A Quasi-1D Superionic Phase Could Lurk Inside Uranus and Neptune
Researchers using first-principles simulations predict a new quasi-1D superionic phase in a carbon–hydrogen compound that could exist inside ice giants Uranus and Neptune at extreme pressures and temperatures. In this phase, hydrogen diffuses along a carbon lattice that forms a helical structure, producing anisotropic heat and electrical conduction. This could influence our understanding of the planets’ unusual magnetic fields and guides how such materials might behave under the extreme conditions found in their interiors.