Physicists discover three new complex ice forms including ice XXI and plastic ice VII
Updated
Updated · Quanta Magazine · Apr 27
Physicists discover three new complex ice forms including ice XXI and plastic ice VII
10 articles · Updated · Quanta Magazine · Apr 27
Researchers at KRISS, LLNL, and the University of Tokyo identified ice XXI with 152 molecules, ice XXII with 304 molecules, and plastic ice VII using advanced X-ray and neutron techniques.
These metastable ice phases reveal unexpected molecular structures and support Ostwald’s step rule, which explains how water transitions between phases under extreme conditions rather than always seeking the most stable state.
The discoveries deepen understanding of water’s behavior in extreme environments, such as icy planetary cores, and may impact fields from planetary science to pharmaceutical manufacturing by illustrating the complexity of phase transitions.
How can understanding bizarre new ice forms lead to better life-saving drugs?
Could newly found 'plastic ice' explain the mysterious cores of distant icy planets?
Why does the simple water molecule create the most complex crystals ever seen?
What new laser technology finally allowed scientists to see water's most hidden secrets?
Do the intricate patterns in these new ice forms hide a type of natural code?
Did Earth's vast oceans actually originate from deep within its molten core?