Observation of plastic ice VII by quasi-elastic neutron scattering

Water is the third most abundant molecule in the universe and a key component in the interiors of icy moons, giant planets and Uranus- and Neptune-like exoplanets1, 2–3. Owing to its distinct molecular structure and flexible hydrogen bonds that readily adapt to a wide range of pressures and temperatures, water forms numerous crystalline and amorphous phases4, 5–6. Most relevant for the high pressures and temperatures of planetary interiors is ice VII (ref. 4), and simulations have identified along its melting curve the existence of a so-called plastic phase7, 8, 9, 10, 11–12 in which individual molecules occupy fixed positions as in a solid yet are able to rotate as in a liquid. Such plastic ice has not yet been directly observed in experiments. Here we present quasi-elastic neutron scattering measurements, conducted at temperatures between 450 and 600 K and pressures up to 6 GPa, that reveal the existence of a body-centred cubic structure, as found in ice VII, with water molecules showing picosecond rotational dynamics typical for liquid water. Comparison with molecular dynamics simulations indicates that this plastic ice VII does not conform to a free rotor phase but rather shows rapid orientational jumps, as observed in jump-rotor plastic crystals13,14. We anticipate that our observation of plastic ice VII will affect our understanding of the geodynamics of icy planets and the differentiation processes of large icy moons.