Effect of an ultralow-frequency electric field on the explosive instability threshold of ice

It is found that a weak (10³–10⁵ times lower than breakdown fields) ultralow-frequency (1<ω<1000 Hz) electric field has a strong effect on the explosive instability threshold of ice uniaxially compressed by high pressures in the temperature range 210–240 K. The explanation for the high electromechanical sensitivity of ice is based on the concept that ice undergoing structure modifications due to highly nonuniform compression is a heterogeneous system with cooperative phenomena in space-bounded sets of dipoles. The dipoles form around new-phase nuclei, defects, or air microbubbles and occupy domains with a typical size of 10⁻²–10⁻⁵ mm. When exposed to ultralow-frequency electric fields, such systems may exhibit resonant bursts of polarization, causing the ice stability to drastically drop because of dipole compression or microbreakdowns.