Thermodynamic discontinuity between low-density amorphous ice and supercooled water.

A combination of reverse Monte Carlo, molecular dynamics, and lattice dynamics simulations were used to obtain structural and thermodynamic data for low-density amorphous ice. A thermodynamically discontinuous transformation to a phase with properties and a structure consistent with supercooled liquid water is found to occur at approximately 130 K. Quantum corrections have a profound effect on thermodynamic properties and the location of important thermodynamic points in the water phase diagram.

Origin of low-frequency local vibrational modes in high density amorphous ice.

Incoherent-inelastic neutron scattering data are obtained from 5-80 K for high-density amorphous (hda) ice in the region 0-135 cm(-1). An excess contribution to the vibrational density of states is identified near 20 cm(-1). The origin of these vibrations has been identified by lattice dynamics calculations on an "experimental" structure derived from reverse Monte Carlo analysis of hda ice neutron diffraction data.