ALBUQUERQUE, March 19 (UPI) -- U.S. government scientists have developed technology that can turn water into ice in nanoseconds.
Researchers at the Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, however, caution the ice is hotter than the boiling point of water.
"The three phases of water as we know them --cold ice, room temperature liquid and hot vapor -- are actually only a small part of water's repertory of states," said Sandia researcher Daniel Dolan. "Compressing water customarily heats it. But under extreme compression, it is easier for dense water to enter its solid phase (ice) than maintain the more energetic liquid phase (water)."
In the experiment, the volume of water shrank abruptly and discontinuously, consistent with the formation of nearly every known form of ice except the ordinary kind, which expands. The researchers note only "ordinary" ice expands when water freezes. There are at least 11 other known forms of ice occurring at a variety of temperatures and pressures.
"This work," said Dolan, "is a basic science study that helps us understand materials at extreme conditions."
The research at Sandia -- a National Nuclear Security Administration laboratory -- appeared online March 11 in the journal Nature Physics.
