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Stability of high-temperature salty ice suggests electrolyte permeability in water-rich exoplanet icy mantles

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  • Jean-Alexis Hernandez

    (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
    Université de Lyon, Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon LGLTPE UMR 5276
    University of Oslo)

  • Razvan Caracas

    (Université de Lyon, Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon LGLTPE UMR 5276
    University of Oslo
    Université de Paris, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS)

  • Stéphane Labrosse

    (Université de Lyon, Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon LGLTPE UMR 5276)

Abstract

Electrolytes play an important role in the internal structure and dynamics of water-rich satellites and potentially water-rich exoplanets. However, in planets, the presence of a large high-pressure ice mantle is thought to hinder the exchange and transport of electrolytes between various liquid and solid deep layers. Here we show, using first-principles simulations, that up to 2.5 wt% NaCl can be dissolved in dense water ice at interior conditions of water-rich super-Earths and mini-Neptunes. The salt impurities enhance the diffusion of H atoms, extending the stability field of recently discovered superionic ice, and push towards higher pressures the transition to the stiffer ice X phase. Scaling laws for thermo-compositional convection show that salts entering the high pressure ice layer can be readily transported across. These findings suggest that the high-pressure ice mantle of water-rich exoplanets is permeable to the convective transport of electrolytes between the inner rocky core and the outer liquid layer.

Suggested Citation

  • Jean-Alexis Hernandez & Razvan Caracas & Stéphane Labrosse, 2022. "Stability of high-temperature salty ice suggests electrolyte permeability in water-rich exoplanet icy mantles," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-30796-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30796-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Magali Benoit & Dominik Marx & Michele Parrinello, 1998. "Tunnelling and zero-point motion in high-pressure ice," Nature, Nature, vol. 392(6673), pages 258-261, March.
    2. Marius Millot & Federica Coppari & J. Ryan Rygg & Antonio Correa Barrios & Sebastien Hamel & Damian C. Swift & Jon H. Eggert, 2019. "Nanosecond X-ray diffraction of shock-compressed superionic water ice," Nature, Nature, vol. 569(7755), pages 251-255, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Baptiste Journaux, 2022. "Salty ice and the dilemma of ocean exoplanet habitability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-4, December.
    2. Charles M. Pépin & Ramesh André & Florent Occelli & Florian Dembele & Aldo Mozzanica & Viktoria Hinger & Matteo Levantino & Paul Loubeyre, 2024. "Metastable water at several compression rates and its freezing kinetics into ice VII," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-7, December.

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