We all know there are 4 types of states of matter which are
observed in the everyday life, namely Gas, Solid, Liquid and Plasma. There are
many other sates too like Bose Einstein condensate , superfluid... Etc., but
they only occur in extreme conditions. We also know that phase transitions
between these sates is possible , for example., liquid when freeze'd becomes
solid, gases when condensed gives liquid and gases when ionized gives us
plasma... Etc., also , we can supercool a liquid (like water); supercooling is a
process of lowering the temperature of a liquid below its freezing point
without making it transform into a solid.
Okay so..., If I ask you how will you transform a liquid into a liquid... You will
probably think how can a liquid transform to its own state???? Or probably you
would just say such an idiot, what a stupid question!!!!!!
But Researchers
at the University of Arkansas have identified that water, when chilled to a
very low temperature, transforms into a new form of liquid. Strange right!! Let
me just brief you about it:
Through
a simulation performed in “supercooled” water, a research team led by chemist
Feng “Seymour” Wang, confirmed a “liquid-liquid” phase transition at 207
Kelvins, or 87 degrees below zero on the Fahrenheit scale.
The
properties of supercooled water are important for understanding basic processes
during cryoprotection, which is the preservation of tissue or cells by liquid
nitrogen so they can be thawed without damage, said Wang, an associate
professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry in the J. William
Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.
On a miscrosecond time scale, the water does
not actually form ice but it transformes into a new form of liquid.
The study provides strong supporting evidence
of the liquid-liquid phase transition and predicted a temperature of minimum
density if water can be cooled well below its normal freezing temperature.
Study shows water will expand at a very low temperature even without forming
ice.
The
University of Arkansas research team investigated the liquid-liquid phase transition using a simulation model called Water potential from Adaptive Force
Matching for Ice and Liquid (WAIL). While normal water is a high-density liquid,
the low-density liquid emerged at lower temperatures, according to the
simulation.
