Scientists at the University of Okayama have modeled a low-density, porous, lightweight "aero ice" that will allow you to understand what happens to water in extreme conditions. Details of the study can be found in The Journal of Chemical Physics.
Ice is formed as follows: water cools at atmospheric pressure, and its molecules freeze and acquire a solid crystalline hexagonal shape.
However, not all ice adopts this hexagonal structure. Different pressures and temperatures allow water to take on different forms at the molecular level. Hexagonal and cubic ice forms naturally in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Other forms of ice can be found on exoplanets or in the atmospheres of outer planets.
In a new study, scientists used molecular dynamics to analyze the crystal structures of ice based on zeolites (minerals).
“We played molecular Jenga by removing the zeolite structures of the ice to make them lighter and find a new type of ice,” said study author Masakazu Matsumoto.
Scientists have modeled over 300 different nanostructures and evaluated how stable they are at low pressures. Aeroled proved to be stable at 0 degrees Kelvin (-273 ° C) and became more unstable as temperatures increased. In addition, the new ice is porous and lightweight.
The results of the study help to understand how water molecules behave in extreme conditions.