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Science 3 March 2006:
Vol. 311. no. 5765, p. 1209
DOI: 10.1126/science.311.5765.1209a
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Figure 1 Ice is a major component of the upper mantles of medium-to large-sized moons of the outer solar system, and in order to model heat flows in these bodies, it is necessary to understand how ice phases that form at higher pressures respond to stress. Kubo et al. (p. 1267; see the Perspective by Sammonds) perform cold-temperature experiments to address the microstructure deformation mechanism that dominates microcrystalline ice II, which was formed by overpressurizing normal ice to 300 megapascals at temperatures below 220 K. At low strain rates, the authors find that the creep mechanism becomes sensitive to grain size; smaller grains (6 versus 40 micrometers) created a weaker ice.

CREDIT: KUBO ET AL.




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