New Phase of High-Density Ice, 'Ice XIX,' Uncovered in Uranus and Neptune

• 17 Oct 2023

Recently, researchers have achieved a groundbreaking scientific breakthrough by identifying a novel high-density ice phase, referred to as 'Ice XIX,' within the extreme environments of the gas giants Uranus and Neptune.

Key Points

• Challenging Conditions in Uranus and Neptune: Uranus and Neptune, both water-rich gas giants, are characterized by extreme conditions, including pressures up to 2 million times that of Earth's atmosphere and scorching temperatures comparable to the Sun's surface.
• These conditions have posed a challenge for scientific exploration, especially in understanding the unique phases of high-density ice that exist within these planets.
• Replication of Extreme Conditions: Researchers utilized advanced technology at the Linac Coherent Light Source's Matter at Extreme Conditions instrument, a powerful X-ray laser facility, to replicate the intense conditions found within Uranus and Neptune.
• Discovery of Ice XIX: Under these extreme conditions, the researchers uncovered the existence of a previously unknown ice phase, 'Ice XIX.'
• Ice XIX exhibits a distinctive body-centred cubic (BCC) lattice arrangement, with densely packed oxygen atoms within the structure while hydrogen atoms move freely, behaving like a fluid.
• This unique property significantly enhances the material's electrical conductivity.
• Relevance to Magnetic Fields: The discovery of Ice XIX has the potential to offer an explanation for the perplexing magnetic fields detected by NASA's Voyager II spacecraft during its missions to Uranus and Neptune.
• These magnetic fields have long puzzled scientists, and the enhanced electrical conductivity of superionic ice states has been considered as a possible explanation.