Posted on 04/25/2016 8:48:38 PM PDT by nickcarraway
"This is in complete disagreement with accepted models based on the energies of its vibrational modes," said lead researcher Alexander Kolesnikov.
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have observed water molecules behaving unlike gas, liquid or solid states.
Researchers discovered the new state while subjecting water molecules to extreme confinement.
When water molecules were pushed into nanoscale tubes or channels in the mineral beryl, the water molecules become delocalized around a ring, with each molecule adopting "an unusual double top-like shape."
Researchers described the new molecular state in the journal Physical Review Letters.
"This means that the oxygen and hydrogen atoms of the water molecule are delocalized and therefore simultaneously present in all six symmetrically equivalent positions in the channel at the same time," lead study author Alexander Kolesnikov, of ORNL's Chemical and Engineering Materials Division, said in news release. "It's one of those phenomena that only occur in quantum mechanics and has no parallel in our everyday experience."
This spreading of water molecules when confined was not just unexpected, it breaks the rules of classical physics. The behavior, known as "tunneling," describes a molecule passing through a barrier without the energy required to do so -- in other words, it defies physics.
"The average kinetic energy of the water protons directly obtained from the neutron experiment is a measure of their motion at almost absolute zero temperature and is about 30 percent less than it is in bulk liquid or solid water," Kolesnikov said. "This is in complete disagreement with accepted models based on the energies of its vibrational modes."
Because the confinement measured at ORNL is comparable to the experience of water molecules trapped in rocks, soil and cell walls, the novel findings are expected to have real-world impact on the discussions happening within a variety of scientific disciplines -- cellular biology, geology and more.
Don’t drink di-hydrogen monoxide. People have died from ingesting too much of it.
What is this new state? If it was explained, I didn’t get it. What channel, what tunneling, what near absolute zero effect?
I don’t know, this sounds an awful lot like Polywater. I hope they cleaned their damn test tubes this time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polywater
They’ll never know how relieved I am to know this. I’ll sleep better at night and eventually die a happy man.
Of course, this implies the molecule can 'think', and alters it's own structure for survival.
The new state is called “wet”
Thanks for the explanation, but this new science is beyond me.
So the new state is a conscious state, and water can think.
Whatever happened to Art Bell?
-bflr-
Uh, that's a pretty big assumption. Maybe before invoking thinking molecules you should let them study the change in angular bond forces across temperature gradients a little more...
“Don’t drink di-hydrogen monoxide. People have died from ingesting too much of it.”
Yeah, but you have to drink a lot for adverse effects.
From grad school, I remember a maxim concerning what sort of particles might form an interference pattern when passing through a diffraction grating.
The answer was, “You can diffract pianos.” So the “piano” was the exemplar of a nonelementary particle that could be subject to quantum diffraction effects.
In this case the “piano” is the water molecule. The point is that it has to be cooled to the point where it is INDISTINGUISHABLE from its neighboring “pianos”, and this is facilitated by its confinement in a “deep” potential well, such that any movement is confined to a quantum excitation. So you have these water molecules in the same ( ground level ) state, and as identical particles they can combine into coherent states of lowest energy, just like electrons in an atom.
See? So the challenge is, if you don’t like this, why are you so comfortable with atoms?
He is one heck of an interviewer.
Now it it with a high energy pulsed magnetic field.
I always remember the time I was listening to Art Bell on my final run into Chicagoland from back East, and he was interviewing some flying saucer time machine guy, who really had his act together, air tight. I forget the exact exchange, but at some point Art Bell interjected the homily, “time is nature’s way of preventing everything from happening all at once.” His interlocutor answered without hesitation, “Everything is happening all at once.” Art Bell had no answer and was silent for a moment. A moment I will always cherish.
Thank you for your interesting narrative.
Since this is a UPI story, one would think it would be aimed at a general audience not necessarily adept at handling quantum mechanics-based explanations.
I expected to read a description of the properties of this new state of matter in the real world (yes, my real world). However, I was let down to learn that this state exists only near absolute zero, since I do enjoy playing the piano- but only in comfortable climates.
I agree with you about Art Bell. And before him there was Long John Nebel.
Believe it or not, but it is beyond 'them' as well.
So the new state is a conscious state, and water can think.
Which is more intelligent.... a molecule of water of one of these college snowflakes that are scared of chalklines on sidewalks ?
Whatever happened to Art Bell?
He went home.
I don't see the difference between your explanation and mine. ; )
Actually I wonder why they seem amazed that water molecules would deform when taken to almost absolute zero. At absolute zero, the molecule would cease to exist so it deforming just prior to snapping out of existence seems logical.
Now those were three succinct and comprehensive responses. Thanks, I get that.
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