An international team led by Chinese scientists has reached a groundbreaking milestone by capturing the most detailed crystalline architecture of solid hydrogen ever observed. Using cutting-edge X-ray nanoscale probes and diamond anvil cell technology, the researchers recorded how hydrogen transforms from a gas at standard conditions to a solid with an intricate structure under extreme pressure. The findings were published in Nature on Wednesday.
Under pressures as low as 5 GPa, hydrogen molecules start to line up like pieces in a strategic board game. When pressures hit between 212-245 GPa, some hydrogen atoms arrange into striking honeycomb-like patterns, unveiling a cosmic puzzle of atomic order. As Ji Cheng, lead researcher at the Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research in Beijing, explained, "as pressure increases, hydrogen’s crystalline structure becomes increasingly sophisticated."
The study even captured hydrogen in a critical transitional state between its solid and metallic phases. Metallic hydrogen, known for its extraordinary energy density—second only to nuclear energy—has long been a target for scientists. High-pressure physicist Ho-kwang Mao, a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, vividly compared the required pressure to that of a jumbo jet balanced on the tip of a needle!
This landmark discovery not only solves a long-standing mystery in high-pressure physics but also provides key insights into the formation pathways of metallic hydrogen. Such breakthroughs remind us that even the simplest elements can hold the universe’s most extraordinary secrets. Stay tuned as more amazing revelations from the world of science light the path to the future! 🚀✨
Reference(s):
Chinese scientists observe complex structure of solid hydrogen
cgtn.com
