Omnipresent – but still mysterious: In the January issue, bild der wissenschaft reports on research into aspects of water that have not been understood so far. In addition to the well-known forms, it can also take on icy-hot and metal-like states. Another focus of the cover story is the fascinatingly complex behavior of droplets.
Bodies of water, masses of ice, clouds...: in its various manifestations, water shapes the face of our "blue" planet. In addition, in its liquid state it became the elixir of life - it forms the basis for the existence of all earthly organisms. Because of its fundamental importance, science has already wrested all its chemical and physical mysteries out of water, one might think. Surprisingly, however, this is not the case: the supposedly simple combination of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom is still a mystery to researchers.
In the first article of the two-part title story, the bdw author Jan Berndorff first explains what is fundamentally known about the causes of the special features of H₂O compared to other substances. The so-called hydrogen bonds play a central role in the strange behavior. These rather loose connections are partly responsible for the fact that water differs from other liquids in numerous properties. The particularly high dynamics in the water also make it difficult to investigate the processes between the particles themselves and their interactions with foreign substances. But thanks to sophisticated methods, researchers are now able to uncover the secrets of water more and more, and it is also possible to produce and examine exotic forms of the substance.
"Hot ice cream" and bizarre drops
In the article "Stuff to be amazed at" Berndorff explains what the hints that water could actually be a mixture of two states are all about. He also reports on research into bizarre manifestations in the solid and liquid state. Including so-called "superionic ice". It's thousands of degrees hot, electrically conductive like a metal, and pitch black. It is formed under extreme conditions, such as those prevailing in the depths of gas planets. In the meantime, however, scientists can also generate and research it using lasers on Earth. In addition to the special forms of water, the article also deals with the importance of water in the earth's climate system and for medicine. It therefore plays an important role in the development of Alzheimer's.
In the second part of the title story, bdw author Reinhard Breuer reports on another interesting field of research that has to do with water: investigating the complex behavior of droplets. It illustrates the fascinating physical processes that take place during the formation, merging and bursting of liquid structures. In order to describe them more precisely and to better understand the properties and effects of droplets, scientists use sophisticated techniques and supercomputers. Despite new insights, it is clear that this behavior of liquids still holds secrets, according to the article "Tricky Drops".
You will find the cover story “The Secrets of Water” in the January issue of bild der wissenschaft, which will be available in stores from December 20th.