In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have confirmed the existence of Plastic Ice VII, an unusual phase of water that may be present on distant planets. This newly identified form of ice has long been theorized but had never been observed until now.
Scientists Successfully Create Plastic Ice VII
An international team of scientists at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in France successfully created Plastic Ice VII under extreme laboratory conditions. The experiment involved subjecting water to 6 gigapascals of pressure (60,000 times Earth’s atmospheric pressure) and heating it to 327°C (620°F). Under these extreme conditions, the water transformed into a solid phase while maintaining dynamic hydrogen molecules.
The study, published in Nature, confirms that Plastic Ice VII is distinct from conventional ice, liquid, and gas. Its hydrogen atoms remain mobile, creating a phase that is both solid and fluid-like at the same time.
Breakthrough Experiment Confirms Plastic Ice VII
To verify the existence of Plastic Ice VII, researchers used a technique called quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS), which tracks atomic movement, particularly hydrogen behavior. The findings support a 17-year-old theoretical prediction, proving that hydrogen molecules in Plastic Ice VII rotate uniquely under high-pressure conditions.
Unique Properties of Plastic Ice VII
The characteristics of Plastic Ice VII make it unlike any known form of water. Unlike traditional ice, where molecules remain locked in place, Plastic Ice VII allows hydrogen atoms to rotate while staying within a rigid crystal framework. This behavior gives it a “plastic” phase, behaving like both a solid and a liquid simultaneously.
Physicist Maria Rescigno, a co-author of the study, emphasized the importance of this discovery:
“Plastic Ice VII reveals a new aspect of water that challenges our fundamental understanding of its behavior under extreme conditions.”
Could Plastic Ice VII Exist on Other Planets?
Scientists believe that Plastic Ice VII could naturally form in extreme environments found on Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter’s moon Europa. These celestial bodies experience immense pressure and temperatures similar to the conditions required to create Plastic Ice VII, making it a potential component of their internal structure.
“This discovery gives us valuable insights into how water behaves deep inside icy planets and moons,” one of the researchers explained. “Understanding Plastic Ice VII could reshape how we study planetary formation and evolution.”
The Future of Plastic Ice VII in Space Research
The confirmation of Plastic Ice VII opens new possibilities in planetary science and space exploration. Future studies will focus on understanding how Plastic Ice VII transitions back into liquid and whether it exists naturally beyond Earth.
As scientists continue to explore icy exoplanets and moons, studying Plastic Ice VII may provide crucial insights into the role of water in extraterrestrial environments. With ongoing space missions targeting icy worlds, the discovery of Plastic Ice VII could be a major step in understanding planetary systems beyond our own.
