Abstract
Time-resolved x-ray diffraction (XRD) of compressed liquid water shows transformation to ice VII in 6 nsec, revealing crystallization rather than amorphous solidification during compression freezing. Application of classical nucleation theory indicates heterogeneous nucleation and one-dimensional (e.g., needlelike) growth. These first XRD data demonstrate rapid growth kinetics of ice VII with implications for fundamental physics of diffusion-mediated crystallization and thermodynamic modeling of collision or impact events on ice-rich planetary bodies.
- Received 24 March 2017
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.025701
© 2017 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Synopsis
Instant-Freeze Water
Published 11 July 2017
Laser pulses can turn liquid water into an exotic type of ice within a few nanoseconds.
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