High pressure phase transitions in the fluid region surrounding the collapse point of large single bubbles in water

Observations from imaging experiments will be presented which have shown persistent, long-lived spherical objects to form in the fluid region surrounding large, single bubbles in highly over-pressured water. Objects have been observed to form in a region of fluid where pressures are first predicted to exceed 0.8 GPa, and to extend radially inward to where fluid pressures are predicted to reach 6 GPa. These pressures bound those requisite for transitions in water to the crystalline phases of Ice-VI and Ice-VII, at 1.1 GPa and 2.1 GPa, respectively. The objects have been observed to behave in a fashion more consistent with a highly viscous fluid. They support and recover from large shape deformations, as well as support fluid flows within them. While water does have phases which are known to exhibit properties of highly viscous fluids, they have only been observed to form at or near cryogenic temperatures, typically via hyperquenching or quasi-static pressurization at low temperatures. Here, we present evidence for a high pressure liquid-liquid phase transition in water surrounding collapsing bubbles at room temperature. [Work supported by Impulse Devices, Inc.]