High-pressure elastic properties of the VI and VII phase of ice in dense H2O and D2O

Time-domain Brillouin scattering for evaluation of materials interface inclination: Application to photoacoustic imaging of crystal destruction upon non-hydrostatic compression

Time-domain Brillouin scattering (TDBS) is a developing technique for imaging/evaluation of materials, currently used in material science and biology. Three-dimensional imaging and characterization of polycrystalline materials has been recently reported, demonstrating evaluation of inclined material boundaries. Here, the TDBS technique is applied to monitor the destruction of a lithium niobate single crystal upon non-hydrostatic compression in a diamond anvil cell. The 3D TDBS experiments reveal, among others, modifications of the single crystal plate with initially plane-parallel surfaces, caused by non-hydrostatic compression, the laterally inhomogeneous variations of the plate thickness and relative inclination of opposite surfaces. Our experimental observations, supported by theoretical interpretation, indicate that TDBS enables the evaluation of materials interface orientation/inclination locally, from single point measurements, avoiding interface profilometry. A variety of observations reported in this paper paves the way to further expansion of the TDBS imaging use to analyze fascinating processes/phenomena occurring when materials are subjected to destruction.

Interferometric measurements of refractive index and dispersion at high pressure

We describe a high precision interferometer system to measure the pressure dependence of the refractive index and its dispersion in the diamond anvil cell (DAC). The reflective Fabry-Perot fringe patterns created by both a white light and a monochromatic beam are recorded to determine both the sample thickness and its index at the laser wavelength and to characterize the dispersion in the visible range. Advances in sample preparation, optical setup, and data analysis enable us to achieve [Formula: see text] random uncertainty, demonstrated with an air sample, a factor of five improvement over the best previous DAC measurement. New data on [Formula: see text] liquid water and ice VI up to 2.21 GPa at room temperature illustrate how higher precision measurements of the index and its optical dispersion open up new opportunities to reveal subtle changes in the electronic structure of water at high pressure.

Local-Basis-Function Equation of State for Ice VII–X to 450 GPa at 300 K

Helmholtz energy of ice VII–X is determined in a pressure regime extending to 450 GPa at 300 K using local-basis-functions in the form of b-splines. The new representation for the equation of state is embedded in a physics-based inverse theory framework of parameter estimation. Selected pressures as a function of volume from 14 prior experimental studies and two theoretical studies constrain the behavior of Helmholtz energy. Separately measured bulk moduli, not used to construct the representation, are accurately replicated below about 20 GPa and above 60 GPa. In the intermediate range of pressure, the experimentally determined moduli are larger and have greater scatter than values predicted using the Helmholtz representation. Although systematic error in the determination of elastic moduli is possible and likely, the alternative hypothesis is a slow relaxation time associated with changes in proton mobility or the ice VII to X transition. A correlation is observed between anomalies in the pressure derivative of the predicted bulk modulus and previously suggested higher-order phase transitions. Improved determinations of elastic properties at high pressure would allow refinement of the current equation of state. More generally, the current method of data assimilation is broadly applicable to other materials in high-pressure studies and for investigations of planetary interiors.

Compression Freezing Kinetics of Water to Ice VII

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.

Outcomes of the collapse of a large bubble in water at high ambient pressures

Presented here are observations of the outcomes of the collapses of large single bubbles in H_{2}O and D_{2}O at high ambient pressures. Experiments were carried out in a high-pressure spherical resonator at ambient pressures of up to 30 MPa and acoustic pressures up to 35 MPa. Monitoring of the collapse events and their outcomes was accomplished using multiframe high-speed photography. Among the observations to be presented are the temporal and spatial evolution of light emissions produced by the collapse events, which were observed to last on the order of 30 ns and have time independent radii on the order of 30μm; the production of Rayleigh-Taylor jets which were observed to travel distances of up to 70μm at speeds in excess of 4500 m/s; the entrainment of the light emitting regions in the jets' remnants; the production of spheroidal objects around the collapse points of the bubbles, far from any surface of the resonator; and the traversal and emergence of the Rayleigh-Taylor jets through the spherical objects. These spheroidal objects appear to behave as amorphous solids and form at locations where hydrodynamics predicts pressures in excess of the known transition pressures of water into the high-pressure crystalline ices, Ice-VI and Ice-VII.

