This type of ice forms under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure , similar to the deep underground points of Neptune and Uranus. Previously, scientists had only speculated on the existence of superionic ice, seeing it form when witnessing a shock wave traveling through a drop of water. Now, scientists have been able to create superionic ice, while maintaining its state of existence for direct analysis.

This type of ice forms under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure.

' It's surprising indeed. Everyone thought that this state would not occur [at the pressure of the new experiment] ', said study co-author Vitali Prakapenka. ' But we were able to record the properties of the new ice in detail, identifying a new state of matter, thanks to the help of a series of powerful tools '.

Whether the scientific eye can look back to the past, peek at the beginning of the Universe or see the particles that make up matter with our own eyes, we still don't know what wonders lie beneath our feet. Under the great pressure and huge amount of heat, the drills disappeared like a dream of exploring the ground. In this deep layer, hard rock hardens like hot plastic, even simple structures like H ₂ O begin to deform.

Because we cannot witness the strange phenomena taking place in the depths, scientists have to simulate those extreme conditions in the laboratory.

The simple structure of water holds a ton of complexities.

Prakapenka and his colleagues pressed water between two layers of diamond - Earth's hardest material to simulate extreme pressure conditions, and then fired a laser at the diamond to heat up the entire assembly. They then used the APS machine, a large accelerator that can shoot electrons at near the speed of light, firing the resulting X-rays at the specimen to determine its internal structure.

The water structure appeared completely different than expected, surprising researcher Prakapenka, who said that it was an unexpected chemical reaction that caused the water structure to be different. But when returned to room temperature and pressure conditions, the ice structure immediately returned to its original state.

' That means the transformation is a round trip, this is a structural change, not a chemical reaction, ' Prakapenka concludes.

The team immediately realized that they were in possession of a new state of matter, and that it had existed long enough to be observed and studied.

' Imagine a cube, the faces of which are latticework of oxygen atoms at the corners joined by hydrogen atoms. When transitioning to a superionic state, the lattice expands to allow the hydrogen atom to move freely, but still leaves the oxygen atom in place, ' says researcher Prakapenka.

The properties of matter change: it is less dense, but much darker because the way superionic ice interacts with light has changed. However, that is not all the properties of superionic ice. ' This is a new form of matter, its behavior will also be similar to new matter, most likely it will be different from what we thought, ' Mr. Prakapenka said.

Diamonds and X-rays have helped scientists identify new forms of matter.

The finding is surprising because scientists have long predicted this state of matter, with most simulations suggesting it won't appear before the pressure reaches 50 gigapascals. However, even at a pressure of 20 gigapascals, superionic ice formed.

Determining the exact conditions for the formation of matter will help the process of mapping the structure of the earth, and can even help us recognize signs of extraterrestrial life. According to scientists, the same phenomenon can occur not only in Neptune and Uranus, but also in many other objects with rough rocky surfaces.

Superionic ice also plays a role in regulating Earth's magnetic field , which is crucial to supporting life on Earth; The strong magnetic field will block harmful radiation coming from the Universe, preventing the Earth from turning into a desert like Mars or Mercury. By knowing the geological conditions that make up the magnetic field, scientists can apply this knowledge in projects to find planets that support life.

According to researcher Prakapenka, there are still many other aspects of superionic rocks that have not been studied, such as electrical conductivity, plasticity, chemical stability, and possible changes when interacting with salts. or other minerals, etc. ' This success will set the stage for many other studies ', said Mr. Prakapenka.