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The Free Energy Surface of Supercooled Water

A. Scala·F. W. Starr·E. La Nave·H. E. Stanley·F. Sciortino
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Abstract

We present a detailed analysis of the free energy surface of a well characterized rigid model for water in supercooled states. We propose a functional form for the liquid free energy, supported by recent theoretical predictions [Y. Rosenfeld and P. Tarazona, Mol. Phys. {\bf 95}, 141 (1998)], and use it to locate the position of a liquid-liquid critical point at $T_{C'} = 130 \pm 5$~K, $P_{C'}=290\pm 30$MPa, and $ρ_{C'} = 1.10 \pm 0.03$~g/cm$^3$. The observation of the critical point strengthens the possibility that SPC/E water may undergo a liquid-liquid phase transition. Finally, we discuss the possibility that the approach to the liquid-liquid critical point could be pre-empted by the glass transition.

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A. Scala, F. W. Starr, E. La Nave, H. E. Stanley, F. Sciortino. 2000-07-28. The Free Energy Surface of Supercooled Water. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.62.8016

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