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Updated: Nov 12, 2025
08:55
Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
Published on: June 7, 2018
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MgO surface lattice phonons observation during interstellar ice transition
A Chavarría-Sibaja1,2, S Marín-Sosa1,2, E Bolaños-Jiménez2,3
1Escuela de Física, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, San José, 2060, Costa Rica.
Scientific Reports
|March 18, 2021
Summary
Researchers explored water ice phase transitions using a novel microcantilever sensor and electron diffraction. This study quantifies phonons during ice structural changes, offering insights into materials science and astrobiology.
Area of Science:
- Solid-state physics
- Astrobiology
- Materials science
Background:
- Understanding water ice phases is crucial for planetary science and astrobiology.
- Previous research has focused on various experimental methods to study ice phases.
- The dynamics of structural phase transitions in ice, especially under extraterrestrial conditions, require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamics of the structural phase transition in water ice at 185 K.
- To quantify the phonon contribution during this transition.
- To assess the application of a microcantilever sensor for mapping surface stress in ice.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a (100)-oriented Magnesium Oxide (MgO) lattice surface as a microcantilever sensor.
- Employed coherent elastic scattering of electron diffraction to study ice dynamics.
- Applied quantum computing tools to estimate phonon quantities.
- Used the Williamson-Hall model for analyzing surface stress.
Main Results:
- Successfully studied the dynamics of the structural phase transition in water ice at 185 K.
- Estimated the phonon contribution to the transition, with a maximum value of 1.23 ± 0.02.
- Demonstrated unambiguous mapping of surface stress induced by the c → p structural phase transition in interstellar ice.
Conclusions:
- The developed microcantilever sensor is an efficient tool for characterizing surface mechanical strains in materials.
- This method has potential applications ranging from interstellar ice and glaciers to broader solid-state physics.
- The study provides novel insights into the physical properties of water ice relevant to both Earth and space science.
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