Researchers at the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC) announced that they have obtained spectroscopic evidence suggesting that a possible new phase of ice may exist at temperatures between 4 K to 50 K, under high pressure.
This discovery was made while a team of researchers led by Dr. Yong Q. Cai were investigating the ordering of hydrogen bonds in H2O under high pressure and at extremely low temperatures. The team confirmed the density functional theory (DFT) calculations under these conditions which correctly account for the pre-edge feature of ice. However, quite unexpectedly they also obtained data indicating substantial spectral changes from ice IX, suggesting a significant change of the H2O framework in this P-T regime. In short, the exciting prospect of the formation of a possible new ice phase.