Experimental evidence for superionic water ice using shock compression
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); University of California Berkeley
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of Rochester, Rochester, NY (United States)
- Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
In stark contrast to common ice, Ih, water ice at planetary interior conditions has been predicted to become superionic with fast- diffusing (that is, liquid-like) hydrogen ions moving within a solid lattice of oxygen. Likely to constitute a large fraction of icy giant planets, this extraordinary phase has not been observed in the laboratory. Here, we report laser-driven shock-compression experiments on water ice VII. Using time-resolved optical pyrometry and laser velocimetry measurements as well as sup- porting density functional theory–molecular dynamics (DFT-MD) simulations, we document the shock equation of state of H2O to unprecedented extreme conditions and unravel thermodynamic signatures showing that ice melts near 5,000 K at 190 GPa. Furthermore, optical reflectivity and absorption measurements also demonstrate the low electronic conductivity of ice, which, combined with previous measurements of the total electrical conductivity under reverberating shock compression, provides experimental evidence for superionic conduction in water ice at planetary interior conditions, verifying a 30-year-old prediction.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- Contributing Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California Berkeley, University of Rochester
- Grant/Contract Number:
- NA0002729
- OSTI ID:
- 1542614
- Journal Information:
- Nature Physics, Journal Name: Nature Physics Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 14; ISSN 1745-2473
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing Group (NPG)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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