Mixed crystal phase of superionic water mapped inside giant planets

Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jan 13, 2026
Temperatures of several thousand degrees Celsius and pressures of millions of atmospheres drive water into a superionic state in which hydrogen ions move freely through a solid lattice of oxygen atoms. In this exotic phase, which forms only under extreme conditions, water behaves like a hybrid of solid and liquid and shows very high electrical conductivity. Because this phase can efficient