Nature Communications (Oct 2017)

Topologically frustrated ionisation in a water-ammonia ice mixture

  • C. Liu,
  • A. Mafety,
  • J. A. Queyroux,
  • C. W. Wilson,
  • H. Zhang,
  • K. Béneut,
  • G. Le Marchand,
  • B. Baptiste,
  • P. Dumas,
  • G. Garbarino,
  • F. Finocchi,
  • J. S. Loveday,
  • F. Pietrucci,
  • A. M. Saitta,
  • F. Datchi,
  • S. Ninet

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01132-z
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Water and ammonia are major constituents of icy planet interiors, however their phase behaviour under extreme conditions remain relatively unknown. Here, the authors show that ammonia monohydrate transforms under pressure into an alloy composed of molecules as well as ions, owing to a topological frustration.