Scientists Finally Solved One of Water’s Biggest Mysteries
Researchers at Stockholm University used advanced X-ray laser technology to uncover a hidden state in water, explaining its unusual behavior under normal conditions. The discovery confirms the existence of a critical point when water is deeply supercooled, around -63 °C and 1000 atmospheres.
Researchers at Stockholm University have discovered a hidden state in water that explains its unusual behavior. Using ultra-fast X-ray pulses, they observed water before it froze and identified a critical point at -63 °C and 1000 atmospheres. Water can exist as two distinct liquid forms under low temperature and high pressure, differing in molecular arrangement and bonding. As temperature and pressure change, the distinction between these states disappears at the critical point. The discovery helps explain water's unusual properties, such as its maximum density at 4 °C and expansion when cooled below 0 °C. The findings were published in the journal Science.
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