Dynamic compression of water to conditions in ice giant interiors

A E Gleason; D R Rittman; C A Bolme; E Galtier; H J Lee; E Granados; S Ali; A Lazicki; D Swift; P Celliers; B Militzer; S Stanley; W L Mao

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-04687-6

Dynamic compression of water to conditions in ice giant interiors

Sci Rep. 2022 Jan 13;12(1):715. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-04687-6.

Authors

A E Gleason^{1

2}, D R Rittman³, C A Bolme⁴, E Galtier⁵, H J Lee⁵, E Granados⁵, S Ali⁶, A Lazicki⁶, D Swift⁶, P Celliers⁶, B Militzer⁷, S Stanley^{8

9}, W L Mao³

Affiliations

¹ Fundamental Physics Directorate, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA. ariannag@stanford.edu.
² Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. ariannag@stanford.edu.
³ Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
⁴ Shock and Detonation Physics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
⁵ Linac Coherent Light Source, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA.
⁶ Shock Physics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA.
⁷ Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
⁸ Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
⁹ Applied Physics Lab, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD, 20723, USA.

Abstract

Recent discoveries of water-rich Neptune-like exoplanets require a more detailed understanding of the phase diagram of H₂O at pressure-temperature conditions relevant to their planetary interiors. The unusual non-dipolar magnetic fields of ice giant planets, produced by convecting liquid ionic water, are influenced by exotic high-pressure states of H₂O-yet the structure of ice in this state is challenging to determine experimentally. Here we present X-ray diffraction evidence of a body-centered cubic (BCC) structured H₂O ice at 200 GPa and ~ 5000 K, deemed ice XIX, using the X-ray Free Electron Laser of the Linac Coherent Light Source to probe the structure of the oxygen sub-lattice during dynamic compression. Although several cubic or orthorhombic structures have been predicted to be the stable structure at these conditions, we show this BCC ice phase is stable to multi-Mbar pressures and temperatures near the melt boundary. This suggests variable and increased electrical conductivity to greater depths in ice giant planets that may promote the generation of multipolar magnetic fields.

Abstract

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