Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 21, 2026

A Microfluidic Approach for the Study of Ice and Clathrate Hydrate Crystallization
Published on: August 18, 2022
Liquid-like behavior of UV-irradiated interstellar ice analog at low temperatures
Shogo Tachibana1, Akira Kouchi2, Tetsuya Hama2
1Department of Natural History Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan.
Abstract:
Interstellar ice is believed to be a cradle of complex organic compounds, commonly found within icy comets and interstellar clouds, in association with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and subsequent warming. We found that UV-irradiated amorphous ices composed of H2O, CH3OH, and NH3 and of pure H2O behave like liquids over the temperature ranges of 65 to 150 kelvin and 50 to 140 kelvin, respectively. This low-viscosity liquid-like ice may enhance the formation of organic compounds including prebiotic molecules and the accretion of icy dust to form icy planetesimals under certain interstellar conditions.
Related Concept Videos
Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition
Comparing Intermolecular Forces: Melting Point, Boiling Point, and Miscibility
Temporary attractive forces like dispersion are present in all molecules, whether they are polar or nonpolar. They...
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing
Sublimation
Molecular and Ionic Solids
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
Molecular Comparison of Gases, Liquids, and Solids

