Physicists discover water changes atomic structure under extreme pressure

Researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) have discovered that water undergoes unexpected structural changes when subjected to extreme pressure. Using diamond-anvil devices to compress water to approximately 35 million pounds per square inch, the team observed that the material's atomic structure becomes less symmetrical as pressure increases.

This finding challenges the standard physical expectation that compressing materials forces atoms into more symmetrical, tightly packed arrangements. The study, published in Communications Chemistry, indicates that water exhibits more complex behavior than previously modeled when subjected to conditions exceeding 222 gigapascals.

These laboratory experiments replicate the intense environments found deep within ice-giant planets such as Uranus and Neptune. By mimicking these cosmic conditions, scientists aim to better understand the composition and internal chemistry of distant planets that cannot be directly explored.