According to scientists, superionic ice may be contained in the bowels of Uranus and Neptune.
American physicists from Livermore National Laboratory have received a new form of matter called superionic ice. It can be found on icy giant planets such as Uranus or Neptune. This is reported in an article published in the journal Nature Physics.
As you know, water is a simple molecule consisting of only three atoms: two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom, bonded together in a V-shape. When several water molecules come together, their collective structure can change depending on what state they are in. For example, during freezing, they combine into a rigid crystal lattice, which is more spacious and hydrogen ions move freely along it.
The so-called superionic ice was first predicted 30 years ago and is believed to exist on ice-covered planets. Researchers studying the structural properties of water have discovered nearly 20 different forms of ice crystal lattices, with water molecules in configurations ranging from disordered to hexagonal and cubic.
Superionic ice molecules are so densely arranged that their oxygen atoms form a rigid lattice. After that, hydrogen atoms carrying a positive charge freely flow through it like a liquid. And the descending hydrogen ions can also carry an electric current.
To create superionic ice, the researchers sandwiched a cubic modification, called ice VII, between two diamond anvils at 2.5 gigapascals and room temperature, according to a press release from the lab. The pressurized ice then made a cross-country trip in carry-on luggage to reach the University of Rochester's laser energy laboratory in New York. There, the sample was briefly exposed to six ultraviolet rays to create a shock wave. When the wave front propagated in a small area of ice, extreme physical conditions arose that were suitable for a phase transition to a superionic state. The pressure in them reached 100-300 gigapascals. The experiment was eventually recognized as a success.
The properties of the open form of ice explain some of the phenomena on some planets in the solar system, such as Uranus and Neptune. As ice giants, these two planets are believed to carry large amounts of superionic ice in their mantles. In the future, this will probably help explain why they have such unusual magnetic fields.
“When someone begins to test such predictions, it gives hope that the results of the study will make scientists think about the development of new materials,” the researchers concluded.
Promotional video:
GRIGORY PUSHKAREV
