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7

1

$begingroup$

I'm working on a sci-fi setting which includes an aquatic space-faring species.

When a human space vessel is ruptured and depressurizes, the gas can escape rapidly and we immediately suffer from the effects of vacuum.

For a water-filled vessel and an aquatic species, how would the ship being ruptured affect the occupants? My first thought is that the water would mostly stay together. Water in vacuum begins to boil from lack of pressure, which cools the water and can result in ice forming.

In a violent emergency where the ship's "atmosphere" is exposed, would the mass of water form an icy shell and protect the remainder of the water from boiling away? Would the mass of water get cold in whole, or just near the edges? Or would something else happen?

reality-check science-fiction physics water

share|improve this question

asked 5 hours ago

Martin CarneyMartin Carney

1,485713

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Aha, relevant answer on the physics site: physics.stackexchange.com/a/349785/225554 and also a nifty video:youtube.com/watch?v=2IOyJa8NSk0 flash freezes unexpectedly at 3 minutes!
  $endgroup$
  – Starfish Prime
  5 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Another relevant physics question physics.stackexchange.com/questions/98666/…
  $endgroup$
  – Ville Niemi
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

7

1

$begingroup$

I'm working on a sci-fi setting which includes an aquatic space-faring species.

When a human space vessel is ruptured and depressurizes, the gas can escape rapidly and we immediately suffer from the effects of vacuum.

For a water-filled vessel and an aquatic species, how would the ship being ruptured affect the occupants? My first thought is that the water would mostly stay together. Water in vacuum begins to boil from lack of pressure, which cools the water and can result in ice forming.

In a violent emergency where the ship's "atmosphere" is exposed, would the mass of water form an icy shell and protect the remainder of the water from boiling away? Would the mass of water get cold in whole, or just near the edges? Or would something else happen?

reality-check science-fiction physics water

share|improve this question

asked 5 hours ago

Martin CarneyMartin Carney

1,485713

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Aha, relevant answer on the physics site: physics.stackexchange.com/a/349785/225554 and also a nifty video:youtube.com/watch?v=2IOyJa8NSk0 flash freezes unexpectedly at 3 minutes!
  $endgroup$
  – Starfish Prime
  5 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Another relevant physics question physics.stackexchange.com/questions/98666/…
  $endgroup$
  – Ville Niemi
  3 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

I'm working on a sci-fi setting which includes an aquatic space-faring species.

When a human space vessel is ruptured and depressurizes, the gas can escape rapidly and we immediately suffer from the effects of vacuum.

For a water-filled vessel and an aquatic species, how would the ship being ruptured affect the occupants? My first thought is that the water would mostly stay together. Water in vacuum begins to boil from lack of pressure, which cools the water and can result in ice forming.

In a violent emergency where the ship's "atmosphere" is exposed, would the mass of water form an icy shell and protect the remainder of the water from boiling away? Would the mass of water get cold in whole, or just near the edges? Or would something else happen?

reality-check science-fiction physics water

share|improve this question

asked 5 hours ago

Martin CarneyMartin Carney

1,485713

$endgroup$

share|improve this question

asked 5 hours ago

Martin CarneyMartin Carney

1,485713

share|improve this question

asked 5 hours ago

Martin CarneyMartin Carney

1,485713

asked 5 hours ago

Martin CarneyMartin Carney

1,485713

asked 5 hours ago

Martin CarneyMartin Carney

1,485713

2 Answers
2

active

oldest

votes

8

$begingroup$

If the water is already in microgravity and isn't mostly constrained by structures, the vapor pressure inside will tend to blow the mass apart into smaller masses, which will in turn blow apart more. At some point in this process, evaporative cooling will freeze the water, ending the cycle (ice has plenty of structural strength to contain water's vapor pressure at low temperatures and in small volumes). The result, however, would be closer to a gentle "snow explosion" than "boiling away". The process would take time, of course, likely much more time than explosive decompression of an air-filled volume the same size; if the aquatic space crew have good reactions/training and can move quickly (as many fish can, for a short time) they have a good chance to get into a sealed space before conditions become fatal.

Also, human skin, at least, can contain the vapor pressure of body temperature water for a while (not indefinitely, but pressure would be relieved by blowing internal contents out of existing orifices before the skin would rupture, unless it's already torn or punctured and can tear outward from the existing damage). The same may be true of your merstronauts.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

3,693320

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  "merstronauts" - Thank you for this ingenious word! :)
  $endgroup$
  – Martin Carney
  5 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  You're very welcome! :D
  $endgroup$
  – Zeiss Ikon
  5 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

1

$begingroup$

The water would all boil away. The main reason water can freeze in a vacuum chamber is because it is under gravity which applies pressure in lieu of an atmosphere. If your ship is really massive and really cold, it might be able to exert enough gravity to do this.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

Brythan

21.9k84388

answered 4 hours ago

NosajimikiNosajimiki

4,9641434

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Hmm. The vacuum pump could still be running, extracting water vapour. I think what you're really seeing is gravity keeping the water in one place where it can freeze together, rather than as a finely dispersed cloud of snow.
  $endgroup$
  – Starfish Prime
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Opps, hit submit will while still trying to figure out conflicting sources. Thanks.
  $endgroup$
  – Nosajimiki
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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8

$begingroup$

If the water is already in microgravity and isn't mostly constrained by structures, the vapor pressure inside will tend to blow the mass apart into smaller masses, which will in turn blow apart more. At some point in this process, evaporative cooling will freeze the water, ending the cycle (ice has plenty of structural strength to contain water's vapor pressure at low temperatures and in small volumes). The result, however, would be closer to a gentle "snow explosion" than "boiling away". The process would take time, of course, likely much more time than explosive decompression of an air-filled volume the same size; if the aquatic space crew have good reactions/training and can move quickly (as many fish can, for a short time) they have a good chance to get into a sealed space before conditions become fatal.

