The matter is termed as the “stuff” of the universe — the atoms, molecules, and ions that make up all physical substances. Basically, matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. In elementary science, we learned that there are three basic states of matter namely – solid, liquid and gas.
Further, we encountered two more exotic states of matter – plasma and Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), both of which only exist in some extreme conditions. With time, we came across other states of physical matter with their discoveries.
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And now a newer member in the list of exotic states has been added by scientists from the University of Edinburgh of Scotland using powerful computer simulations. The newly discovered state of physical matter, in which atoms are both solid and liquid at the same time, is known as the “Chain-Melted State.”
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According to scientists, the metal potassium can be a solid and a liquid simultaneously, if subjected to extreme pressure and extreme temperature. In this condition, atoms of the metal potassium will form a solid lattice structure that contains the second set of potassium atoms in a fluid arrangement.
Check what are the fundamental states of matter?
Pure potassium (latin name ‘Kalium’) is a silver-colored alkali metal. It is so soft that it can be cut up with a butter knife and is higly reactive. (instant combustion with purple flame in a reaction with water)
Until now, it was unclear if the unusual structures represented a distinct state of matter, or existed as transition stages between two distinct states.
Check all states of matter list here.
Why the name ‘Chain-Melted State’?
Previous experiments with potassium at high pressure showed that its atoms organize themselves into a complex arrangement – five tubes of atoms in a square formation, four at the corners, and one in the middle; and four chains of atoms bound between them. (for visual understanding choose figure1 from here)
When heat is applied, the chains disappear; the researchers called this the “chain-melting transition,” thought to occur as the potassium chains transition from an ordered to a disordered state.
To try and figure out why this was happening, in the latest study scientists used powerful computer simulations to observe the behavior of around 20,000 potassium atoms under extreme conditions of pressure and temperature.
When the pressure is high enough about 2 – 4 GPa (Gigapascals) – the potassium atoms arranged themselves in interlinked chains and lattices.
The chemical interactions between the lattice atoms are strong, so they remain an ordered solid in the temperature range between 400K – 800 K. In the meantime, the chains melt into a disordered, liquid state. The team of researchers called the new state the “chain-melted state“.
According to the researchers, under the right conditions, over half a dozen elements – including sodium and bismuth – are thought to be capable of existing in the newly discovered chain-melted state.
Scientists describe Chain-Melted State as holding a sponge filled with water that starts dripping out, except the sponge is also made of water.
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The study on the newly discovered chain-melted state, published in the journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was supported by the ‘European Research Council’ and the ‘Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council’. The work was carried out in collaboration with scientists from Xi’an Jiaotong University in China.
The ambiguous state of matter between liquid and solid excites the scientific community, but this isn’t the first time such bizarre existence has been reported. Kola superdeep borehole, a cold war era project by Soviet scientists, reached as deep as 12,262 meters (7.6 mi) into the Earth’s crust in the late 1980s.
The declassified documents later revealed that at the bottom of the hole, where the pressure was close to 1,200 times atmospheric pressure, the texture of rocks appeared to be between liquid and solid.
Way Forward
Scientists have shown that this unusual but stable state is part solid and part liquid. Recreation of the unusual state in other materials could have all kinds of applications. The machine learning technique that the researchers have developed could be useful in modeling the behavior of other substances as most of the matter in the universe is subjected to extreme conditions of pressure and temperature, for instance inside planets and stars.
Chain Melted State of Matter FAQs
It is a physical state of matter in which atoms exist in both liquid and solid conditions at the same time.
Potassium, a metal when subjected to extreme temperature and pressure can exist in both solid and molten states.
scientists from the University of Edinburgh of Scotland found out about this new state of matter.
The discovery of chain-melted state was published in the journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’.
The latest discovered state of matter is called – quantum spin liquid.
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