Using revolutionary new techniques, a team led by Carnegie’s Malcolm
Guthrie has made a striking discovery about how ice behaves under
pressure, changing ideas that date back almost 50 years. Their findings
could alter our understanding of how the water molecule responds to
conditions found deep within planets and could have implications for
energy science. Their work is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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A fragment of the crystal structure of the new ice is shown where
the oxygen atoms are blue and the molecular hydrogen atoms pink.
Hydrogen atoms that have been pulled off the water molecules are colored
gold. These appear to locate in polyhedral voids in the oxygen lattice
(one of which is shaded light grey). Previously, these voids were
believed to remain even after the water molecule breaks up at enormous
pressures. (Credit: Image is provided courtesy of Oak Ridge National
Laboratory) |