Amorphous Solid Water: An X-ray Diffraction Study

Abstract

Water vapor that condenses on a metal surface at 10 degrees K forms a noncrystalline phase of estimated density 1.2 grams per cubic centimeter. X-ray diffraction data of high precision and resolution have been analyzed to yield oxygen atom pair correlation functions. The positional correlation in amorphous solid water extends over only a few molecular radii, and the radial distribution of nearneighbor oxygen atoms in amorphous solid water is qualitatively different from that found in the low-pressure ice modifications. Amorphous solid water is a useful material for liquid water models because it can be studied under conditions such that the effects of static disorder and thermal excitation can be separated.