The discovery of abundant ammonia in samples returned from the asteroid Bennu suggests that some bodies in the outer solar system accreted where ammonia ice was stable. Here, the authors use neutron scattering to probe the intermolecular structure of mimetic ammonia-water solutions relevant to a Titan impact melt and report the formation of ice-like motifs in ammonia’s hydration shell, providing insights into the hydrogen bonding network of ammonia-rich ocean worlds.
- Mazin Nasralla
- Harrison Laurent
- Lorna Dougan