PLASTIC ICE

Last Updated on 15th March, 2025
8 minutes, 2 seconds

Description

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Context

The discovery of Plastic Ice VII using neutron scattering experiments highlights how water behaves under extreme planetary conditions influencing planetary science, space exploration & high-pressure material research.

Key Highlights

Scientists have confirmed existence of Plastic Ice VII unique high pressure phase of water where molecules rotate freely within rigid crystalline structure.

Forms at pressures exceeding 3 GPa (30,000 times Earth atmospheric pressure) & temperatures above 450 K (177°C).

Initially theorized in 2008 its existence was verified using quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) & diamond-anvil cell experiments.

Found in extreme planetary environments such as deep within icy moons of Jupiter (Ganymede, Callisto) & Saturn (Titan) reshaping understanding of water role in space.

Insights from Plastic Ice VII could impact materials science, planetary exploration, high-pressure technology development.

Suggests that water in extreme conditions behaves in more complex ways than previously known influencing models of exoplanets & celestial body structures.

What is Plastic Ice VII?

Plastic Ice VII is an exotic phase of ice that behaves as hybrid between solid ice & liquid water.

It forms under extreme high-pressure & high-temperature conditions where water molecules remain in fixed crystalline structure but can rotate freely similar to liquid molecules. This unique property makes it more malleable, hence term plastic ice.

Formation Conditions

Pressure: Above 30,000 bars (3 GPa), nearly 30 times the pressure at the deepest point of Earth oceans.

Temperature: Above 177°C (450K)

Crystal Structure: Cubic lattice similar to Ice VII but with rotational molecular movement.

Scientists at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in France used quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) & diamond-anvil cells to analyze high-pressure samples.

Neutron Scattering Technique: A neutron beam was fired at the water sample & scientists measured how neutrons lost or gained energy based on molecular motion.

Molecules in Plastic Ice VII rotated in jerky manner constantly breaking & reforming hydrogen bonds rather than rotating smoothly.

Jupiter & Saturn icy moons (e.g. Europa, Ganymede, Titan) may have contained Plastic Ice VII during their early evolution. This phase could still exist in deep oceans of exoplanets with high-pressure environments.

If Plastic Ice VII can incorporate salts into its structure it may influence ocean chemistry on alien worlds. Could provide insights into nutrient cycles in extraterrestrial oceans.

May help in designing high-pressure-resistant materials. Potential applications in futuristic pressure-based technology.

Quasi-Elastic Neutron Scattering (QENS)

QENS is technique used to study the motion of molecules at the atomic scale particularly useful for analyzing diffusion, rotations, vibrations.

neutron beam is fired at the sample. As neutrons scatter off the water molecules they either gain or lose energy depending on movement of the molecules.

By measuring energy changes scientists can determine how molecules move, rotate or vibrate in given phase of ice.

Moons of Jupiter & Saturn

Jupiter’s Moons

Key Features

Potential for Plastic Ice VII

Europa

Subsurface ocean, thin ice crust, strong tidal forces

High pressure beneath ice layer may have hosted Plastic Ice VII in the past

Ganymede

Largest moon, has a magnetic field, deep internal ocean

Likely had Plastic Ice VII during early evolution

Callisto

Oldest, heavily cratered surface, underground ocean suspected

Potential for deep high-pressure layers with exotic ice phases

Saturn’s Moons

Key Features

Potential for Plastic Ice VII

Titan

Thick atmosphere, lakes of methane and ethane, suspected underground ocean

Deep ocean could have regions of high pressure forming Plastic Ice VII

Enceladus

Ice-covered surface, geysers ejecting water vapor, strong evidence of a subsurface ocean

Possible deep layers where Plastic Ice VII existed

Dione

Tectonic features, potential underground ocean

Could have transient phases of Plastic Ice VII

Exoplanets

Exoplanets (or extrasolar planets) are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system.

They are found in distant star systems & can have wide range of characteristics from rocky Earth-like planets to gas giants larger than Jupiter.

Type

Description

Terrestrial (Rocky) Exoplanets

Earth-like planets with solid surfaces (e.g., Proxima Centauri b)

Gas Giants

Large planets with thick atmospheres of hydrogen & helium (e.g., WASP-12b)

Super-Earths

Planets larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune, possibly rocky or icy (e.g., Kepler-22b)

Mini-Neptunes

Smaller versions of Neptune with thick atmospheres (e.g., K2-18b)

Ocean Worlds

Planets covered by deep oceans, possibly with subsurface ice (e.g., Europa-like exoplanets)

Rogue Planets

Planets that don’t orbit a star and drift in space (e.g., CFBDSIR 2149-0403)

Why is it Called Plastic Ice VII?

Plastic Behavior

Unlike normal ice Plastic Ice VII has a structure that is both solid & deformable.

The water molecules are locked in a fixed crystalline lattice (like a solid) but they can rotate freely (like a liquid).

This makes it more malleable & adaptable similar to plastics which can be reshaped without breaking.

The new phase is modified version of Ice VII known high-pressure ice phase.

Ice VII forms under extreme pressure (above 20,000 bars) & has dense cubic structure where molecules are tightly packed.

In Plastic Ice VII cubic structure is maintained but molecules start rotating making it hybrid phase between solid & liquid.

Property

Ice VII

Plastic Ice VII

Molecular Motion

Fixed, no rotation

Free rotation, like in liquids

Structure

Rigid cubic lattice

Cubic lattice, but molecules rotate

Pressure Needed

> 20,000 bars

> 30,000 bars

Temperature Needed

0 - 100°C

177 - 326°C

Flexibility

Hard, brittle

Soft, moldable (plastic-like)

Sources:

NEWS X

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Discuss importance of discovery of Plastic Ice VII in understanding water behavior under extreme conditions & its implications for planetary science & materials research.

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