Also, human skin, at least, can contain the vapor pressure of body temperature water for a while (not indefinitely, but pressure would be relieved by blowing internal contents out of existing orifices before the skin would rupture, unless it's already torn or punctured and can tear outward from the existing damage). The same may be true of your merstronauts.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

3,693320

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  "merstronauts" - Thank you for this ingenious word! :)
  $endgroup$
  – Martin Carney
  5 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  You're very welcome! :D
  $endgroup$
  – Zeiss Ikon
  5 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

8

$begingroup$

If the water is already in microgravity and isn't mostly constrained by structures, the vapor pressure inside will tend to blow the mass apart into smaller masses, which will in turn blow apart more. At some point in this process, evaporative cooling will freeze the water, ending the cycle (ice has plenty of structural strength to contain water's vapor pressure at low temperatures and in small volumes). The result, however, would be closer to a gentle "snow explosion" than "boiling away". The process would take time, of course, likely much more time than explosive decompression of an air-filled volume the same size; if the aquatic space crew have good reactions/training and can move quickly (as many fish can, for a short time) they have a good chance to get into a sealed space before conditions become fatal.

Also, human skin, at least, can contain the vapor pressure of body temperature water for a while (not indefinitely, but pressure would be relieved by blowing internal contents out of existing orifices before the skin would rupture, unless it's already torn or punctured and can tear outward from the existing damage). The same may be true of your merstronauts.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

3,693320

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  "merstronauts" - Thank you for this ingenious word! :)
  $endgroup$
  – Martin Carney
  5 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  You're very welcome! :D
  $endgroup$
  – Zeiss Ikon
  5 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

If the water is already in microgravity and isn't mostly constrained by structures, the vapor pressure inside will tend to blow the mass apart into smaller masses, which will in turn blow apart more. At some point in this process, evaporative cooling will freeze the water, ending the cycle (ice has plenty of structural strength to contain water's vapor pressure at low temperatures and in small volumes). The result, however, would be closer to a gentle "snow explosion" than "boiling away". The process would take time, of course, likely much more time than explosive decompression of an air-filled volume the same size; if the aquatic space crew have good reactions/training and can move quickly (as many fish can, for a short time) they have a good chance to get into a sealed space before conditions become fatal.

Also, human skin, at least, can contain the vapor pressure of body temperature water for a while (not indefinitely, but pressure would be relieved by blowing internal contents out of existing orifices before the skin would rupture, unless it's already torn or punctured and can tear outward from the existing damage). The same may be true of your merstronauts.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

3,693320

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

3,693320

answered 5 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

3,693320

answered 5 hours ago

Zeiss IkonZeiss Ikon

3,693320

1

$begingroup$

The water would all boil away. The main reason water can freeze in a vacuum chamber is because it is under gravity which applies pressure in lieu of an atmosphere. If your ship is really massive and really cold, it might be able to exert enough gravity to do this.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

Brythan

21.9k84388

answered 4 hours ago

NosajimikiNosajimiki

4,9641434

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Hmm. The vacuum pump could still be running, extracting water vapour. I think what you're really seeing is gravity keeping the water in one place where it can freeze together, rather than as a finely dispersed cloud of snow.
  $endgroup$
  – Starfish Prime
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Opps, hit submit will while still trying to figure out conflicting sources. Thanks.
  $endgroup$
  – Nosajimiki
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

1

$begingroup$

The water would all boil away. The main reason water can freeze in a vacuum chamber is because it is under gravity which applies pressure in lieu of an atmosphere. If your ship is really massive and really cold, it might be able to exert enough gravity to do this.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

Brythan

21.9k84388

answered 4 hours ago

NosajimikiNosajimiki

4,9641434

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Hmm. The vacuum pump could still be running, extracting water vapour. I think what you're really seeing is gravity keeping the water in one place where it can freeze together, rather than as a finely dispersed cloud of snow.
  $endgroup$
  – Starfish Prime
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  Opps, hit submit will while still trying to figure out conflicting sources. Thanks.
  $endgroup$
  – Nosajimiki
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

The water would all boil away. The main reason water can freeze in a vacuum chamber is because it is under gravity which applies pressure in lieu of an atmosphere. If your ship is really massive and really cold, it might be able to exert enough gravity to do this.

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

Brythan

21.9k84388

answered 4 hours ago

NosajimikiNosajimiki

4,9641434

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

edited 2 hours ago

Brythan

21.9k84388

answered 4 hours ago

NosajimikiNosajimiki

4,9641434

edited 2 hours ago

Brythan

21.9k84388

edited 2 hours ago

Brythan

21.9k84388

answered 4 hours ago

NosajimikiNosajimiki

4,9641434

answered 4 hours ago

NosajimikiNosajimiki

4,9641434