chain-melted state
{{Short description|State of matter, between liquid and solid}}
The chain-melted state is a state of matter in which a substance, typically a metal, notably potassium, behaves both in the liquid and solid state at the same time.{{Cite web |last=Starr |first=Michelle |date=2019-04-09 |title=A New 'State' of Matter Can Be Solid And Liquid at The Same Time |url=https://www.sciencealert.com/a-new-state-of-matter-can-be-solid-and-liquid-at-the-same-time |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=ScienceAlert |language=en-US}} This is done by applying extreme pressure and temperature, causing the metal to become solid and molten simultaneously.{{Cite web |date=2019-04-20 |title=Chain-Melted State: The Strange State of Matter |url=https://www.newsclick.in/chain-melted-state-matter-potassium |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=NewsClick.in |last=Talukdar |first=Sandipan }} It was confirmed to be a state of matter in 2019 by a group of researchers at the University of Edinburgh using artificial intelligence to analyse the results of subjecting potassium to high temperatures and pressure, when the potassium began exhibiting properties where it was apparently both solid and liquid.{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/new-phase-matter-confirmed-solid-and-liquid-same-time-potassium-physics |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414161939/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/new-phase-matter-confirmed-solid-and-liquid-same-time-potassium-physics |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 14, 2021 |title=Confirmed: New phase of matter is solid and liquid at same time |last=Mann |first=Adam |website=National Geographic Society |date=8 April 2019 |access-date=2023-10-31}} The phenomenon was observed by a group of other researchers in 2014; however, it was only thought to be a transitioning state.{{Cite journal |last1=McBride |first1=E. E. |last2=Munro |first2=K. A. |last3=Stinton |first3=G. W. |last4=Husband |first4=R. J. |last5=Briggs |first5=R. |last6=Liermann |first6=H.-P. |last7=McMahon |first7=M. I. |date=2015-04-22 |title=One-dimensional chain melting in incommensurate potassium |url=https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevB.91.144111 |journal=Physical Review B |volume=91 |issue=14 |pages=144111 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevB.91.144111|arxiv=1504.02895 |bibcode=2015PhRvB..91n4111M |s2cid=4989803 }} The chain-melted state has also been observed in other elements, such as sodium and rubidium.{{Cite journal |last1=Naden Robinson |first1=Victor |last2=Zong |first2=Hongxiang |last3=Ackland |first3=Graeme J. |last4=Woolman |first4=Gavin |last5=Hermann |first5=Andreas |date=2019-05-21 |title=On the chain-melted phase of matter |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=116 |issue=21 |pages=10297–10302 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1900985116 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=6535020 |pmid=30975752 |bibcode=2019PNAS..11610297N |doi-access=free }} Some other elements, like bismuth, are also capable of being in the chain-melted state.{{Cite web |date=2019-12-18 |title=Elements can be solid and liquid at the same time |url=https://www.ed.ac.uk/science-engineering/news-events/archive/2019/elements-can-be-solid-and-liquid-at-same-time |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=The University of Edinburgh |language=en}}
Properties
Substances in the chain-melted state display properties of both a solid and a liquid.{{Cite web |title=New State of Matter: Liquid? Solid? Both! |url=https://www.labroots.com/trending/chemistry-and-physics/14504/matter-liquid-solid-both |access-date=2023-11-03 |last=Duan |first=Daniel |date=2019-04-11 |website=Labroots.com}} The co-author of a study regarding the chain-melted state, Andreas Hermann, stated that if the matter were hypothetically to be handled by a person, it would be like holding a wet sponge that is leaking water, while the sponge itself is actually made of water.{{Cite web |title=Elements can be solid and liquid at the same time, study reveals |url=https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/679909 |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=EurekAlert! |language=en}} Described more formally, the potassium metal developed two internal structures, a chain-like lattice that dissolved, and a stronger Bravais lattice that remained in a solid state. This is a type of host–guest chemistry where, in this case, the host lattice of metal atoms remains solid while some of the material binds weakly and resembles a liquid.{{Cite web |last=McKirdy |first=Euan |date=2019-04-09 |title=Researchers discover state of matter which is simultaneously solid and liquid |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/09/europe/potassium-solid-liquid-state-scn-intl/index.html |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=CNN |language=en}}{{cite journal |doi=10.1038/s41567-021-01244-w |title=Free electron to electride transition in dense liquid potassium |date=2021 |last1=Zong |first1=Hongxiang |last2=Robinson |first2=Victor Naden |last3=Hermann |first3=Andreas |last4=Zhao |first4=Long |last5=Scandolo |first5=Sandro |last6=Ding |first6=Xiangdong |last7=Ackland |first7=Graeme J. |display-authors=3 |journal=Nature Physics |volume=17 |issue=8 |pages=955–960 |bibcode=2021NatPh..17..955Z |s2cid=236584774 |url=https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/files/213741533/Potassium_LL_transition.pdf }}
Real world examples
Metals in Earth's inner core could possibly be in the chain-melted state, as suggested by several simulations, where metals such as titanium and iron displayed partially molten states, or quasi-solid properties.{{Cite journal |last1=Wang |first1=Yong |last2=Wang |first2=Junjie |last3=Hermann |first3=Andreas |last4=Liu |first4=Cong |last5=Gao |first5=Hao |last6=Tosatti |first6=Erio |last7=Wang |first7=Hui-Tian |last8=Xing |first8=Dingyu |last9=Sun |first9=Jian |date=2021-01-11 |title=Electronically Driven 1D Cooperative Diffusion in a Simple Cubic Crystal |journal=Physical Review X |language=en |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=011006 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevX.11.011006 |bibcode=2021PhRvX..11a1006W |s2cid=234287896 |issn=2160-3308|doi-access=free |hdl=20.500.11820/dd6263d0-92f8-49da-bff6-9e08d035664a |hdl-access=free }} It is also possible that Earth's mantle may contain metals like potassium in the chain-melted state; however, potassium is usually not found in pure form.
These suggestions may also possibly be proven by the Kola superdeep borehole, where according to declassified documents, the rock at the bottom of the borehole was found to be in a texture between solid and liquid.
Applications
References
{{reflist}}