CO2 clathrate hydrate properties
Clathrate hydrates (Fig. 1) are cage-like structures of water molecules that house guest gas species. They form when the gas interacts with ice under high-pressure and low-temperature conditions, and are thought to influence the surface geology and composition of icy bodies in the Solar System. Although the importance of clathrates has long been recognised, previous studies of their formation and physical properties have mostly involved theoretical thermodynamic calculations for structures produced from pure water solutions. In new research, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, however, carbon dioxide (CO2) clathrate hydrates produced from weak saline solutions have been investigated. The team of researchers, including PhD student Ms Emmal Safi, used the High Resolution Powder Diffraction beamline (I11) at Diamond Light Source to conduct an in situ study of clathrates that are more relevant to those produced in the salty oceans of icy moons. The results indicate substantial differences in the formation characteristics...