Researchers have observed a form of ice that, although solid, has a molecular structure similar to liquid water. This material, known as medium-density amorphous ice, has no regular molecular structure, unlike crystalline ice that occurs naturally on Earth.
A group of scientists have succeeded in discovering ice whose density is similar to liquid water. This strange ice called MDA orAmorphous ice with medium densityIt is named, it was already found in other forms; But this new form of it is fresh. Christoph Salzmann, a materials specialist at University College London, says:
“We know about 20 crystalline forms of ice, but until now only two main types of amorphous ice, high and low density, had been identified. The accepted belief was that no ice could fit into this density gap. [ولی] “Our study shows that MDA fits exactly in this gap, and this finding could have huge implications for our understanding of liquid water and its many anomalies.”
The new form of ice-water is formed at a very low temperature
To discover MDA, the researchers put regular ice-water in a container with metal balls and shook it. Then its temperature to minus 200 degrees Celsius delivered This method, known as ball milling, can break the mechanical forces of molecules. The mechanism is relatively simple: As the bullets collide, the ice is abraded. As a result, MDA comes in the form of a white powder, which, although it has a solid state, its molecular composition is similar to liquid water Is.
“We shook the ice for a long time and destroyed the crystal structure,” says Alexander Russo-Finzen, a researcher at University College London and one of the researchers of the study. “In the end, instead of dealing with smaller pieces of ice, we realized that we have a new material with remarkable properties.”
The discovery of MDA came with one caveat: when the material turned back into normal ice, a lot the heat Published. Researchers believe that this finding can even be used in investigating the surface ice of different planets, including EuropeJupiter’s moon is also important. The results of this research have been published in Science magazine.