Deformation Twinning of a Silver Nanocrystal under High Pressure

Within a high-pressure environment, crystal deformation is controlled by complex processes such as dislocation motion, twinning, and phase transitions, which change materials' microscopic morphology and alter their properties. Understanding a crystal's response to external stress provides a unique opportunity for rational tailoring of its functionalities. It is very challenging to track the strain evolution and physical deformation from a single nanoscale crystal under high-pressure stress. Here, we report an in situ three-dimensional mapping of morphology and strain evolutions in a single-crystal silver nanocube within a high-pressure environment using the Bragg Coherent Diffractive Imaging (CDI) method. We observed a continuous lattice distortion, followed by a deformation twining process at a constant pressure. The ability to visualize stress-introduced deformation of nanocrystals with high spatial resolution and prominent strain sensitivity provides an important route for interpreting and engineering novel properties of nanomaterials.

P-ρ-T measurements of H2O up to 260 GPa under laser-driven shock loading

Pressure, density, and temperature data for H2O were obtained up to 260 GPa by using laser-driven shock compression technique. The shock compression technique combined with the diamond anvil cell was used to assess the equation of state models for the P-ρ-T conditions for both the principal Hugoniot and the off-Hugoniot states. The contrast between the models allowed for a clear assessment of the equation of state models. Our P-ρ-T data totally agree with those of the model based on quantum molecular dynamics calculations. These facts indicate that this model is adopted as the standard for modeling interior structures of Neptune, Uranus, and exoplanets in the liquid phase in the multi-Mbar range.

Porous ice phases with VI and distorted VII structures constrained in nanoporous silica

High-pressure compression of water contained in nanoporous silica allowed fabrication of novel porous ice phases as a function of pressure. The starting liquid nanoporous H2O transformed to ice VI and VII at 1.7 and 2.5 GPa, respectively, which are 0.6 and 0.4 GPa higher than commonly accepted pressures for bulk H2O. The continuous increase of pressure drives the formation of a tetragonally distorted VII structure with the space group I4mm, rather than a cubic Pn3m phase in bulk ice. The enhanced incompressibility of the tetragonal ice is related to the unique nanoporous configuration, and the distortion ratio c/a gradually increases with increasing pressure. The structural changes and enhanced thermodynamic stability may be interpreted by the two-dimensional distribution of silanol groups on the porous silica surfaces and the associated anisotropic interactions with H2O at the interfaces.

Determination of the phase diagram of water and investigation of the electrical transport properties of ices VI and VII

The phase diagram of water near the ice VI-ice VII-liquid triple point and electrical transport properties of these ices have been studied by in situ electrical conductivity measurements in a diamond anvil cell. The obtained phase boundary between ices VI and VII and the melting curve for these ices are in accord with most previous results. The different properties and amount of orientational defects in ice VI and ice VII are associated with abrupt changes in conductivity when a phase transition from ice VI to ice VII occurs. The electrical transport mechanisms of these two ice polymorphs can be understood in terms of the conduction of the already existing ions and Bjerrum defects.

Strength analysis and optimisation of double-toroidal anvils for high-pressure research

We used the finite element method for stress and deformation analysis of the large sample volume double-toroidal anvil and gasket assembly used with the Paris-Edinburgh press for neutron scattering, in order to investigate the failure of this assembly observed repeatedly in experiments at a load of approximately 240 tonnes. The analysis is based on a new approach to modelling an opposed anvil device working under extreme stress conditions. The method relies on use of experimental data to validate the simulation in the absence of the material property data available for high pressure conditions. Using this method we analysed the stress distribution on the surface and in the bulk of the double-toroidal anvils, and we conclude that the failure occurs on the surface of the anvil and that it is caused by the tensile stress. We also use the model to show possible ways of optimising the anvil design in order to extend its operational pressure range.

