Discovery of New Form of Ice, Could Change Our Understanding, of Distant Water-Rich Planets.
Researchers at NLV have discovered a new
form of ice that redefines the properties
of water at extremely high pressure. .
SciTechDaily reports that there
are at least 20 different forms
of solid ice currently known. .
A team of scientists at UNLV's Nevada Extreme
Conditions Lab has developed a new method for measuring the properties of water under high pressure. .
The team discovered a new intermediate
phase of ice that comes between two
known phases, Ice-VII and Ice-X. .
The new transitional
tetragonal phase
has been named , Ice-VIIx. .
According to SciTechDaily, it is unlikely
that the new phase of ice exists
anywhere on the surface of Earth.
The transitional phase of ice is likely
a common ingredient in the mantle of Earth
as well as in large moons and water-rich planets. .
The transitional phase of ice is likely
a common ingredient in the mantle of Earth
as well as in large moons and water-rich planets. .
The new findings were published on March 17
in the journal 'Physical Review B.'.
Zach Grande, a UNLV Ph.D. student, led the project
which also determined that the transition to Ice-X
occurs at much lower pressures than previously believed. .
Zach Grande, a UNLV Ph.D. student, led the project
which also determined that the transition to Ice-X
occurs at much lower pressures than previously believed. .
Zach’s work has demonstrated that this
transformation to an ionic state occurs
at much, much lower pressures than ever
thought before. It’s the missing piece,
and the most precise measurements
ever on water at these conditions, Ashkan Salamat, UNLV physicist, via SciTechDaily