Unveiling the Mystery of Superionic Ammonia in Icy Planetary Interiors
It’s now been confirmed that ammonia can exist as a superionic state in the icy interiors of giant planets and other icy bodies in our solar system. In a new study, published in Nature, researchers from the University of Edinburgh have demonstrated that superionic ammonia can exist under the extreme pressures and temperatures found inside icy planets such as Neptune and Uranus, as well as icy moons like Ganymede and Europa.
This new discovery is incredibly exciting for planetary scientists, as it reveals that superionic ammonia could be a major component of the interior of these ice giants, where it could play a major role in the evolution and formation of these icy worlds. It could also provide new insights into the evolution of our own solar system.
source: Phys.org