Recrystallisation of HDA ice under pressure by in-situ neutron diffraction to 3.9 GPa

We have studied by in-situ neutron diffraction the recrystallisation behaviour of HDA ice in the pressure range 0.3–3.9 GPa, i.e. the entire stability range of HDA. We report quantitative and detailed structural information on the various high pressure ice phases formed metastably at low temperatures. We find that between ~0.4–0.7 GPa, HDA transforms at 175 K to mainly phases IV and V, and XII, and at 1–1.2 GPa to a mixture of ice VI and XII. On isothermal compression at 100 K, HDA recrystallises to an ice VII-like structure which is either partially ordered or mixed with ice VIII. Full structural data obtained by Rietveld refinements are reported for all these phases at low temperatures. Phases IV, V and XII are fully hydrogen disordered when obtained from HDA. The transformation behaviour in the 0.5–1.2 GPa range is in good agreement with the picture reported from quenched-recovered samples, although some differences persist in the recrystallisation to IV/XII mixtures. The recrystallisation behaviour of HDA over the entire pressure range appears to follow closely that of liquid water under pressure.

Laser-driven shock experiments on precompressed water: Implications for “icy” giant planets

Laser-driven shock compression of samples precompressed to 1 GPa produces high-pressure-temperature conditions inducing two significant changes in the optical properties of water: the onset of opacity followed by enhanced reflectivity in the initially transparent water. The onset of reflectivity at infrared wavelengths can be interpreted as a semiconductor<-->electronic conductor transition in water, and is found at pressures above approximately 130 GPa for single-shocked samples precompressed to 1 GPa. Our results indicate that conductivity in the deep interior of "icy" giant planets is greater than realized previously because of an additional contribution from electrons.

High-temperature and high-pressure cubic zirconia anvil cell for Raman spectroscopy

A simple and inexpensive cubic zirconia anvil cell has been developed for the performance of in situ Raman spectroscopy up to the conditions of 500 degrees C and 30 kbar pressure. The design and construction of this cell are fully described, as well as its applications for Raman spectroscopy. Molybdenum heater wires wrapped around ceramic tubes encircling two cubic zirconia anvils are used to heat samples, and the temperatures are measured and controlled by a Pt-PtRh thermocouple adhered near the sample chamber and an intelligent digital control apparatus. With this cell, Raman spectroscopic measurements have been satisfactorily performed on water at 6000 bar pressure to 455 degrees C and on ice of room temperature to 24 kbar, in which the determinations of pressures make use of changes of the A1 Raman modes of quartz and the shift of the sharpline (R-line) luminescence of ruby, respectively.

Protonic diffusion in high-pressure ice VII

Near ambient pressures, molecular diffusion dominates protonic diffusion in ice. Theoretical studies have predicted that protonic diffusion will dominate at high pressures in ice. We measured the protonic diffusion coefficient for the highest temperature molecular phase of ice VII at 400 kelvin over its entire stable pressure region. The values ranged from 10(-17) to 10(-15) square meters per second at pressures of 10 to 63 gigapascals. The diffusion coefficients extrapolated to high temperatures close to the ice VII melting curve were less by a factor of 10(2) to 10(3) than a superionic criterion of approximately 10(-8) square meters per second, at which protons would diffuse freely.

High-pressure elastic properties of solid argon to 70 GPa

The acoustic velocities, adiabatic elastic constants, bulk modulus, elastic anisotropy, Cauchy violation, and density in an ideal solid argon (Ar) have been determined at high pressures up to 70 GPa in a diamond anvil cell by making new approaches of Brillouin spectroscopy. These results place the first complete study for elastic properties of dense Ar and provide an improved basis for making the theoretical calculations of rare-gas solids over a wide range of compression.

Possible presence of high-pressure ice in cold subducting slabs

During the subduction of oceanic lithosphere, water is liberated from minerals by progressive dehydration reactions and is thought to be critical to several geologically important processes such as island-arc volcanism, intermediate-depth seismicity and chemical exchange between the subducting lithosphere and mantle. Although dehydration reactions would yield supercritical fluid water in most slabs, we report here that the stable phase of H2O should be solid ice VII in portions of the coldest slabs. The formation of ice VII as a dehydration product would affect the generation, storage, transport and release of water in cold subduction zones and equilibrium conditions of dehydration would shift, potentially affecting the depths of seismogenesis and magmagenesis. Large amounts of pure ice VII might accumulate during subduction and, as a sinking slab warms, eventual melting of the ice would release large amounts of water in a small region over a short period of time, with a significant positive volume change. Moreover, the decreasing availability of fluid water, owing to the accumulation of ice VII and its subsequent reaction products in a cooling planetary interior (for example, in Mars or the future Earth), might eventually lead to a decline in tectonic activity or its complete cessation.