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Venture into Water's No Man's Land: Structural Transformations of Solid H_{2}O under Rapid Compression and
Chuanlong Lin1, Jesse S Smith2, Xuqiang Liu1,3
1Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research, Shanghai 201203, China.
Physical Review Letters
|December 15, 2018
Summary
This study reveals a new high-density noncrystalline (HDN) ice phase formed under rapid compression, challenging previous models of amorphous ice transitions. The findings highlight the critical role of compression rate and temperature in ice phase formation.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
- Condensed Matter Physics
Background:
- Amorphous ice formation and transitions (LDA to HDA) were thought to be kinetically controlled below a crossover temperature (Tc).
- Above Tc, crystalline-crystalline transitions and crystallization of amorphous ices were considered dominant.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pressure-induced phase transitions of ice under varying compression rates.
- To explore the formation of noncrystalline ice phases above the crossover temperature (Tc).
Main Methods:
- High-pressure experiments involving rapid compression and decompression of ice I_c.
- Observation and characterization of resulting ice phases using structural analysis.
Main Results:
- A novel high-density noncrystalline (HDN) phase was formed from ice I_c above Tc under rapid compression, bypassing crystalline transitions.
- Rapid decompression of HDN above Tc yielded a low-density noncrystalline (LDN) phase, which spontaneously crystallized into ice I_c.
- Slow decompression of HDN resulted in direct crystallization.
Conclusions:
- Ice phase transitions are influenced by a dynamic interplay of compression/decompression rate, energy barriers, and temperature.
- The crossover temperature exhibits an exponential relationship with the threshold compression rate.
- These findings offer crucial insights into the dynamic properties of ice phase transitions.