Liquid water at 170 degrees Celsius: X-ray laser reveals anomalous dynamics at ultra-fast heatingUsi
Liquid water at 170 degrees Celsius: X-ray laser reveals anomalous dynamics at ultra-fast heatingUsing the X-ray laser European XFEL, a research team has investigated how water heats up under extreme conditions. In the process, the scientists were able to observe water that remained liquid even at temperatures of more than 170 degrees Celsius. The investigation revealed an anomalous dynamic behavior of water under these conditions. The results of the study, which are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), are of fundamental importance for the planning and analysis of investigations of sensitive samples using X-ray lasers.European XFEL, an international research facility, which extends from the DESY site in Hamburg to the neighboring town of Schenefeld in Schleswig-Holstein, is home to the most powerful X-ray laser in the world. It can generate up to 27 000 intense X-ray flashes per second. For their experiments, the researchers used series of 120 flashes each. The individual flashes were less than a millionth of a second apart (exactly 0.886 microseconds). The scientists sent these pulse trains into a thin, water-filled quartz glass tube and observed the reaction of the water.“We asked ourselves how long and how strongly water can be heated in the X-ray laser and whether it still behaves like water,” explains lead author Felix Lehmkühler from DESY. “For example, does it still function as a coolant at high temperatures?” A detailed understanding of superheated water is also essential for a large number of investigations on heat-sensitive samples, such as polymers or biological samples.Read more. -- source link
#materials science#science#temperature#lasers#x rays#superheating