The structural transition of water at quartz/water interfaces under shock compression in phase region of liquid

Abstract

We investigate the structural transformations of water at the water/quartz interface under shock compression in ranges from 0.5 to 2 GPa and from 335 to 375 K by techniques of a gas-gun and light transmission tests. The results show that the structural transformation of water occurs in the region of liquid phase, which starts from water/quartz interface at high pressures and temperatures. The transformation rate is related to the property of quartz interface. This structural evolution indicates that a lager number of water molecules undergone transitions in equilibrium behavior. The kinetic process of liquid water structure can be divided into four stages while the structure continues growing to saturation. This new mechanism of structural transformation has immediate implications for water structure transformation in diverse natural environments.